Shouldn’t we worry about this?

The US has swung between being the world's gate keeper, as in being part of NATO, getting involved in fighting communism etc, and self-protectionism ie not giving a hi about anyone else and making 'America great' again.

In more recent times the US has had to try to balance the two things and that has lead to a perception that the American 'way' has been diluted and needs to be restored.

To me this is very dangerous thinking and is what led to the UK voting for Brexit. It is regressive, nationalistic and in the end will be just as dangerous for the US economy as it has been for ours.

I am very concerned that global capitalism will now just run away with itself- Trumpmusk will be looking to Russia and China now, we are an insignificant little country that will be plummeted into more darkness if Farage manages to get his way, which I really hope he won't.

The USA used to be very involved - from Vietnam onwards - in a wholesale war/occupation. Its changing its policy on that

However its interests in the Middle East are both financial and political, and it won't be withdrawing its interests - think oil, think Iran/Israel, from there.

I think it unlikely it will withdraw from its bases around the world either, here is a list of where military bases are and troops positioned

The United States has military bases and troops in many countries, including:


Middle East

The U.S. has military facilities in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates. The U.S. also uses large bases in Djibouti and Turkey.

Europe
The U.S. has eight garrisons in Europe, including Shipton Kaserne, Storck Barracks, and Urlas Kaserne. Italy has a relatively constant base and troop presence.

Japan
Japan has the most active duty American troops, with 54,774.

South Korea
Camp Humphreys in South Korea is the largest overseas base in terms of area.

Germany
Germany has 35,068 active duty American troops.

Italy
Italy has 12,375 active duty American troops.

Honduras
A “temporary” base has existed since 1982.

Burkina Faso
A “cooperative security location” in Ouagadougou hosts special operations forces, drones, and surveillance flights.

The U.S. military has hundreds of military installations in more than 70 countries and territories. The number of bases may be even higher because not all data is published by the Pentagon

I for one just wish we didn’t have Starmer & Lammy right now. They’re facing entirely in the wrong direction with the EU. Which has stagnant growth anyway. I wish we were hitching our wagon to Trump’s. Ah well. It is what it is eh? I think the USA will prosper. The EU? Fraught with problems regarding immigration, net zero nonsense for targets that are way too soon - virtue signalling to one another to see who can burnish their green credentials and go hang us all, the consumers - and stagnation over AI red tape. We need an Elon Musk of our own. Never mind, we will muddle through with second best I suppose.

Geographically, strategically, we belong with NATO and in Europe. However difficult that path is. "Hitching ourselves" to the USA makes no sense, and hitching ourselves to a crazy POTUS makes no sense at all. To imagine he "Cares" in some way is an illusion: (being buddies with Farage will make no political difference here) the USA has completely different migration issues to ours: ours being in Europe.

I don't want to import US policies on guns, on political control of the civil service and judiciary, on womens' rights, on medical care (or total lack of for many).

Arms length!

FriedGreenTomatoes2

I for one just wish we didn’t have Starmer & Lammy right now. They’re facing entirely in the wrong direction with the EU. Which has stagnant growth anyway. I wish we were hitching our wagon to Trump’s. Ah well. It is what it is eh? I think the USA will prosper. The EU? Fraught with problems regarding immigration, net zero nonsense for targets that are way too soon - virtue signalling to one another to see who can burnish their green credentials and go hang us all, the consumers - and stagnation over AI red tape. We need an Elon Musk of our own. Never mind, we will muddle through with second best I suppose.

👏 👏 👏
Well said FGT

The UK will never import US policies on guns. The Civil Service are supposed to be impartial not sure they always are, our judiciary are impartial, women’s rights are more protected here than in the USA, nor is it likely we will be importing US style healthcare any time soon.

Trump and co are actual climate deniers, despite its evidence in the USA, I dont want us to hitch myself to that wagon at all. It feels like we are going backwards: I'm not great fan of Boris Johnson, yet he achieved a lot in his climate conference:

To quote Trump, burn, baby, burn, and drill, baby, drill, and forget about our grandchildrens' future world, and the uncertainties facing farmers the world over with changing climate, not to mention areas that will disappear under water:
its a big no thanks.

I am just worried about how US foreign policy can seriously affect so many countries, with Europe and UK now worried about NATO, and also worried about Putin and Netanyahu. It seems so much hangs upon US policy abroad which is just crazy really. Surely Brexit was all about having sovereignty but we don’t, and never will whilst the US calls the shots. IMHO the EU was a much lesser evil.

We need to get much closer to the EU for political, defensive and market reasons, spend more on defence (more than the paltry 2.5% aimed at) and form a better relationship with China.

madalene

www.cbsnews.com/news/guns-us-stores-british-criminals-hands/#:~:text=Guns%20from%20U.S.%20gun%20stores,British%20criminals'%20hands%20%2D%20CBS%20News

Babs03

I am just worried about how US foreign policy can seriously affect so many countries, with Europe and UK now worried about NATO, and also worried about Putin and Netanyahu. It seems so much hangs upon US policy abroad which is just crazy really. Surely Brexit was all about having sovereignty but we don’t, and never will whilst the US calls the shots. IMHO the EU was a much lesser evil.

We'd be the tail that the dog wags with the USA.

Absolutely Wyllow 👍

FriedGreenTomatoes2

I for one just wish we didn’t have Starmer & Lammy right now. They’re facing entirely in the wrong direction with the EU. Which has stagnant growth anyway. I wish we were hitching our wagon to Trump’s. Ah well. It is what it is eh? I think the USA will prosper. The EU? Fraught with problems regarding immigration, net zero nonsense for targets that are way too soon - virtue signalling to one another to see who can burnish their green credentials and go hang us all, the consumers - and stagnation over AI red tape. We need an Elon Musk of our own. Never mind, we will muddle through with second best I suppose.

I have to respectfully disagree.

Let’s hope for the best, and anticipate the worst.

Wyllow3

Trump and co are actual climate deniers, despite its evidence in the USA, I dont want us to hitch myself to that wagon at all. It feels like we are going backwards: I'm not great fan of Boris Johnson, yet he achieved a lot in his climate conference:

To quote Trump, burn, baby, burn, and drill, baby, drill, and forget about our grandchildrens' future world, and the uncertainties facing farmers the world over with changing climate, not to mention areas that will disappear under water:
its a big no thanks.

And a big no thank you Trump for me too!

It’s so shortsighted to deny and ignore Climate Change, I want a world still in tact for my grandchildren and their children

The thing us, we shouldn’t be agonising about Trump. He is the US president, and above and beyond feeling sympathy for Americans who will suffer under his presidency, this shouldn’t be our business. But it is. And it is the business of countless countries globally. That is what we should be agonising about. The apparent colonisation of so much of the world, or whatever you care to call it, by a superpower that seems to now have impunity to bring about a new world order whether we like it or not.
And I don’t like it.

madalene

The UK will never import US policies on guns. The Civil Service are supposed to be impartial not sure they always are, our judiciary are impartial, women’s rights are more protected here than in the USA, nor is it likely we will be importing US style healthcare any time soon.

Btw, in my opinion, the last thing we need is an Elon Musk of our own, he’s an extraordinarily clever and rich man, however he’s also a very very dangerous man funding another dangerous and deluded man!

I don’t think the Americans will suffer under Trump. The rest of us will, though. Especially those who have cut themselves off from the rest of the world.

I just wonder how those who voted Brexit - and am not having a go has happened and that’s that - can square their wish to be rid of EU influence in UK affairs with allowing the US to influence our affairs?
Farage’s platform during the referendum was one of keeping our British sovereignty, but we haven’t kept it if when the US says jump our government asks ‘how high?’

From The Economist: "In some ways the Trump era is very modern. It was made possible by technological changes and media fragmentation, at a time when distinguishing law from politics and politics from showbiz is hard. But it is also a return to an old idea of America. Before the fight against fascism convinced FDR that it was in his country’s interest to help bring order and prosperity to the world, the country was hostile towards immigration, scornful of trade and sceptical of foreign entanglements."

Seems a logical summary, imo.

Grantanow

We need to get much closer to the EU for political, defensive and market reasons, spend more on defence (more than the paltry 2.5% aimed at) and form a better relationship with China.

No don't need to get closer to the EU, they are as protectionist as many say Trump will be. As for forming a closer relationship with China, we are too involved with them as we are. Schools, manufacturing, buying up build8ngs and keeping them empty. Their tentacles are everywhere in this country,if we are not careful they will choke us.

Wyllow3

Geographically, strategically, we belong with NATO and in Europe. However difficult that path is. "Hitching ourselves" to the USA makes no sense, and hitching ourselves to a crazy POTUS makes no sense at all. To imagine he "Cares" in some way is an illusion: (being buddies with Farage will make no political difference here) the USA has completely different migration issues to ours: ours being in Europe.

I don't want to import US policies on guns, on political control of the civil service and judiciary, on womens' rights, on medical care (or total lack of for many).

Arms length!

It mattered that we hitched ourselves to the US in the 1940’s otherwise we’d all be speaking German now.

madalene

The UK will never import US policies on guns. The Civil Service are supposed to be impartial not sure they always are, our judiciary are impartial, women’s rights are more protected here than in the USA, nor is it likely we will be importing US style healthcare any time soon.

You wouldn’t think it needed saying, but obvs it does 😁

Oreo

Wyllow3

Geographically, strategically, we belong with NATO and in Europe. However difficult that path is. "Hitching ourselves" to the USA makes no sense, and hitching ourselves to a crazy POTUS makes no sense at all. To imagine he "Cares" in some way is an illusion: (being buddies with Farage will make no political difference here) the USA has completely different migration issues to ours: ours being in Europe.

I don't want to import US policies on guns, on political control of the civil service and judiciary, on womens' rights, on medical care (or total lack of for many).

Arms length!

It mattered that we hitched ourselves to the US in the 1940’s otherwise we’d all be speaking German now.

Hmm. I was under the impression that the US hitched itself to us, both in WW1 and WW2. It was quite isolationist. It took the attack on Pearl Harbour to drag them into WW2.

If military historians are to be believed it was Russia's intervention that was decisive in WW2.

It was post WW2 that the US set itself up as the defender of the 'free world' against the evil of communism and it interfered continually in the affairs of countries which conformed to their definition of 'communism. Notably in south America.

I am beyond depressed about Trump being elected and am very pessimistic about the future.
Climate change is the biggest challenge facing the world and apparently Trump is a climate denier.

There has been disastrous evidence recently in Europe of the devastation that climate change will mean for the world. I can’t understand the complacency. It’s those that come after us, our grandchildren, and their grandchildren who will suffer because of our inaction.