If you think don't think a country can't be without a military..

Check out these nations:

Andorra
Costa Rica(downfall is it's very Catholic and current President is social conservative)
Dominica
Grenada
Haiti
Kiribati
Liechtenstein
Marshall islands
Mauritius(very progressive govt.)
Nauru
Palau(very progressive)
St. Lucia
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Tuvalu
Monaco

and the Defense budget for the US is more than the combined total spent by every other nation on the face of the earth.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_budget_of_the_United_States


Comparison with other countries

The 2009 U.S. military budget is almost as much as the rest of the world's defense spending combined and is over nine times larger than the military budget of China (compared at the nominal US dollar / Renminbi rate, not the PPP rate). The United States and its close allies are responsible for two-thirds to three-quarters of the world's military spending (of which, in turn, the U.S. is responsible for the majority)<27><28><29>.

than 700 military sites of various sizes in 30+ countries.

Close those sites, bring home the troops, and save a buttload of money on lease payments alone.

Spread the returning troops and their families around the US in the bases that were downsized, and those local economies get an immediate boost.

Reduce the size of the US military via normal attrition and reduced efforts in recruiting. Maintain forces in sufficient amounts to provide for the defense portion of Department of Defense.

Cease and desist being 'police force to the world.'

one argument about military spending is that the US is basically defending other countries for free. Allowing them to not spend on their own military while driving up the cost of our own.

That said I don't see how these mostly small countries with ties to larger countries is a good model for how US should defend itself.

Now go look up how much aid money we send each one, and our military treaty agreements with them.

You may, or may not, be surprised to know how they structure their security arrangements. ;)

Edited to start you off: Under the 1983 Compact of Free Association, the US has full authority and responsibility for security and defense of the Marshall Islands; a trust set up by us pays for the entirety of its government budget.

Such logic and facts just aren't acceptable since it shows how one sided such a post is. Shame on you for bringing Reality into play.

...and quietly dream of retiring to one of these paradises.

Actually, several of them wouldn't be bad at all, treaty arrangements notwithstanding.

have the US military.

...people will start talking. :hi:

To add: Monaco is similarly the responsibility of France's armed forces, I believe.

Monaco and France.

which is why it was so funny when they "joined" the Coalition of the Killing Willing in Iraq. :rofl:

of course it could be pointed out that they have done a pretty good job anyhow.

Yet my house is under protection of one. Why not post the treaties that these governments have that entail military protection?

:shrug:

What is the size of the "police" forces of these countries and what kind of weapons arsenal do they have access to?

It is possible that their police forces could in effect be considered paramilitary units, it would not be the first time that forces have been "police" in name only.

If you're far enough in the sticks, you better dig a well to fight fires yourself. And I know subdivisions that became large enough to warrant starting their own emergency services.

I wonder at what size (or economic standing, or whatever it might be) country it becomes less workable to have treaty arrangements than your own army?

With militaries.

Andorra, Liechtenstein and Monaco, for example, are protectorates of France.

Practically all those countries are protected by other countries.

Doesn't prove your point at all.

:D

:evilgrin:

we had at one time a large presence in panama and we're not gonna let too many folks eff w. costa rica or panama either for that matter

i think it's great what costa rica is doing, w. the universal health care and many other benefits there, don't get me wrong, great little country, brilliant marketing -- whoever thought of becoming a tourist paradise with that much rain and ACTUALLY BEING SUCCESSFUL AT IT -- and it's just a great place to go, so great that i have gone there myself for health care and i know lots of people who have moved there...but at the end of the day, if there was no usa, i think costa rica would have had to have an army way before now

also i thought the marshall islands was part of usa territory, i'll have to look that up because i didn't know they were a fully independent nation! -- ok, just googled it, wow, they have been independent from us since 1986, had no idea, i have learned something today! -- nonetheless, let's be honest, the marshall islands enjoys the benefits of its close relations w. the usa, nobody's effing w/ them because our army/navy would stand behind them, i truly believe this

Yeah...if the department are a bunch of arsonists.

Kiribati doesn't have a security arrangement with the US but they did use it to test hydrogen bombs...what humanitarians.
Palau doesn't either.


Security arrangements or not these countries don't have forces to engage in the initiation of force.

oil resources to continue to function.

and, they are almost ALL small islands.