How About a REAL (Tea) Party? SHUT DOWN THE MILITARY BASES!

Shomei Tomatsu: U.S. bomber over Okinawa

Since we're being given a taste of what can happen when parts of the U.S. federal government are shut down, let's talk about having a real party: how about shutting down all those military bases?

Just think how much money would be saved if the U.S. shut down its approximately 1,000 military bases around the world.

(It's not just the direct costs of the bases themselves. Every base is an "enabler" of spending on personnel, weapons, etc. etc. etc.)

US military bases on Okinawa

Just think about how much less often the U.S. would be tempted to throw itself into another conflict if it didn't have bases nearby just waiting to be used.

And just think how differently people in the rest of the world would view us if their first encounter with us didn't involve troops and weapons and barbed wire.

What would happen if every member of Congress "adopted" a foreign military base and demonstrated what would happen if all the money spent there were brought home to local districts? Do you think the constituents would welcome THAT initiative?


MORE: See "Phase Out Foreign Military Bases" in the World Beyond War Global Security System: Alternative to War.


UPDATE: November, 2015 - As people worldwide join in a #NOwar social media campaign in November, the people of Okinawa continue to struggle against US bases dominating the island.

#Okinawa: let's start here to end the world-strangling domination of US bases.
(Please retweet this message.)

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