Strange comparison. I am retired military. I am not sure I would want a military base blocks from my house either. However, usually there are numerous businesses catering to the military base surrounding the base rather than a lot of private homes. Would you prefer Chinese Yuan funding a new railway system and building businesses in my country as compared to having military bases in my country?
"First they came for the France, and I did not speak out— Because I was not French. Then they came for Germans, and I did not speak out— Because I was not German. Then they came for Spain, and I did not speak out— Because I was not Spanish. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me
I'm sorry, but I don't see this as a difficult problem. It's the old 'nature abhors a vacuum' rule. If the U.S. were to have done as many people would like and step aside and insist upon remaining isolated and neutral then Russia and China would step forward and become what we have been . . . only without our NICE features. As abhorrent as many people think the U.S. is and has been; they ain't seen nothing yet if either of those other two powers were to take over. Then some decades afterwards one or both of them would 'take' the U.S.A.
So you think that if we stepped back that all of Europe would fall one by one? The EU would not band together? No other non EU countries would not support them without America demanding it?
This is the conclusion I originally came to. But I want to explore others thoughts on this because the demands both internally and externally have been increasing for us to step aside. You would think it is becuase they see some kind of "better" option.
Russia doesn't have the economic ability to dominate Europe, and not quite the military capability, but it would sure try. In theory, the European combined economic might could field a more than sufficient military to defend itself adequately, but in practice, they would rather kowtow to another power. Look how quick Merkel went from declaring that Germany could not longer depend on the US to expanding gas deals and simpering up to Russia. So in a world without America, Russia would end up dominating Europe.
Yes, and apparently those are the Europeans who studied only very selective parts of history . . . and even failed to comprehend what they were reading at that.
Since 2008 I have watched with awe as people inside our own nation tried very hard to weaken or even destroy our nation; which is not just pooping in one's own nest but equivalent instead to dousing said nest with gasoline while standing in it and striking a match. Or in other words I no longer underestimate the ability of seemingly intelligent and well educated people to be . . . insanely . . . stupid. By that I mean, I do not even credit them with believing that Russia or China -- as a for instance -- are better or more inclined to be humanitarian. I just think that they hate their own nation so much that they don't care what happens after the fact.
That is not the point, plus diversity has no bearing on how we interact with the rest of the world diplomatically.
Oh! A what if thread! Glad that isn't happening. Hate the U.S. if you want (not accusing the OP) but like it or not, our influence around the world is in YOUR best interest. If we lose that, it isn't going to be pretty.
I did say it would be a mixed bag which is why I'd be reluctant to have a world without the US being the world police. However, China's economic strategy has been a winning formula for them. They follow Sun Tzu's Art of War. That is war with minimal to no fighting. There would be no reason for them to threaten a country with military might on the other side of the globe. It would be bad for their reputation and it would cost them economically in an unnecessary way because those far away countries are already economically dependent on China. Basically, if it isn't broken, don't fix it. Smaller countries like Vietnam and Taiwan will have problems (like I said; a mixed bag) but India which has its own boarder disputes with China will not be an easy picking. That's a tough one, but I'll go with China's money over American boots, ships and planes. Why? Because of a sense of national pride. At least we could say China and our country have a positive economic cooperation rather than we owing our reverence to Americans for 'keeping us safe'.
huh? So in your opinion, the population has nothing to do with what characteristics a nation has? lol....no bearing? Apparently you missed the entire Obama thing
Not with nukes and ICBMs and rapid transportation. I just happened to pick three countries belonging to the EU. Like it or not, we are the world's policeman.
Foreign Policy magazine did a cover story on that very subject several years ago. The result would be a global disaster for the entire globe. Including the outbreak of regional nuclear wars around the world.
I surmise that the rest of the world would plunge themselves into war with each other since they had no big brother like the USA or USSR or China to mitigate for them.
I suspect that Putin will do whatever is best for Russia and for Putin. He wants Ukraine so he will get that eventually. That's his first stop. Where he would go next after he gets Ukraine is impossible to say. Poland?
Putin can justify Ukraine and Poland since the CIA has been interfering in both. That would largely take up all of Putin's remaining career.
I prefer not to use the word safety and use the words well being. As I said in my previous comments, countries immediately bordering China will be less safe. But the countries further away geographically will not be threatened militarily but dependent on China economically (see my previous comment to know why). But as I said earlier, I'd much rather be dependent economically on China than dependent on the US for security. I'll repeat myself here: I'd rather have Chinese Yuan funding infrastructure projects in my country than US boots and military hardware on the soil of my country. Why? Because as a matter of national pride we can say our positive relationship with China benefits the well being of our people as opposed to having a debt of gratitude to the United States for "keeping us safe"