Posted on 02/12/2018 2:57:33 PM PST by SeekAndFind
There are many reasons why the U.S. government is in the red. One of the most important is because Washington insists on defending so many of its prosperous and populous allies around the world. They are the international version of Ronald Reagan's famed "welfare queens."
This year Uncle Sam is spending $3.8 trillion. Upward of $1.65 trillion of that will be borrowed, an incredible 40% or more. About $700 billion is going to the military, twice as much in real terms as just a decade ago.
[SNIP]
In the early years the ROK would not have survived without American military support. But by the 1980s the South was pulling away economically from the misnamed Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The latter was a militarized wreck unable to feed its people; in the late 1990s a half million or perhaps more North Koreans starved to death.
Today the ROK economy ranks around number 13 in the world. The South boasts successful hi-tech industries, is known for its construction work and auto production, and is one of the world's top trading nations. South Korea also has twice the North's population as well as an overwhelming diplomatic edge.
In contrast, the DPRK is an economic disaster, again stalked by hunger. Pyongyang has defaulted on its international debts. It has nothing to offer other nations: in fact, the North recently went to Third World states begging for food assistance. Aid agencies are predicting that North Korea will run out of food in just a couple of months. Both China and Russia now have far greater economic ties with Seoul than with their one-time communist ally.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
RE: Why be such an ass? Just answer politely.
SeekAndFind is genuinely interested.
You are right RCFlyer. And MrEdd thus far, has done a very good job of NOT ANSWERING MY QUESTION.
Still, I await.
RE: if you have to ask, then you just don’t get it
No I admit that I don’t get it. That is why I ask, so that people can help me “GET IT”.
RE: It seem that it falls upon me to inform you that China is now the preeminent communist power with a first world economy and a manufacturing capacity that rivals any on the planet. North Korea was China’s proxy in the fifties, and it still is today. When China wants to rattle things up they pull the strings and North Korea complies.
Well, the way I see it, Japan and South Korea BOTH have world class economies and manufacturing capacities that rivals China and even the USA.
Japan has a GDP of 5 Trillion Dollars. South Korea has a GDP of 2 Trillion Dollars. They are richer PER CAPITA than China.
Why can’t they use their own financial and technological prowess to defend themselves? WHY DO WE HAVE TO BE THERE?
If they need arms from us, we can sell them, but do we have to BE THERE physically?
Thanks for educating me,
Mr. Ignoramus
RE: South Korea cannot stand against North Korea and China.
OK, what about South Korea AND Japan combined?
Notably, Japan and South Korea both invest heavily in US Treasury bonds -- which means that both countries help finance our federal deficit. In effect, they help pay for US troops in South Korea by buying the US Treasury bonds that cover the present cost of our parents' Medicare and Social Security.
Bingo....
The article ignores China’s desire to support NK’s bid to overwhelm SK.
SK can’t beat China.
RE: The article ignores China’s desire to support NK’s bid to overwhelm SK.
SK can’t beat China.
_____________________
What about Japan AND SK COMBINED? These are gigantic and technologically advanced economies.
Both these countries are in the cross hairs of NK, and many test missiles have gone pass both their air spaces.
Our troops could leave their countries and still provide weapons for them. But why can’t DEFENDING THEIR COUNTRY be their own RESPONSIBILITY?
Isolationism doesn’t work.
China would take over SK AND Japan.
1) Selling and arming these two countries with devastating weapons is NOT isolationism.
2) It is debatable whether China will even risk her economy to attack these two industrial and technological giants with huge armies. And if these two countries have nukes of their own, that will be another deterrent.
Unless Mr. Bandow is talking about removing all the troops in Korea and discharging them then the cost of having them there is not a whole lot more or a whole lot less than having them here in the states.
Disown and negate the treaty, exit the U.N. and invite them to relocate. Ship 'em off to Paris, Brussels or Beijing.
U.S OUT OF U.N.; U.N. OUT OF U.S., NOW!
The presence of U.S. troops is the ONLY deterrent to China’s overtaking the South.
You can debate all you like.
China’s objectives are not in question, as they deal in millennia, not election cycles.
study the issue. study the war’s beginning (it’s still going on) and active phase. learn about the norks. how they continually try to do things like tunnel under the dmz, seized the u.s.s. pueblo, fund terrorism, etc..
You don’t have to convince me about how evil, sinister, dangerous and warlike the Norks are in general, and Kim Jong Un in particular. I believe they did all the evils things you just wrote about in the above post.
My question is this -— WHY DO WE HAVE TO BE THERE PHYSICALLY? Can’t we fight evil by arming and supporting our two allies?
What about Japan AND South Korea COMBINED? These are gigantic and technologically advanced economies with huge standing armies and the ability to nuclearize if they want.
Both these countries are in the cross hairs of NK, and many test missiles have gone pass both their air spaces. They have to be motivated to defend themselves.
And Our troops could leave their countries and still provide weapons for them.
Why can’t DEFENDING THEIR COUNTRY be their own RESPONSIBILITY?
China and South Korea have a lot of ties.
China knows that ultimately the South will prevail, but they use the North for leverage as a bargaining chip to get the US to leave the Peninsula once the Koreas reunite.
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