Reply #86: Huh?

[Sweet Pea]

Many American bases and ports have been closed because we don't need them. Are you saying we need more ports and bases?

On Sept 2 1945 we had nearly 7,000 ships and 3 and a half million men and women engaged in the sea services. Today? We have less than 280 ships and 334,000 personnel. Are you saying we need the same support infrastructure now, even though we have 96% less ships?

95% of the world's commerce still travels via sea. The sea lanes of communication that kept Britain alive 70 years ago are still just as important in keeping many nations economies alive today. The Navy isn't going around the threatening war any more than any other nation is. The 21st century pirates off Somalia and the Horn of Africa would love for us to go home. The Iranian's in the self-same Hormuz would love for us to go home - that would leave the Arabian (not Persian)Gulf all theirs to do whatever they want, and if you think Iran wouldn't hesitate for a nanosecond to pull some hooliganism in the straits without someone to throw the bullshit flag, you're deluded. Iran has for decades claimed Hormuz as their own, ignoring the fact that a sovereign nation owns the land on the other side.

Same with Gibraltar, Malacca, Suez, Panama and any other strategic choke point around the world. "Let local navy forces control them!" you may cry. Bullshit. There is no "local navy" to fight the pirates off Somalia. Leaving Hormuz to the Iranians is to give Amadinijad (you remember him...the "There are no gays in Iran" guy) a tap to turn on or off the world's oil. Panama has no navy to speak of, Egypt has questionable ability to keep both ends of Suez open, and as far as the Straits of Malacca goes, Indonesia is less capable than Egypt and Panama combined.

Having a global capability on the high seas is an advantage to the US. Pure and simple.