The cost of empire

Very good report...and consider, for example, the work of Chalmers Johnson, professor emeritus of the University of California at San Diego. He has extensive experience and has written three books on the consequences of American Empire, "Blowback," "The Sorrows of Empire," and "Nemesis: The Last Days of The American Republic." He wrote "Blowback" before 911, about as clear an explanation why any "terrorist" attack on the U.S. should have surprised noone.

P.S. This is very weird. I just got an email saying that someone responded to my comment??? There is no response either here or on the link to their profile. And, their supposed response seems to have been a wild jump to a conclusion not the least bit either implicit or explicit in my comment...I think this will be the last time I try to add instructive information...didn't realize that internet users apparently don't read books! And they certainly don't recognize authorities of any kind. They just blow whatever comes out their Arse.

i know of 4 quite large bases that the military is getting rid of. Biggest is the Manas air force base (fuck them and there 2 beers a night) and that is used for transition soldiers going into the Kunar province of afghanistan.

I could see shutting down pointless bases, but not ones that are actually useful.

This is worth keeping.
When I discovered how much the unnecessary war was costiing I called my Republican Senator and Representative. They have no problem with spending in Iraq. Now they are screaming about Obama trying to stimulate the economy, an economy that their abuse created.

F___ the empire!

This is extremely depressing!

this is depressing

America can no longer be the cop of the world. She needs to focus her energy on her own children for a while. It is a good thing to reduce the number of bases, war should not be our focus, peace making should.

We don't need an empire, we just need a decent economy and enough energy. Ron Paul is right about all that money wasted supporting troops all over the EU.
Its just supporting the military industrial comples. We need a good military and to be able to defend ourselves
but no more.
We are in this mess because of spending all on guns and nothing on America.

Just imagine if all this money was administrated to the benefit of humans instead to their death. We got to do better than that. Just look at Current Radio News for the previous video;

http://current.com/items/89855061/changing_the_world_one_child_at_a_time.htm

Do not get fooled again America!!!;

http://current.com/items/89872937/the_who_won_t_get_fooled_again_live_8.htm

Mo' Money!! Mo' Money!! Mo Money!!
Keep it up, Obama!! It is our God given mandate to Save the World!! Shit, if we wanted to save the World, we'll call on SuperMan, thankyewverymuch! Obama, pull your head out of your arse. We already have enough people that hate our guts! Go Ron Paul!!

The U.S. Financial System Is Effectively Insolvent
There is a grave risk of a global L-shaped depression.
By Nouriel Roubini
Even with the $2 trillion of government support, most of these financial institutions are insolvent, as delinquency and charge-off rates are now rising at a rate--given the macro outlook--that means expected credit losses for U.S. financial firms will peak at $3.6 trillion. So, in simple words, the U.S. financial system is effectively insolvent.
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22168.htm
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This Is What A Financial Collapse Looks Like
Argentina's Economic Collapse
Video
Documentary on the events that led to the economic collapse of Argentina in 2001 which wiped out the middle class and raised the level of poverty to 57.5%. Central to the collapse was the implementation of neo-liberal policies which enabled the swindle of billions of dollars by foreign banks and corporations.
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22169.htm
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The Bottomless Bailout
By Ralph Nader
Does anybody in the federal government know or could know "who, what, where and when" of the massive, complex, vertical, horizontal, global collapse of Wall Street and its planetary tentacles in over 100 countries abroad? Step forward if you exist! Uncle Sam needs you!
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22171.htm
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America Loses 23,000 Jobs Every Day
Output suffers biggest slump in 25 years
By Gráinne Gilmore, Economics Correspondent
In a further sign of the struggles that are facing workers in America, the number of people forced into part-time work because their hours were cut or they were unable to find full-time work rose by 787,000 to 8.6 million last month. Yet despite the gloomy figures, analysts drew hope from evidence that the pace of job losses was easing.
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22170.htm

Number Of Iraqis Slaughtered Since The U.S. Invaded Iraq "1,311,696"
www.justforeignpolicy.org/iraq/iraqdeaths.html
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Number of U.S. Military Personnel Sacrificed (Officially acknowledged) In America'sWar On Iraq 4,256
icasualties.org/oif/
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The War in Iraq Costs
$602,825,747,405
See the cost in your community
nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=182

Diplomacy, diplomacy, diplomacy!

A chimpy grin and a whole lot of illiterate babble and an unfounded war has alienated most of the world against the US. If America can re-establish a connection with all of their previous Allies, then we won't need as many military installations around the globe.

Like the old trite saying goes: "You can attract more bees with honey than you can with vinegar"! This was something the old administration had backwards.

Obama and Hillary understands this concept and is doing all they know to rectify the abortions created by chimpy and friends. If America wants to retain it's world power status, they need to wake up to the fact of needing to re-establish a solid footing at home and regain the trust of their allies abroad.

America is no-longer the all powerful that they used to be.
The problem is this: Many of the republicans are so drunken on their aristocratic ways and they cling to the impression that they can maintain this facade they have created. With this mentality they seem to do all they can to thwart any and all activities aimed at rectifying the current situations. They seem to be clueless to what they are actually playing with. Time is of the essence. The world will not set idly by waiting for America to figure this out.

America needs to pull it's tentacles back in and rebuild at home. The ten plus billion dollars per month that is being spent in Iraq needs to come to an end. We get nothing in return for this expenditure. This has been going on for quite some time and has cost Americans more than they may ever know.

Why?? Is that going to help the world become peaceful??

Ron Paul has got it right, we can't afford to run an empire. We don't need all the military bases, and we certainly don't need the F22 Raptor when what we've already got can out fly anything on the planet.

Which one, specifically? There are twelve to fourteen large permanent US military bases in Iraq. Then, there is the huge American Embassy compound - a veritable city - which cost billions to build (using cheap labour) and houses a vast number of personnel, plus shops, swimming pools, etc.

how much does the permanent base in Iraq cost??