Trump reportedly wants to reduce number of US troops in South Korea

[Soph0571]

President Donald Trump has requested options for reducing the number of US troops in South Korea, the New York Times reported Thursday, citing several people briefed on the matter.

The President's request of the Defense Department comes ahead of his highly anticipated sit-down with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, expected to take place along the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas.

[link:https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/03/politics/donald-trump-south-korea/index.html?sr=fbCNN050418donald-trump-south-korea0941AMVODtop|

[jmy]

1. I'm not fan of Trump, but...

...we're spending trillions of dollars that we don't have to fund occupation around the globe. And it makes absolutely no sense to make Americans a target over there. Which is the reality of placing troops there. We're just making them targets. We're five thousand miles away from there, they can't touch us.

Alternatively, the question should arise as to what South Korea and Japan do for us in return for guaranteeing their safety. Those alliances are fiction at best.

[Submariner]

3. All they do for us

is give us established forward military bases right on Putin’s eastern border. Ships and submarines would not have to take days to get on station for DEFCON 1.

It’s expensive and dangerous, but in our era of Bush and Trump, necessary. For the same reason Putin craves a Naval port in Syria.

[marble falls]

5. Your last two sentences are total bullshit. South Korea is a very strong ally who's sent...

troops to support US troops in a lot of places including Viet Nam and Afghanistan. RoK troops are known as among the toughest troops on the planet. Japan has provided support to US troops and has also joined in with US military to provide humanitarian aid in all sorts of disasters in SE Asia, including to Phuket after their tsunami and earthquake relief in other places. They've been very limited in helping us in combat because their Constitution (basically written by the US in 1945) allows for only a self protection force. Let alone the BILLIONS and BILLIONS their taxpayers have spent on US military equipment. You really need to inform your opinion, try reading about the old SEATO alliance.

Japan has in the last two years been working at a change to be able to project their military power so as to not be dependent on the US regarding countering China in light of the US's totally screwed up and undependable cheetolini disastrous lack of clear cogent foreign policy.

Are you an America First-er?

[marble falls]

8. The discussion is: your remarks regarding Japan and RoK are bullshit regardless of your point....

whatever it was. If your opinion is as informed as you vaguely imply, you certainly can figure out what America First is all about, my friend.

[marble falls]

11. In that you can't defend your Japan/RoK statement, I understand your need to retreat...

Better hurry, I smell PIZZA!

[Vinca]

2. That is probably Kim's plan. Get the US out of Korea and resume operations.

[edhopper]

4. And if America moves out

what Super Power, which is Kim's biggest supporter, then has more influence over the region?

Could it be....China?

Trump is falling for Kim's plan, hook line and "stinker".

[dawg]

6. China got to Kim, and now we are being played.

Trump and all his "macho" Republican "tough guys" are going to unilaterally cede our power base on the peninsula.

Meanwhile, China is also militarizing the South China Sea, with nary a peep of resistance from Trump.

Winning.

[BumRushDaShow]

9. And Bolton nixed that idea

The end.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142052457