Although Washington has closed a number of US military bases in recent years, the country still maintains approximately 800 military bases in over 70 countries, ranging from giant compounds to small radar facilities. Most of America’s military bases were established during the Cold War, but some of them have only appeared relatively recently. Over the last few years, the risk of military confrontation with China has increased, which could see conflict breaking out in the Asia-Pacific region, East Asia and Southeast Asia. This is why US military bases in Japan, South Korea, as well as Singapore, have become crucially important for the United States.
A study conducted by American Professor David Vine highlights the geographical reach of US military bases, which are scattered across many different locations all over the world. It would therefore be no stretch of the imagination to say that these military bases not only help Washington to extend its sphere of influence to reach every corner of the earth, but they are also being used by the US to try and control almost the entire world.
The United States spends billions of dollars maintaining its image as the “world’s policeman”, which could be put to other uses to benefit the American economy. However, Washington is not going to just withdraw its global military presence, since American dominance is maintained on aircraft carriers, fighter jets and bayonets of US marines to name a few.
The US Department of Defense is allocated a $650 billion annual budget, and $70-100 billion of this budget is spent on servicing overseas military bases every year. Back in the day, the US tried to offer attractive incentives to make it profitable for countries to host these military bases and the troops stationed there. While some developed counties might be capable of covering their own security needs without having to rely on US security assistance (e.g. Germany, France or Japan), the US military bases hosted in the Baltic states i.e. former Soviet republics, or in Poland for example, have offered these countries a great source of income. However, this may all be about to change now.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly stressed that ensuring the security of US allies is draining the country’s budget. Trump wants to ensure that American military bases generate a profit for the United States, and he therefore intends to have these American overseas military bases undergo a transition so that they pay for themselves, which would see the countries where these American troops are deployed bear the full cost of hosting American servicemen. During a speech at the Pentagon in January, Trump said: “Wealthy, wealthy countries that we’re protecting are all under notice… We cannot be the fools for others.” At the same time, Trump demanded that his NATO military partners who host US military bases provide full reimbursement for their maintenance, plus 50% on top “for the privilege of hosting American troops.” Washington even promised discounts and “bonuses” for countries that fully comply with US foreign policy……More Here