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  1. The Father Went out for smokes in ‘78 not seen since Nov 30, 2018

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    Thank you all for indulging my questions, mainly for our European friends and those Americans that reside in Europe.
    Not that often you have access to those opinions. Hearing from you is very interesting. I cannot live on FOX News opinion alone.

    So as the title say, what if the US left NATO? In the previous healthcare thread we had a few opinions questioning how a country that spends $600-800 billion on the Armed Forces cannot have a decent cost effective healthcare system.

    So let us assume the US decides, “damn, we have to get our house in order and we need the money to do it”
    The US tells the Europeans that we are taking our toys and going home. We withdraw every soldier, tank, jet, and helicopter and ship them back to the states. Shrinks the army from approx. 500,000 to say 50,000 for homeland defense.
    The US decided to shrink the navy decommissioning 8 carrier battle groups. Cut the navy from 300,000 to 20,000. Decommission 200 of the 300 ships. Cut 3000 of 3700 naval aircraft. Cut 16 of the nuclear ballistic misled submarine force. So we are not going to be the nuclear umbrella for the democratic world any longer either.

    Marines, my favorite group. 200,000 Marines, what do we need expeditionary units for anymore. Keep a couple thousand for parades. 300 fighter/attack jets put to scrap.

    Air Force, same deal. 300,000 down to 30,000. 5,000 aircraft down to 200. 400 ICBM nuclear missiles to say 40 just to protect ourselves.

    So the USA decides we will become a North America power and not a world power. Shrinks the military spending from $600-800 billion to a $100 billion.

    What would be the European response? Would these nation expand their militaries to replace the America vacuum created? How would the Russians be handled. If the Ruskies decided they needed Poland back and few others what would be the response? Overall I am kinda shocked the Russian people have allowed the Soviet type government to reform. While most of Eastern Europe took to the streets and are at least trying out the free democratic lifestyle. The Russians kinda muddled around and let the street thug secret police type Putin entrench himself.

    This is a meandering question, but what if the US left NATO and withdrew its nuclear umbrella.
     
  2. Foo2rama Keeps his worms in a ball instead of a can. Nov 30, 2018

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    Moot point. If we are not on NATO what do we do with all of the troops stationed in Europe since they don’t want to reduce military spending.

    All in all it really doesn’t cost the US more unless they want to downsize which they don’t want to do.

    Removing the US from NATO would not change policy of the US being to exert power globally and they would not reduce the carrier fleet.

    Remember military spending drives the economy, and the military is used to ensure economic dominance, neither side denies that.

    Now there is a question as to weather standing down somewhat say 5% and rolling 1/2 of that into infrastructure is not necessarily a bad idea.

    I’m trying to stay apolitical on this.
     
    Edited Nov 30, 2018
    noelekal likes this.
  3. noelekal Home For Wayward Watches Nov 30, 2018

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    "The World's Policeman."

    It's a dirty job but someone has to do it.

    I don't know. I come to OmegaForums to enjoy hobbies rather than be reminded yet again of politics, whether it be the politics of U. S. involvement in mutual defense alliances, the politics of U. S. bureaucratic government managed healthcare, or the politics of firearms ownership liberties in America.

    I'd rather read replies to what if I re-dialed the bad redial on my first ol' Constellation, purchased off Ebay back in 1999.

    [​IMG]
     
    89-0, haqq777, Mtek and 2 others like this.
  4. gemini4 Hoarder Of Speed et alia Nov 30, 2018

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    Don’t worry.
    I’m sure President Harding won’t make the same mistake twice.
     
    propervinyl likes this.