Trump considering withdrawing up to 4,000 U.S. troops from South Korea

“The cost of that trip wire (which hopefully keeps NK from instigating a confrontation again) is far less (even for us) than a new war, and were there a new war we would, by treaty, be in it.”

If we are required to be part of any war there by treaty then why do we need a tripwire?

And why don’t we end whatever treaty so binds us to fight wars that aren’t in our interests?

Except that the Soviet declaration of war on Japan and their occupation of the northern part of Korea came two days after the first atomic bomb was dropped. The Americans presented a plan few days later to divide the country at the 38th Parallel and the Soviets accepted.

The Soviets had long occupied Korea in advance of August, were at the 38th Parallel prepping for an invasion of Japan, in advance of the bomb drop on Japan. At the Yalta Conference in early February 1945, the Soviets told the USA that they would hold off invading Japan until 3 months after the defeat of Germany, and both countries staged troops in Korea. Germany surrendered May 7, 1945, three months later would be August. So the Americans knew the Soviets were about to invade beginning August 6th, 1945 by mobilizing their forces from the Korean peninsula. The 38th Parallel was where the Soviets and the USA had divided up their held territory prior to the formal agreement to divide after the surrender of Japan.

There was another agreement, the Potsdam Conference, in late July 1945 where friction increased between the Soviets and the USA. The USA wanted to block the Soviets from invading Japan, and dropping the atomic bomb was done primarily to block the Soviets from invading and taking territory in order to make a communist Japan. The USA did not want the communists to spread any further than north Korea.

1. Because of the trip wire, and likely only because of that trip wire, the NK has not started a new war. 2. Without it they likely would have, and absent it now they likely would, and it either case THAT would cost us more than has the trip wire.

3. I dispute the idea that a stable democratic republic of South Korea in Asia, untrampled by war, is not in OUR interests. Just because it is and ought to be in SK interests does not mean it is not also in our interest.

“Again, I support whatever president Trump is doing to reduce military expenditures abroad because essentially it adds to more national debt.”

I do not support military cuts any ole place. Many places yes, but South Korea is not one of them, and yes I think WHERE cuts are made is far more important than making cuts anywhere just to say we made cuts. S.K. is not just an ally but a friend. I can think of many places our military dollars go overseas, far more than $5 billion, where the countries getting it are not really our friends nor ever have been. We have been there friend, but they have seldom or never been ours. If Trump wants to cut $4-5 billion from our overseas military expenses, he can start in the Middle East and even Africa.

The Soviets had long occupied Korea in advance of August, were at the 38th Parallel prepping for an invasion of Japan, in advance of the bomb drop on Japan.

Hmm. I guess every source that I've ever read showing that the Soviets attacked into Manchuria and Korea beginning on August 9 is incorrect. You should probably let all those historians know that the Soviets had already occupied the northern half of Korea when they declared war on Japan.

Yes, yes, yes, FRiend, we the tax payers had enough of protecting all these prosperous countries like Germany, S. Korea, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, etc, because they have paid almost nothing to compensate for our cost. OK, Saudi Arabia at least buys a shxt load of weapons from us, so in some ways it makes up for no direct monetary contributions.

This is why admire Trump more than any other president since I became a US citizen in 1970. He has common sense the size of Himalaya’s.

I guess every source that I've ever read showing that the Soviets attacked into Manchuria and Korea beginning on August 9 is incorrect.

You are correct; they attacked beginning August 9. I overreached a bit. The Soviets had prepped an invasion force, much of it hidden unknown to the Japanese. They didn't reach the 38th until after the big invasion started.

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