Another great editorial in ReasonOnline on why we should be pulling our troops <a href='http://www.reason.com/0307/fe.db.cutting.shtml' target='_blank'>out of South Korea</a>. We become untangled and less engaged with East Asia regional disputes, force South Korea's government to stop free-loading off our defense, and save billions of dollars to boot. Sounds good to me.

Motown Bronco Wrote:Another great editorial in ReasonOnline on why we should be pulling our troops <a href='http://www.reason.com/0307/fe.db.cutting.shtml' target='_blank'>out of South Korea</a>. We become untangled and less engaged with East Asia regional disputes, force South Korea's government to stop free-loading off our defense, and save billions of dollars to boot. Sounds good to me.

Sounds good to me.

I wish we didn't have to have troops stationed in the DMZ but they are the only buffer to keep the Communists from spilling into the South Korea. Look what happened when the liberals refused to support the South Veitnamese when we were pulling out our troops and the North attacked. The same could happen here. And being huge trading partners with China and Japan, we have very important interests to protect here. Until North Korea becomes democratic or reduces their military build-up, we cannot afford to remove our troops.

By the way, and I am responding because I see T is responding, the Puerto Ricans are PISSED right now. Why? Well, they bitched and bitched about Vieques Island being bombed until it caught national attention. Well, they stopped bombing. What made them ***** now? They decided to close Roosevelt Roads Naval Station. Why? No mission there anymore. Hell, since BRAC is going on even the place "I" work at, Ft. Gordon, home of the US Army Signal Corps, is on the list. That's life. RR was only there for one reason. Don't bite the hand that feeds you....and that's what they did. They are bitching because they are in an economic bind because of the vacuum left by the departing sailors. I have seen this in Germany as well. They(Usually the young, liberal college students trying to "Find Themselves so they become liberals, yeah, talk to me when you're 30") bitched about the US in their cities, Nurnburg, etc., and we left. Now they're bitching about the economical impact. Same thing is happening in Korea. The older people want us there; the younger ones don't. It's time to prove a damn point. Let's leave. North Korea will take over South Korea in a damn NY minute without us. I say let's leave. Let 'em fend for themselves. I am SICK of ungrateful pricks.

I disagree T. If, by chance, they have a state-sponsored election that says they want us there, then let's stay. If it says they want us to go, then let'em suffer the consequences. We don't have to have strategic positions anymore. Besides, we are still in Okinawa. We have equipment that can reach Korea from Hawaii. We have refuelers in the sky.

...and I am ALL for proving a point and MAKING people realize that the US is NOT the damn bad guy here.

I understand how you want to "make a point and teach them a lesson" Kev, but we are obligated to defend democracy everywhere. If we leave, we would be putting a democratic nation at the mercey of a totalitarian horror just north of the border, thus defeating our pledge made long ago. It would be great if we could give the South Korean younger generation a taste of what the N. Korean people are going through to get them to shut up and be thankful, but its better to have a ungrateful democratic nation, than a Stalinist state. And if they were invaded and were absorbed into the communist regime, then I would not be proud of myself or our country's actions for abandoning an ally and a democratic nation and putting those people into such a miserable lifestyle. Not to be confused that I would be embarrassed to be an American, just dissappointed that we didn't live up to our calling. (Had to say that last bit or Shad would try and spin it to make me look unpatriotic)