General Discussion

guillaumeb

(42,649 posts)

26. thanks for the post

Wed Apr 15, 2015, 12:16 PM

Apr 2015

One country, the US, has over 700 military bases all over the world and spends more on its war budget than the rest of the world combined.
Another country, Russia, has a handful of bases clustered around its borders and spends a fraction of what the US spends on the military.
But Russia is described as an empire and the US is merely defending freedom.

Plus, why is NATO all over Europe? NATO stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organization. I checked the map and most of the NATO countries do not border the Atlantic, much less the North Atlantic. So why are these countries in NATO at all? Are there geopolitical and/or geostrategic reasons that this US dominated organization in slowly encircling Russia?

List of NATO members here:
http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/nato_countries.htm

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Ukraine: The Truth [View all] Octafish Apr 2015 OP

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Must read! malaise Apr 2015 #1

Fracking Planet Earth for Fun and Profit Octafish Apr 2015 #3

True. The juggernaut is American. elias49 Apr 2015 #2

The juggernaut is corporate... Orsino Apr 2015 #4

Keeps getting updated and repackaged, ready for October roll-outs. Octafish Apr 2015 #5

Hillary Clinton Calls For Greater Military Assistance And Financial Aid For Ukraine Octafish Apr 2015 #47

The article reveals nothing except the childish, escapist fantasies of the author. DetlefK Apr 2015 #6

No need for ad hominem. Gary Leupp is a professor of history. The guy tells the truth as he sees it. Octafish Apr 2015 #8

No need for appeal-to-authority. And my argument still stands. DetlefK Apr 2015 #9

No appeal to authority. He's the author of the article. Octafish Apr 2015 #11

Oi. That's my point: It seems he intentionally left information out of the discussion. DetlefK Apr 2015 #12

Right. Like the time you wrote me: 'Don't worry your pretty little head off.' Octafish Apr 2015 #15

I don't remember why I wrote that. I guess it was sarcasm. DetlefK Apr 2015 #17

So that's why you want to 'argue' what Leupp left out. Octafish Apr 2015 #19

Sigh. What the... Are you serious? DetlefK Apr 2015 #24

"Professor of history" NuclearDem Apr 2015 #32

You try to make it sound like a bad thing. Octafish Apr 2015 #35

I'm not making anything sound bad. NuclearDem Apr 2015 #36

His title is Professor of History. Octafish Apr 2015 #37

...and you left out that he specializes in Tokugawa era Japanese history. NuclearDem Apr 2015 #38

Professors of history know how to write accurately about history. Octafish Apr 2015 #39

Let me fix that: NuclearDem Apr 2015 #42

Fix all you want. You're still doing all you can to discredit Leupp. Octafish Apr 2015 #44

Who the hell is discrediting anybody? NuclearDem Apr 2015 #46

Key Words 4Q2u2 Apr 2015 #52

Putin didn't lie America into war on Iraq. Octafish Apr 2015 #53

No shit! NuclearDem Apr 2015 #54

Anything to add, besides sideshow, NuclearDem? Octafish Apr 2015 #55

So, answer me this, Octafish. NuclearDem Apr 2015 #57

Once Again 4Q2u2 Apr 2015 #58

Our President now is Obama 4Q2u2 Apr 2015 #56

You sound like I have to be a John Bircher to make sense. Octafish Apr 2015 #59

Significant parts of Europe are American pawns since the end of WW2 malaise Apr 2015 #10

And Russia is pissed that its former pawns rather join NATO. DetlefK Apr 2015 #14

Please explain then why Ukrainian fascists killed upwards of 250,000 Ukrainian Jews during KingCharlemagne Apr 2015 #16

What? That has nothing to do with what I said. DetlefK Apr 2015 #18

Anti-soviet partisans didn't have much choice. NuclearDem Apr 2015 #33

Even that is giving it too much credit. It's the latest apologia for Putin's war of aggression. stevenleser Apr 2015 #21

Victoria Nuland? Is that you? MattSh Apr 2015 #25

I'm her even more evil identical triplett. The other two are amateurs when it comes to villainy. DetlefK Apr 2015 #27

The Nuland Corollary. You win. Tommy_Carcetti Apr 2015 #49

Does it matter if NATO's expansion is aimed at invading/weakening Russia or is a decision by small pampango Apr 2015 #7

Great question. All people should be protected from authoritarianism. Octafish Apr 2015 #13

Bingo. NuclearDem Apr 2015 #30

STill waiting for the commie hordes to burst into Ukraine like i was told was imminent 6 mos ago. KG Apr 2015 #20

I've begun to hide under my desk Oilwellian Apr 2015 #23

One thing I've noticed in watching debates on foriegn policy.. Xolodno Apr 2015 #22

President Obama is trying for peace. Others in government, not so much. Octafish Apr 2015 #40

thanks for the post guillaumeb Apr 2015 #26

NATO is a tool of Empire. If you are in the 'Ownership' class, you got a piece of it. Octafish Apr 2015 #41

over 700 military bases all over the world-spends more on its war budget than the rest of the world EX500rider Apr 2015 #60

Dueling citations? guillaumeb Apr 2015 #64

Lie. Rinse. Repeat. Tommy_Carcetti Apr 2015 #28

I'll help with the debunking of the oft repeated nonsense.. EX500rider Apr 2015 #29

And a lot of that money was spent on humanitarian type aid like vaccinations. It's been in the okaawhatever Apr 2015 #31

No opinion at all. Leupp quotes Nuland's own words. Octafish Apr 2015 #45

Except he insinuates that the $5 billion was invested explicitly for regime change in 2014. Tommy_Carcetti Apr 2015 #48

Just because that's what you want to argue doesn't make it the point of Leupp's essay. Octafish Apr 2015 #50

Leupp's words. Tommy_Carcetti Apr 2015 #51

You apparently missed the leaked documents out of the Kremlin BainsBane Apr 2015 #34

'I continue to be stunned at how people who oppose war by the US work so hard to justify Russian war Octafish Apr 2015 #43

You're sick of warmongering for the US BainsBane Apr 2015 #61

How nice of you to imply I'm pro-Russia when it comes to warmongering. Thank you, no. Octafish Apr 2015 #62

"Don't worry if you can't think how it applies to the present situation in Ukraine:" NuclearDem Apr 2015 #63