Its a matter of chicken vs egg. They don't need huge military expenditures because security is provided by the US. But if they and all their neighbors had to provide sufficient defense, mostly against the people who are most likely to invade them (i.e. their neighbors), you get an arms race like you have with India/Pakistan, North/South Korea, Iran/Saudi Arabia. The indirect savings and the refocusing of capital and human resources away from the military in all of these allies countries makes the world a much safer place, since war no longer becomes the go to solution for states to resolve differences.

US bases do fall into 2 categories. Allies who don't want to get invaded again, and enemies who lost and became allies. As for Kuwait, that didn't work out well for Iraq, and Kuwait is still independent and an ally. Ukraine has no US bases, Russia would go ballistic if there were (surprisingly appropriate use of the word). ISIS is the anomaly, but right now you can put that down to the fact that Obama really, really doesn't want to put US troops on the ground (think he would hesitate if ISIS invaded England or Australia for example?), and that Iraq's military is trying to handle this as much as possible on their own and clearly having trouble.

I don't know if we need all 800 bases currently or if some are just vestigial. I'm not qualified to give an opinion on the necessity of them, though

Except almost all these bases are in allied countries, not as an occupying force (Guantanamo predates the Communist Revolution,so tough luck for Havana). These bases provide mutual defense and security.

Countries with US bases in them don't get invaded. How much do you think it would cost to have every single allied country try and run and maintain a truly effective military for their own defense instead of using the US as a strategic partner? Way more than $100b a year.

(P.S. loving the irony of the guy with the handle of Praetor and the avatar of the Emperor arguing he doesn't live in an empire, lol)

So cute I could eat them.

Someone must have just finished watching Fight Club.

Thank God there was a wide open field, not a school or a grove of trees.

For a good time, start watching at 25 seconds while listening to this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP477tkdJ4E

Watched 15 seconds of the beating and stopped watching.

Then forced myself to watch it all the way through because being uncomfortable with it is no excuse not to bear witness.

Watched person after person come on screen and join in the beating and had to stop watching again.

If they are going to treat people like this when they try and surrender peacefully, how do they think people will react in the future?

They brought an Interdictor with them?

Rebels were so screwed.

I approve of this message.

I don't want either Mars or Venus.

I WANT THEM ALL.

All the milk you can drink and all the rats you can chase.

Manufactured a cause to pull a citizen out of his vehicle, acted like a pack of animals, tried to turn off the cameras, tried to hide the recording for over a year, dropped all charges because they were complete bullshit, tried to keep the family quiet, now making it go through the courts, "disciplined" the officer (what a joke), and won't comment.

Really reinforcing the public faith. Superb job.

Brought to you by the Terrible Trivium.

Siftbot needs to check his emotion chip. =)

What log will i be lifting?

Does it matter?

*shakes head*