Trump hikes price tag for US forces in Korea almost 400% as Seoul questions alliance

Discussion in 'Latest US & World News' started by Same Issues, Nov 15, 2019.

  1. Same Issues

    Same Issues Well-Known Member

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    Recently we were supposed to leave Syria, and did not or moved the troops to different locations in the Middle East. This was presumably do to the threat of Turkey invading the area's we were stationed. Under that premise, maybe things are getting to hot for the troops located there and it would be better to move them farther out of missile range in other parts of Asia? Althought it has not made much news, North Korea is still testing missiles there. I wonder what the South Korean response will be, as of yet they have not commented.

     
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  2. Capt Nice

    Capt Nice Well-Known Member

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    LOL. You have a nice place here. Would you like to see it stay that way or would you like for it to be exposed to people that would like to harm it? Oh, you'd like to keep it huh? Well it will only cost you 400% more. That's trump's "Art of the Deal".
     
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  3. Same Issues

    Same Issues Well-Known Member

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    This is true, if it would actually work out that way if we did leave. SK could actually see us leave and make a better peace deal with NK; maybe. SK could let someone else slip into our place, UN force, Europe, ect ect. Its hard to say until we hear the SK response.
     
  4. Margot2

    Margot2 Banned

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    The South Koreans are very likely to tell Trump to have a nice day and please shut the door on his way out.
     
  5. Thedimon

    Thedimon Well-Known Member

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    We should do the same to Germany!
     
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  6. Same Issues

    Same Issues Well-Known Member

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    And Japan to in my opinion. South Korea is the only one under real threat, but that might actually subside if we are gone. Some of our bases are relics from another geopolitical time, we should re-adjust or just remove a few of them (some being large like Japan and Germany).
     
  7. Heartburn

    Heartburn Well-Known Member

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    SK Make a better deal with NK? Just how likely do you think that is given Kim's ambition to be the king of Korea? The only thing that has ever kept NK North has been the US military presence and potential. He wanted nukes to deal with us, he never needed them to deal with SK.
     
  8. Same Issues

    Same Issues Well-Known Member

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    Its possible, like you said the nukes are related to our presence there, not because of SK. We can be replaced, or they could possibly make a deal that works for them if we are gone. All out war would still involve several outside actors, including us but we don't need the base there to project power.
     
  9. eschaff

    eschaff Active Member

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    It's a wonderful idea for isolationists and a horrible idea for those who aren't.
     
  10. 61falcon

    61falcon Well-Known Member

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    Part of our being there and in other locations around the world is giving us permanent bases and air craft refueling so that we have a strategic presence around the world.
     
  11. scarlet witch

    scarlet witch Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    If that happens (if) KJU becomes a major problem for China

    South Korea should negotiate(and probably are) perhaps they can settle on 200%
     
    Last edited: Nov 15, 2019
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  12. Ddyad

    Ddyad Well-Known Member

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    That would be very good - for the USA.
     
  13. Ddyad

    Ddyad Well-Known Member

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    Yes, but SK is more of an unfriendly commercial competitor than an ally.
    Just buy Apple and let Kim inject some reality into SK.

    SK should have been negotiating exchanges of military cadre with NK decades ago.
     
  14. Heartburn

    Heartburn Well-Known Member

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    Trump always leaves wiggle room.
     
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  15. Right is the way

    Right is the way Well-Known Member

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    UN or Europe take our place laughable. If North Korea and South Korea wanted peace why hasn't it happened. Heck you have had two Dim presidents who have won a Nobel Peace prize and were president for a total of 16 years and there still is no peace treaty.
     
  16. Right is the way

    Right is the way Well-Known Member

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    Things might have changed but the older military officers from South Korea seemed to want to take the fight to the north. Seemed to me we were keeping each side from attacking each other. I was there in 94 to 95.
     
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  17. Pycckia

    Pycckia Well-Known Member

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    And what is the point of having a strategic presence around the world?
     
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  18. FlamingLib

    FlamingLib Well-Known Member

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    It used to be because we were the "shining city on the hill", the world looked up to us, and protecting smaller democratic nations with shared values was important to us.

    Now our foreign policy has become, "What can you do for us?". And it's perfectly fine for the American people to adopt a transactional approach to foreign policy. What's very strange is that Evangelicals, who are supposed to value compassion, charity, and forgiveness, are now OK with the U.S. position: "money talks, and bullshit walks. Pay up, or we're taking our football and going home."

    But American "Christians", other than the Amish and some obscure sects, aren't Christians at all and haven't been for a very long time. American "Christians" worship wealth, status, and "he who has the most toys wins". You don't need to look any further than "prosperity gospel" (and it's stable of ultrarich "pastors") to understand this.
     
    Last edited: Nov 15, 2019
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  19. vman12

    vman12 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    They're welcome to build their own army to guard themselves.

    Maybe we could have our lifelong allies, the Kurds, come guard the border.
     
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  20. Pycckia

    Pycckia Well-Known Member

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    That is baloney. Smaller nations have always resented the bullying of the US. Do you think, for instance, Guatemala welcomed the presence of United Fruit which US diplomacy foisted on them?

    --------

    Anti-Americanism

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    Overview

    Anti-Americanism is a colloquial term used to imply negative attitudes and/or opinions regarding the United States. Following September 11, 2001, as a series of polls such as the 2002 Gallup Poll, Pew's 2003 Global Attitudes Survey, and others highlighted extreme negative perceptions of the United States, usage of the term has intensified--particularly among public diplomacy practitioners and academics. There is now a growing body of literature that seeks to uncover the roots and repercussions of heightened levels of anti-Americanism.

    In many cases, anti-American sentiment portrays the United States as a unilateral superpower, only acting on behalf of its own selfish interests and seeking world domination. Currently, the Iraq War has increased anti-American sentiment around the globe as US intentions for going to war are questioned. Anti-Americanism entered the American political lexicon in earnest in 2002 following the publication of the 2002 Pew Global Attitudes Survey: What the World Thinks, which documented a steep decline in public opinion about the United States following 9-11. Subsequent Pew surveys from their Global Attitudes Project have found equally depressed attitudes towards the United States.


    https://publicdiplomacy.wikia.org/wiki/Anti-Americanism

    Our "strategic presence" is just one method of bullying other nations.



    Be that as it may, what do we need with a strategic presence?
     
    Last edited: Nov 15, 2019
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  21. NMNeil

    NMNeil Well-Known Member

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  22. Same Issues

    Same Issues Well-Known Member

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    Someone can take out place, its not that implausible if we did actually pack up and leave. 2)There are lots of reasons they dont have peace there, China and the US are two of them among many. I see no reason to not consider pulling our forces out, and if its about the Presidents feeling we are getting screwed there financially then so be it.
     
    Last edited: Nov 16, 2019
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  23. Ddyad

    Ddyad Well-Known Member

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    The whole world now knows that a century of what has passed for "progressive reform" has transformed "shining cities" into hills of garbage, sewage, teeming with rats, needles, disease human misery and death.
    https://www.nbclosangeles.com/inves...les-Health-Mayor-Eric-Garcetti-510171121.html
     
  24. Seth Bullock

    Seth Bullock Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    It's interesting when you actually do some research on something.

    What I found out by searching the internet is that what South Korea has been paying for our troops does not go to the U.S. Instead, it goes right straight back into their own economy, because what they are paying for is for base construction, maintenance, and South Korean civilian personnel who work on those bases.

    https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-trump-allies-20160930-snap-story.html

    By 2018, the South Korean contribution was $860 million which paid about 41% of non-personnel costs. https://thediplomat.com/2019/01/the...-cost-sharing-agreement-has-expired-now-what/

    So then I wondered what it costs to have 1 member of the military. So I found out that the defense budget is $693 billion, and we have about 2.1 million active and reserve personnel in the military, and then I did the division. The answer was an astounding $330,000 per member. That is the total cost, including all of their support and equipment.

    There are 28,500 U.S. military personnel in South Korea. 28,500 X $330,000 = $9.4 billion.

    That is the true cost of keeping our forces in South Korea, and South Korea is only paying $860 million which they pay into their own economy rather than directly to the U.S.

    No wonder Trump wants them to pay us $4-5 billion!

    This is an example of a politician actually doing what he said he would do on the campaign trail.

    Who woulda thunk it?
     
    Last edited: Nov 16, 2019
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  25. Moonglow

    Moonglow Well-Known Member

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    Puttin' the squeeze for protection monies is a well known trade for made men...
     

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