- cross-posted to:
- news@lemmy.world
- cross-posted to:
- news@lemmy.world
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/39664905
Lieutenant General Christian Freuding fears the longstanding military partnership between the two allies is unravelling under President Trump’s administration
The Pentagon has “cut off contact” between American defence officials and their German counterparts, according to the head of Germany’s army.
The United States has traditionally treated Germany as one of its most important European allies. It is thought to have about 35,000 soldiers stationed at German bases such as Ramstein and Stuttgart, which serve as staging posts for American operations across Africa and the Middle East.
Since President Trump’s return to power in January, the relationship between the countries has become markedly cooler.
Frankly I’ve always thought the concept of military bases on foreign soil was creepy at best. And it’s hilarious how many people welcome it and the. Freak out when Saudi Arabia is looking at a base in the US. Now you know how it feels.
The difference is Saudi Arabia is always evil and the US is only frequently evil. Always when a Republican is president but also occasionally when a Democrat is president.
Contrary to certain narratives, and while it has some merit, US bases are in said countries at the explicit request of host countries because there is a perceived bigger and more existential threat next door. The host country is basically subcontracting the defense to the United States. Trolls would tell you that these countries were “influenced” or “coerced” to let American troops be stationed. Well, the US is not the one claiming the entirety of South China Sea, or invading Ukraine. South East Asia and EU want US troops to stay because of this. Poland is very US friendly, and so are Taiwan, Vietnam and Philippines. The Philippines elected to kick the American soldiers out 34 years ago, but are now regretting it with the benefit of hindsight due to territorrial dispute in South Chins Sea. Certain actors who push for US withdrawal stand to benefit from it for obvious reasons.
Oh please, this is the bullshit propaganda we’re all used to on mainstream. US does coerce them internally to have their bases everywhere. Biden even said repeatedly they would have to invent Israel if it wasn’t there already. US bases are known to have caused deplorable rapes and crimes across the globe, which are then silenced or swept under the rug by the US. When the citizens complain and want them out, they are silenced by coercing the local governments. But I assume people who don’t want racist rapists and criminals in their community are trolls too, right?
https://www.npr.org/2024/07/12/nx-s1-5035032/sexual-assault-cases-involving-u-s-military-personnel-strain-relations-with-japan
Bootlickers propagandists would tell you that these country specifically request US base to be stationed. Well let’s change the subject to china to divert the topic cuz we all hate China here, am I right?
China is threat to south China sea, like US is in Central America. How would you like some Chinese or Russian bases in Cuba, Venezuala, or the Bahamas?
No, you’d fucking cry like a little pussy and embargo them. Oh no, you already do that. So much for countries that want to do what they want, right?
“Do as I say, not as I do.”
No surprise there, so don’t come with that self-aggrandizing, virtue signalling bullshit about threats and coercing.
One of the “threat” is currently playing out and already committed war crimes near Venezuela. And that isn’t China.
You aren’t fooling anyone. I’d go back to reddit where this shit flies because US bases just love reddit.
P.S. Fuck Chinese and Russian governments too.
Do you have a source? American soldiers who commit crimes do get punished. Crimes of individual soldiers does not mean it’s institutionalised and sanctioned by American policies. Meanwhile, in South China Sea, Chinese vessels waterhose Vietnamese and Filipino fishermen and not letting other nations to traverse and fish in international waters, and claiming an entire body of water despite being well away from their legal zone.
For these countries, US is a lesser evil. But I have to admit, Trump’s shenanigans making these countries decouple from US, which is good.
Sure bud. Have a plausible deniability.
Laws are certainly different for american scum than they are for the locals. Consider yourself lucky for not having experienced it, instead of dismissing what anyone who’s spent time around those terrorists would tell you.
I’m not even going to bother replying to the rest of your bootlicking, but just ask Greece how willingly they joined NATO.
Do you actually asked locals what they think of Russia and China?
Trolls and their unoriginal bad faith tactics of saying “not going to reply” when they know they are backed to a corner. At least you’re creative by preemptively pigeon shitting on the chessboard.
The US has over 700 bases in 80 countries. Countries “invite” them in just like countries “willingly” use the dollar for international trade. Its structural dependancy by an imperial power. The British did the same thing 150 years ago.
Although with Trump’s shenanigans, US dollar is gradually losing its value.
Many countries consciously outsource defense to the US, so that they could invest in their own people instead. A clear evidence of this attitude is when Spain expressed hesitancy to increase their defense budget. Obama has a point that EU has been “free riding”. However, the way Trump makes US allies to “pull their weight” is more coercive than diplomatic.
The us has all the makings of cancer, it even metastasised.
I think rammstein was a capitulation cost wasn’t it?
I thought Rammstein is a cool metal band?
They are.
As an aside they started doing their videos in Germany with Germans instead of America and they are fuckin beautiful.
Awesome visuals. https://youtu.be/skl6N3zGv-s
I dunno how to put this, uhh well produced sexual innuendo I guess is the best way to put it. https://youtu.be/thJgU9jkdU4
In the cold war it made sense. West Germany was a shattered shell of what it had been and what it would become. There was a concern that the USSR might invade, which Bonn had no hope of repelling by itself, probably the only effective method they might have would be to develop nuclear weapons. Nobody wanted more nuclear weapons, so alliances were developed and to get US skin in the game, troops were put in the firing line as an insurance policy
It still does make sense considering that russia is literally invading Ukraine (at least once a decade…) and continue to probe NATO nations. Because, in that regard, it is less a “military base on foreign soil” and more just a NATO base on NATO soil. And, in theory, it is a good idea to let the country dumb enough to spend most of their GDP on a massive standing military to foot the bill.
But considering that the US is just as likely to be on russia’s side in WW3…
It seems like the US is prepared to cede foreign policy in that region to who ever has the biggest stick. Trump is already losing influence and it doesn’t look like any one else on the right has the ability to hold the MAGA movement together? Maybe MGT?
Anyway, way back in the Obama years, the US was already pivoting to the Asia pacific as its primary focus. Trump just ripped the band aid off Europe in his usual “diplomatic” fashion.
We have American border police at our airports, and they are able to act as if they’re on home turf and not our fucking land – including arresting us to take to America. I have a thought as to whom we can expel from here, obviously!
Some of them welcome the bases (or so we are told) to help with defense. But seeing what’s going on in Ukraine, it seems like we can’t rely on allies to help out. Maybe still a deterrent though?
That’s why almost no one does it other than the US, we get to have over 750 of them in more than 80 countries! And at the same time, we would absolutely lose our freedom-loving minds if another country wanted to build one in America.