Why Not Disband The US Military?

[GenSeneca]

No, I'm not joking.

Just to be perfectly clear, I'm talking about disbanding all 4 branches of the military; Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines. The Coast Guard, which primarily functions as search and rescue - within our own EEZ - and with only light armaments, would not be disbanded.

Going from the only super-power on earth to a neutral country without a standing military would be a real game changer, both domestically and internationally. I think we should do it. I see no reason to keep a standing military, there simply are no military threats to any of the 50 states, territories, or the US as a whole... Not one.

So, why not disband the US military?

 

[steveox]

I got a better idea,, Why noy a Military coup invade washington and take over the government like the Soviet red army tried to do in Moscow back in 1991. Remember

 

[Openmind]

I got a better idea,, Why noy a Military coup invade washington and take over the government like the Soviet red army tried to do in Moscow back in 1991. Remember

Those last few posts of yours make me wonder if you're just about ready to have a psychotic break!

Sorry, but I think you are totally out of line. . .for ANY ideology!

 

[GenSeneca]

I got a better idea,, Why noy a Military coup invade washington and take over the government like the Soviet red army tried to do in Moscow back in 1991. Remember

Why not? Because I'm not interested in living under a Military Dictatorship.

I'm going to have to add this to your list of contradictory positions,

You hate police but wish to live under a Military Dictatorship.

You love Communism but hate Socialism.

You hate "capitolism" but love the Tea Party.

 

[GenSeneca]

Sorry, but I think you are totally out of line. . .for ANY ideology!

You see, there are some things we can agree on after all.

 

[steveox]

We can Start over to make a new America. Thats what the Tea Party is for! GET RID ALL OF EM! Lets Start over from Scratch.

 

[GenSeneca]

We can Start over to make a new America. Thats what the Tea Party is for! GET RID ALL OF EM! Lets Start over from Scratch.

The Tea Party is not about using the military to overthrow the government... Now please, lets discuss the actual topic. If you want to discuss establishing a military dictatorship in America, then you're welcome to create your own thread.

 

[ProudLefty]

We can Start over to make a new America. Thats what the Tea Party is for! GET RID ALL OF EM! Lets Start over from Scratch.

Start over with what?

Just what is it about America that you find so objectionable? Why do you feel America is off track?

 

[GenSeneca]

Start over with what?

Just what is it about America that you find so objectionable? Why do you feel America is off track?

I'd really appreciate it if everyone would limit their comments to the actual topic of my thread.

 

[BigRob]

No, I'm not joking.

Just to be perfectly clear, I'm talking about disbanding all 4 branches of the military; Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines. The Coast Guard, which primarily functions as search and rescue - within our own EEZ - and with only light armaments, would not be disbanded.

Going from the only super-power on earth to a neutral country without a standing military would be a real game changer, both domestically and internationally. I think we should do it. I see no reason to keep a standing military, there simply are no military threats to any of the 50 states, territories, or the US as a whole... Not one.

So, why not disband the US military?

I don't view the military as something solely to protect American territory, I view it as an entity to protect American interests.

If we simply pulled back and disbanded, it would leave a major power void all over the world. That is going to be filled by someone, be it China, Russia, whatever.

The way I see it is this...we can either have a strong military, be a global power, and shape the world (for the most part) how we want it to be, or we can not do that and have the world shaped for us. Which do we want?

 

[Openmind]

I don't view the military as something solely to protect American territory, I view it as an entity to protect American interests.

If we simply pulled back and disbanded, it would leave a major power void all over the world. That is going to be filled by someone, be it China, Russia, whatever.

The way I see it is this...we can either have a strong military, be a global power, and shape the world (for the most part) how we want it to be, or we can not do that and have the world shaped for us. Which do we want?

I do not believe it is necessary to use a sledge hammer to keep influence in the world. . .especially at a time when wars are won more on "economics" than on "military might!"

Right now, OUR spending on military forces is SIX TIMES greater than China! Wouldn't you think that TWO TIMES would be appropriate at a time when, that huge expense is actually making us weak economically?

But. . .obviously, we have a great lobby from the defense industry making sure that we keep on spending!

Here are some factual numbers from Wikepedia (numbers from 2009)

The 2009 U.S. military budget accounts for approximately 40% of global arms spending and is over six times larger than the military budget of China (compared at the nominal US dollar / Renminbi rate, not the PPP rate). The United States and its close allies are responsible for two-thirds to three-quarters of the world's military spending (of which, in turn, the U.S. is responsible for the majority).[31][32][33]

In 2005, the United States spent 4.06% of its GDP on its military (considering only basic Department of Defense budget spending), more than France's 2.6% and less than Saudi Arabia's 10%.[34]information 2006 This is historically low for the United States since it peaked in 1944 at 37.8% of GDP (it reached the lowest point of 3.0% in 1999–2001). Even during the peak of the Vietnam War the percentage reached a high of 9.4% in 1968.[35] Countries like Canada and Germany spend only 1.4% of GDP on their military.

So, on this issue, and without going to the extreme proposed by Gensenaca, I do agree with him.

 

[GenSeneca]

I don't view the military as something solely to protect American territory, I view it as an entity to protect American interests.

Protect American interests from what/who?

If we simply pulled back and disbanded, it would leave a major power void all over the world. That is going to be filled by someone, be it China, Russia, whatever.

I don't see that as a problem.

China is a major holder of US debt, and a major exporter of goods to America, they are not going to invade the US or attack any of our overseas interests. If they did attack us in some way, we would have justification for voiding all of our debt currently held by China and we could cut off all Chinese imports, which would tank the Chinese economy (which requires high and consistent growth rates to keep the government itself from collapsing).

As for Russia, they are no longer the expansionalist nation they were under Communism. I see no reason to consider Russia a threat to America or our interests abroad.

The way I see it is this...we can either have a strong military, be a global power, and shape the world (for the most part) how we want it to be, or we can not do that and have the world shaped for us. Which do we want?

I'm talking about the US shaping the world how we want it to be, by disbanding our military and encouraging other nations of the world to follow suit. How many of the countries you fear filling the power vacuum see America as a threat to them and their national interests? I'm guessing all of them.

 

[GenSeneca]

So, on this issue, and without going to the extreme proposed by Gensenaca, I do agree with him.

What you consider extreme I consider ideal. Lets make cuts to the military, and keep cutting, over time so as not to create the power vacuum that BigRob fears, and all with the intended goal of phasing out our entire military.

I should add here that when I say "cut", I mean actual cuts, not a decrease in proposed spending which seems to currently be considered a "cut" in political parlance.

 

[Openmind]

What you consider extreme I consider ideal. Lets make cuts to the military, and keep cutting, over time so as not to create the power vacuum that BigRob fears, and all with the intended goal of phasing out our entire military.

I should add here that when I say "cut", I mean actual cuts, not a decrease in proposed spending which seems to currently be considered a "cut" in political parlance.

As I said. I agree with you on this issue.

When I said "extreme," it wasn't intended as a dispareging comment, mainly I would probably proceed more causciously as you would, and eventually bring the whole "defense industry" more in line with a sort of "National guard" idea, then a "foreign force" system.

 

[Lagboltz]

Europeans should be more concerned about military problems in their area. They have done very little unless badgered by the U.S.

9/11 was a terrible tragedy in the cost of human lives and the 1.5 Billion dollars building costs, but the wars that resulted in this cost twice as much in American lives and a trillion dollars. If we spend a small percent of the military budget on homeland security and a beefed up national guard, we could safeguard the US with much less cost in lives and dollars. So, yes, I think cutting the military far down to, say, the size of the Canadian military is a good idea. However we must foresee and be ready for another Pearl Harbor.