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U.S. to Withdraw 5k Troops from Germany, Pentagon Says

nytimes.com

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Re: U.S. to Withdraw 5k Troops from Germany, Pentagon Says

#31

Post by watwut »

tharkun__ wrote: post #22
Ksv28 wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They can learn a lot from the Swiss who spend a whole lot of less time and energy reacting daily to what the US thinks, says and does.

How many military bases does the US have in Switzerland again? Oh, the number is zero? Germany? Well guess what, the US has a very prominent airbase and listening station in Ramstein and a bunch of other military installations there. Also: History.

But none of that benefits Germany that much. Being in aliance like NATO with duty for mutual protection benefits them, but american military basis are setup primary for american benefit.

Germany would want them in Poland or such, near to Russia which is an actual threat.

Re: U.S. to Withdraw 5k Troops from Germany, Pentagon Says

#32

Post by watwut »

tharkun__ wrote: post #21
trhway wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

now Germany has a choice - to spend hundreds of billions for conventionally armed military to defend itself and still face risks of war or just a few billions to develop and produce nukes (using already existing Pu from the power plants) and have everlasting peace. Germans are rational people as i heard.

[flagged]

AfD are nazi, but I read the news they distanced themselves from Trump few years ago.

Musk is giving them money tho.

Re: U.S. to Withdraw 5k Troops from Germany, Pentagon Says

#33

Post by jacquesm »

rayiner wrote: post #12

Good. It’s not 1945 anymore, we don’t need to keep occupying Germany.

Every time you comment on here you show a little bit more of how little you understand of how the world works.

It is not 1945 anymore, indeed. But that's not why the US has bases in Germany. It has bases in Germany to serve as 'stationary aircraft carriers' on friendly foreign soil, which is a privilege and as part of NATO a mutual benefit and which were there on account of Russia and the Middle-East, not because Germany was still perceived as a threat or a country that needed occupation, that particular need ended well before the Unification and the withdrawal of Russians from Eastern Europe.

Tossing all of that into the grinder isn't 'making America great' it is making America smaller, much smaller. The EU has spent an absolute fortune on US military hardware in return in the past. That will end now, and this is being said out loud. EU military spending has been on the rise, but the US fraction of that spending is diminishing, and is expected to diminish further.

This will hurt the US much more than that it will help. So these are - like most MAGA inspired actions - at best own goals, at worse active aid to Putin.

You should be able to figure out the truth of this: if withdrawing 5K troops made sense outside of the context of being ostensibly as pay-back for Merz stating that the US has been humiliated by Iran - which they have, there is no doubt about it - then it would have been done so. But instead, the use of one particular word that your king is a bit sensitive to because it hits home is what set this off.

Re: U.S. to Withdraw 5k Troops from Germany, Pentagon Says

#34

Post by arvid-lind »

pohuing wrote: post #9
arvid-lind wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm thinking it's meant to appear as a punishment for disloyalty, but withdrawing troops like this only hurts the US and NATO. As we've seen in the Middle East recently, the hosts don't get any kind of security guarantees. Overall it meets the primary directive of this administration, which is to weaken the United States as a superpower and make way for Russia.

It does remove money from local economies. The drawdown of the British hurt my regional economy quite a bit.

That makes sense. It's like packing up a very small city of US influence abroad, just more embarrassing self-destructive petulance from Trump. He probably wants a headline that looks like he's hitting back more than anything.

Re: U.S. to Withdraw 5k Troops from Germany, Pentagon Says

#35

Post by rayiner »

jacquesm wrote: post #33
rayiner wrote: post #12

Good. It’s not 1945 anymore, we don’t need to keep occupying Germany.

Every time you comment on here you show a little bit more of how little you understand of how the world works. It is not 1945 anymore, indeed. But that's not why the US has bases in Germany. It has bases in Germany to serve as 'stationary aircraft carriers' on friendly foreign soil, which is a privilege and as part of NATO a mutual benefit and which were there on account of Russia and the Middle-East, not because Ger…

> You should be able to figure out the truth of this: if withdrawing 5K troops made sense … there is no doubt about it - then it would have been done so

If American foreign policy was rational, we wouldn’t have been involved in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and now Iran. Not to mention Somalia, Kosovo, and Libya, and countless minor skirmishes. We’ve been throwing kids into the meat grinder for 75 years, and lighting dollars on fire, for no good reason. There’s no reason for us to light money on fire having bases all over the world, when we have two huge oceans to protect us.

I’d also point out that “MAGA” is not united on this. A third of Republicans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the Iran war: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/05/01/americans.... Traditional republicans have long wanted to attack Iran so they’re pleased. But the America First people have been vocal in their opposition: https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/28/iran-war-trump-coalitio...

Re: U.S. to Withdraw 5k Troops from Germany, Pentagon Says

#36

Post by rayiner »

watwut wrote: post #31
tharkun__ wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How many military bases does the US have in Switzerland again? Oh, the number is zero? Germany? Well guess what, the US has a very prominent airbase and listening station in Ramstein and a bunch of other military installations there. Also: History.

But none of that benefits Germany that much. Being in aliance like NATO with duty for mutual protection benefits them, but american military basis are setup primary for american benefit. Germany would want them in Poland or such, near to Russia which is an actual threat.

Isn’t the main benefit to America of bases in Germany connected to its commitment to defend European security? If the U.S. didn’t have NATO obligations, how much would it benefit from having German bases?

Re: U.S. to Withdraw 5k Troops from Germany, Pentagon Says

#37

Post by doggers246 »

rayiner wrote: post #35
jacquesm wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Every time you comment on here you show a little bit more of how little you understand of how the world works. It is not 1945 anymore, indeed. But that's not why the US has bases in Germany. It has bases in Germany to serve as 'stationary aircraft carriers' on friendly foreign soil, which is a privilege and as part of NATO a mutual benefit and which were there on account of Russia and the Middle-East, not because Ger…

> You should be able to figure out the truth of this: if withdrawing 5K troops made sense … there is no doubt about it - then it would have been done so If American foreign policy was rational, we wouldn’t have been involved in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and now Iran. Not to mention Somalia, Kosovo, and Libya, and countless minor skirmishes. We’ve been throwing kids into the meat grinder for 75 years, and lighting dollars…

[dead]

Re: U.S. to Withdraw 5k Troops from Germany, Pentagon Says

#38

Post by dctoedt »

rayiner wrote: post #35
jacquesm wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Every time you comment on here you show a little bit more of how little you understand of how the world works. It is not 1945 anymore, indeed. But that's not why the US has bases in Germany. It has bases in Germany to serve as 'stationary aircraft carriers' on friendly foreign soil, which is a privilege and as part of NATO a mutual benefit and which were there on account of Russia and the Middle-East, not because Ger…

> You should be able to figure out the truth of this: if withdrawing 5K troops made sense … there is no doubt about it - then it would have been done so If American foreign policy was rational, we wouldn’t have been involved in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and now Iran. Not to mention Somalia, Kosovo, and Libya, and countless minor skirmishes. We’ve been throwing kids into the meat grinder for 75 years, and lighting dollars…

> If American foreign policy was rational, we wouldn’t have been involved in Korea

YGBFShM.

(As to most of the others you do have a point, but hindsight is always 20-20 — and the Dem decisionmakers about Vietnam had to contend with a revanchist, Red-baiting GOP that had attacked the Dems for having "lost" China.)

Re: U.S. to Withdraw 5k Troops from Germany, Pentagon Says

#39

Post by Arnt »

rayiner wrote: post #36
watwut wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But none of that benefits Germany that much. Being in aliance like NATO with duty for mutual protection benefits them, but american military basis are setup primary for american benefit. Germany would want them in Poland or such, near to Russia which is an actual threat.

Isn’t the main benefit to America of bases in Germany connected to its commitment to defend European security? If the U.S. didn’t have NATO obligations, how much would it benefit from having German bases?

There was a brief unfortunate episode a couple of hundred years ago, when the US was as little over twenty years old.

Some Africans started capturing American citizens and ships, maybe enslaving some, etc. Really quite unpleasant. The US eventually decided that its best option was invading Morocco.

It didn't have a commitment to defend anyone nearby, except the many Americans who traded all over the world.

The US has worldwide trade and interests now too, more so than in 1805.

Re: U.S. to Withdraw 5k Troops from Germany, Pentagon Says

#40

Post by [deleted] »

dctoedt wrote: post #38
rayiner wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You should be able to figure out the truth of this: if withdrawing 5K troops made sense … there is no doubt about it - then it would have been done so If American foreign policy was rational, we wouldn’t have been involved in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and now Iran. Not to mention Somalia, Kosovo, and Libya, and countless minor skirmishes. We’ve been throwing kids into the meat grinder for 75 years, and lighting dollars…

> If American foreign policy was rational, we wouldn’t have been involved in Korea YGBFShM. (As to most of the others you do have a point, but hindsight is always 20-20 — and the Dem decisionmakers about Vietnam had to contend with a revanchist, Red-baiting GOP that had attacked the Dems for having "lost" China.)

[deleted]
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