Shouldn’t we worry about this?

We wanted the US to get involved in the last war but until Pearl Harbour they were reluctant you’re right, but they could just have pursued a war with Japan but fortunately for us they threw in their soldiers and armaments into the war with Germany.We couldn’t have done it without them and our Colonial allies.

Yes we would probably have lost without US intervention, BUT would the same happen again? I doubt it, and the nuclear option is quite worrying in the wrong hands.

Farzanah

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.

Agreed.
Seems he approves of fracking, the pipeline, and dislikes wind turbines. However, certainly Musk's electric vehicles may come into play.

They ‘threw their soldiers and armaments’ into the war because Germany and Italy declared war on the US.

I agree that the US was the reason we won the war Oreo. And we will always be grateful for that. But what I am talking about is something quite different, the far reaching foreign policies of the US, not specifically here but more importantly in parts of the world the US did not help win a war but caused a war in, or influenced thanks to funding and arms. And the very fact that many countries now worry about what the US are capable of underlines this. Surely the world should not be holding its breath to see what Trump might do next. He has promised a new world order but what does that mean and why should we blindly accept this?

Yes, it is worrying the acceptance I am already witnessing in the media- still courting Farage especially, and marginalising those with opposite views.

This isn't freedom, it is already kow-towing and it will only continue until only those with more than half a brain will still see the truth- the rest will be brain-washed into blaming the 'woke' whoever they are.

Of course, Trumpmusk isn't Presidcent quite yet, but machines will be turning, deals made, investments planned. It is enough to make you want to get off this planet really...

Oreo

We wanted the US to get involved in the last war but until Pearl Harbour they were reluctant you’re right, but they could just have pursued a war with Japan but fortunately for us they threw in their soldiers and armaments into the war with Germany.We couldn’t have done it without them and our Colonial allies.

Yep.

Oreo

We wanted the US to get involved in the last war but until Pearl Harbour they were reluctant you’re right, but they could just have pursued a war with Japan but fortunately for us they threw in their soldiers and armaments into the war with Germany.We couldn’t have done it without them and our Colonial allies.

We couldn’t have done it without them and our Colonial allies.

Or Russia.

Everyone conveniently forgets Russia.

Apart from the military historians...

@MaizieD
Yes indeed, Russia was an ally and helped us win the war, and they lost millions as compared to all other allied losses put together.
Lest we forget eh?
Looks like we already have.

26/27 million as an approximate figure.

Geographically, strategically, we belong with NATO and in Europe. However difficult that path is. "Hitching ourselves" to the USA makes no sense. Without “hitching ourselves to the USA, there will be no NATO. They are the biggest monetary contributor and only thirty five per cent of the European member nations are meeting their funding targets. We are one of those thirty five percent. Trump is not particularly keen to continue using US tax dollars to prop NATO up. He could threaten to pull out unless we all start putting our hands deeper into our pockets. The alternative is the much vaunted European Defence Force, but Europe is highly unlikely to be able to fund that either.

@Greyduster the US is indeed the biggest contributor to NATO the reason for that is because the US historically wanted a military buffer against the Soviet Union/Russia, but if Trump is persuaded by Putin the US could exit NATO and Trump will indeed cite the fact that some European countries weren’t paying enough.
In my experience the US doesn’t pay out unless it is in their best interests - understandable - so if Trump thinks us in America’s best interests to pull out he will do it. But this leaves Europe and especially Ukraine completely exposed and vulnerable.
Being hog tied to the US could be about to blow up in all our faces.

Greyduster

^Geographically, strategically, we belong with NATO and in Europe. However difficult that path is. "Hitching ourselves" to the USA makes no sense^. Without “hitching ourselves to the USA, there will be no NATO. They are the biggest monetary contributor and only thirty five per cent of the European member nations are meeting their funding targets. We are one of those thirty five percent. Trump is not particularly keen to continue using US tax dollars to prop NATO up. He could threaten to pull out unless we all start putting our hands deeper into our pockets. The alternative is the much vaunted European Defence Force, but Europe is highly unlikely to be able to fund that either.

Thb I don’t blame Trump for wanting to make European countries contribute more.

We’re not ‘hog tied’ to the US but we are close to them and long may it continue.

MaizieD

Oreo

We wanted the US to get involved in the last war but until Pearl Harbour they were reluctant you’re right, but they could just have pursued a war with Japan but fortunately for us they threw in their soldiers and armaments into the war with Germany.We couldn’t have done it without them and our Colonial allies.

We couldn’t have done it without them and our Colonial allies.

Or Russia.

Everyone conveniently forgets Russia.

Apart from the military historians...

MaizieD
Not me. My father was 19, a signalman on the convoys.

Oreo

Greyduster

Geographically, strategically, we belong with NATO and in Europe. However difficult that path is. "Hitching ourselves" to the USA makes no sense. Without “hitching ourselves to the USA, there will be no NATO. They are the biggest monetary contributor and only thirty five per cent of the European member nations are meeting their funding targets. We are one of those thirty five percent. Trump is not particularly keen to continue using US tax dollars to prop NATO up. He could threaten to pull out unless we all start putting our hands deeper into our pockets. The alternative is the much vaunted European Defence Force, but Europe is highly unlikely to be able to fund that either.

Thb I don’t blame Trump for wanting to make European countries contribute more.

Of course not.

Every nation should meet or exceed funding targets. I doubt we'd be keen to prop NATO up without others contributing fairly.

A propos of nothing, up until fairly recently, the Germans were consistently not meeting their 2% contribution, and they were the ones shouting loudest about a European Army, and I always wondered, this being so, why a German has held the post of Commander in Chief of Allied Forces Central Europe more times than any other nation. Since 1966 there have been eighteen Germans, three Italians (who also don’t contribute enough) and one Brit.

How does this all fit in with the literally huge numbers of US military bases or garrisons in the UK and Europe?

The US may want to pull out of funding the Ukraine, but to lose the military foothold these bases give?

It will be interesting to see what Trump actually does. He is full of ideas such as increasing taxes on imports. All that will happen is prices will go up to offset the taxes and the cost will ultimately be borne by the American people.
He has other grandiose ideas like rounding up all illegal immigrants and deporting them. How much will that cost as well as building that wall.
I'm hoping he won't pull out of NATO but it might mean other countries paying fairly.

I can’t envisage NATO without the Americans and I don’t think the Pentagon will be able to either. DH served at both SHAPE and AFCENT and the American presence and influence is pre-eminent. You really have to experience it. If the European nations were left to sort out their own defence capability, there would be a most almighty squabble about who leads whom and who has what influence, not to mention the cost.

Wyllow3

How does this all fit in with the literally huge numbers of US military bases or garrisons in the UK and Europe?

The US may want to pull out of funding the Ukraine, but to lose the military foothold these bases give?

Which huge numbers of US bases remain in the UK?

I believe in 2015, during a reduction in forces, the number of bases was reduced significantly/military persons to only 10,000.

Perhaps I remember incorrectly. The remaining people seem to be mostly in Suffolk at a couple of small bases.

& looking at the big picture, how many Americans, no matter how tuned to fake news etc, would be able to stomach a Russia -dominated Europe? Where the majority of their ancestors came from & they've historically had a fundamental cultural relationship with? Plus Russia with Europe would be the world superpower, with China looking over their shoulders & USA nowhere. Because this is what the bottom line is, without any American checks & balances.

America contributes more than the next 9 countries ( counting down) put together.

Farzanah

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.

This is absolutely the biggest challenge facing the world. If we don't try to do something about climate change then little else matters. It is absolutely IS those who come after us that will suffer because of our inaction.

To answer upthread:

* RAF Lakenheath 
The largest US Air Force base in England, with the only F-35/F-15 fighter wing in the US Air Forces in Europe (USAFE). It's located in Suffolk County, East Anglia, about 80 miles northeast of London.

RAF Croughton 
The main base for the CIA in Britain, and also a USAF communications station. It's located in Northamptonshire.

RAF Mildenhall 
Located in Suffolk, East Anglia, and part of the Tri-Base area along with RAF Lakenheath and RAF Feltwell.

RAF Alconbury 
Includes a bomber forward operating location, theater munitions storage and movement, and global command and control communications.

RAF Molesworth 
Previously had a GLCM unit that was inactivated in 1989.

Bude, Cornwall 
Jointly run by the NSA and GCHQ, Britain's largest intelligence agency.


Other US military bases in the UK include RAF Welford, RAF Fairford, RAF Feltwell, RAF Upwood, RAF Barford St John, RAF Blenheim Crescent, RAF Fylingdales, and RAF Menwith Hill

The US intelligence community also has a large but secret presence in the UK. The UK government has not disclosed which US agencies are working in Britain or their deployment levels.