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Base Nation: How U.S. Military Bases Abroad Harm America and the World (American Empire Project) Hardcover – August 25, 2015

by David Vine (Author)

27 customer reviews

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From Italy to the Indian Ocean, from Japan to Honduras, a far-reaching examination of the perils of American military bases overseas

American military bases encircle the globe. More than two decades after the end of the Cold War, the U.S. still stations its troops at nearly a thousand locations in foreign lands. These bases are usually taken for granted or overlooked entirely, a little-noticed part of the Pentagon's vast operations. But in an eye-opening account, "Base Nation" shows that the worldwide network of bases brings with it a panoply of ills and actually makes the nation less safe in the long run.

As David Vine demonstrates, the overseas bases raise geopolitical tensions and provoke widespread antipathy towards the United States. They also undermine American democratic ideals, pushing the U.S. into partnerships with dictators and perpetuating a system of second-class citizenship in territories like Guam. They breed sexual violence, destroy the environment, and damage local economies. And their financial cost is staggering: though the Pentagon underplays the numbers, Vine's accounting proves that the bill approaches $100 billion per year.

For many decades, the need for overseas bases has been a quasi-religious dictum of U.S. foreign policy. But in recent years, a bipartisan coalition has finally started to question this conventional wisdom. With the U.S. withdrawing from Afghanistan and ending thirteen years of war, there is no better time to re-examine the tenets of our military strategy. Base Nation is an essential contribution to that debate."

Base Nation: How U.S. Military Bases Abroad Harm America and the World (American Empire Project)

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Editorial Reviews

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A WASHINGTON POST BESTSELLER

“A useful call to examine a question that gets far less attention than it merits… An entreaty for an explanation, a discussion in plain language, about what the U.S. military is doing in so many places in the world and why.”
―The Washington Post

"U.S. national security policy rests on the assertion that 'forward presence' contributes directly to global peace and security. In this powerful book, David Vine examines, dismantles, and disproves that claim. He demonstrates that America's sprawling network of overseas bases imposes costs―not only financial but also political, environmental, and moral―that far exceed what the Pentagon is prepared to acknowledge. Base Nation offers a devastating critique, and no doubt Washington will try to ignore it. Citizens should refuse to let that happen.”
―Andrew J. Bacevich, author of Limits of Power and Breach of Trust

“Who knew that we have more than eight hundred bases around the world? And what do our troops do there when they're not busy intruding into other people's conflicts? Such questions lie at the heart of David Vine's remarkable, impeccably written, and clearheaded analysis of the costly madness that is America's current colonial-military complex. His book is a marvel, and all in power should read it.”
―Simon Winchester, author of Atlantic and The Men Who United the States

“Just looking at the maps in David Vine's thoroughly documented Base Nation will give you the chills―and seduce you into reading the book. He's performed a kind of modern day treasure hunt, finding and displaying our military forces all over the globe, and then thinking deeply about whether their far-flung presence will achieve or undermine the goal of fostering a peaceful and prosperous world.”
―Dana Priest, coauthor of Top Secret America

“While I may not share all of David Vine's conclusions, Base Nation amply demonstrates what a growing number of people across the political spectrum are concluding: the foundation of our military belongs right here on American soil. In the U.S. Senate, I pushed for greater investment in our bases here at home where our forces have greater unrestricted training opportunities and can rapidly deploy worldwide better prepared for combat. Pentagon officials and members of Congress should pay close attention to Vine's arguments in favor of reducing our foreign presence in the interest of strengthening the future security posture of U.S. military forces and the fiscal health of our nation.”
―Kay Bailey Hutchison, former U.S. senator (R-TX) and chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Military Construction

About the Author

David Vine is the author of Island of Shame: The Secret History of the U.S. Military Base on Diego Garcia and an associate professor of anthropology at American University in Washington, D.C. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Mother Jones, and The Chronicle of Higher Education, among other publications. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Series: American Empire Project
Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Metropolitan Books; First Edition edition (August 25, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1627791698
ISBN-13: 978-1627791694
Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 1.4 x 9.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 27 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #45,392 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #67 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > International & World Politics > Security
- #81 in Books > History > Military > Strategy
- #874 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > Specific Topics

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Top customer reviews

A must read for people who wants to learn what the military is doing overseas

ByAmazon Customeron November 16, 2015

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Excellent reading, very detailed work by David Vine on what the USA is doing around the world and how much damage is causing in the name of homeland security and the incredible amount of. money is costing the taxpayers. I think everybody should read this book to understand why so many people around the world has a distaste for American foreign policy.

0Comment 5 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Essential reading!!!!!!!

Byjames sheaon January 27, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

An excellent book on a very important topic. Every American,and all citizens of the globe should be aware of the info in this book. Thorough reporting and research, and very clearly written.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Great data and analysis

ByDesert Wandereron October 30, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Should be read by all American taxpayers with an interest in world affairs. What are we getting as the world cop? And who benefits the most? Is it we citizens? Or we the corporations? And what are the long-term consequences?

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Five Stars

ByAidana Almazovaon January 18, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

it is a very interesting book! advise everyone

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USA military domination

ByJohnon November 8, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Wow the USA has 800 military bases around the world costing $781 Billion a year! Do you feel any safer?

0Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

I especially liked the different aspects he looked at on the issue

Byjohnnybgoodeon May 2, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Impressive history of US military bases since roughly WWII. I especially liked the different aspects he looked at on the issue, such as security, cost, and culture among others. I got the feeling that despite the years of research he did, there was much more that he wasn't able to find out due to political and security considerations. As for the costs of these bases, his says his figures are conservative so the actual costs might not be known by anybody including the Pentagon itself. This is the military-industrial complex comments by Eisenhower on steroids.

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First, read Lenin and Luxemburg on Imperialism. Then, the "Nemesis" Trilogy. Then on to Vine.

ByRichard J. Gibsonon June 12, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

On my purchase, I worried Vine’s work would be a step down from Chalmers Johnson’s brilliant “Nemesis,” trilogy, and it is–both in theoretical understanding and in the depth of the research.

Of course, Johnson never overcame his opposition to Marx, and Vine is an unrepentant patriot, so neither is going to say: Imperialism–the relentless search for cheap labor, raw materials, markets, and regional control. Also absent: the inseparable bond between imperialist enterprises and opportunism of all kinds.

Johnson was, rightfully, more pessimistic, seeing the US has having developed a fascist base some time ago. Vine actually believes the structures of empire can be reasoned away. So, some excellent research becomes a compendium of numbers which, as other reviewers noted, too often understate the real cost of empire. Johnson, again, does better.

Nevertheless, as a good follow-up to “Nemesis,” Vine is more than worth the candle. I will offer it as an optional text in classes and give it to friends.