Overseas bases generate dependent communities that resist closure

Evidence

The establishment of overseas bases has created entire social worlds, with thousands of people and corporations that have become economically, socially, bureaucratically, psychologically, and, as Eisenhower said, even spiritually dependent on the continued operation of those worlds—just like fire departments but on a much larger scale. Even worse, these bases tend to entrench themselves in local communities and host nations, creating yet more dependence around the world. — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 1058

Categorization

Category: Causal Relationships

• XREF: Connects to Eisenhower’s military-industrial complex warnings and the general literature on institutional self-perpetuation.

Related

• Overseas bases spawn self-perpetuating communities dependent on their continued operation (similarity 0.92)
• Overseas bases create entrenched constituencies dependent on their continuation (similarity 0.91)
• Base closures abroad tend to be offset by new base construction elsewhere (similarity 0.85)
• Established overseas bases develop new missions to justify their continued enlargement (similarity 0.84)
• Decolonization threatened the end of Western overseas military bases (similarity 0.82)
• Self-contained family base communities normalized and legitimized permanent overseas occupation (similarity 0.82)
• Career incentives lead officials to keep overseas bases open (similarity 0.82)
• Postwar decolonization threatened to strip the U.S. of overseas bases (similarity 0.81)
• Closing overseas bases yields immediate and long-term fiscal savings (similarity 0.81)
• Overseas bases reveal America’s permanent war footing and militarized economy (similarity 0.81)
• Base infrastructure that outlives its purpose actively creates insecurity (similarity 0.81)
• Postwar decolonization forced the military to maintain colonies under new guises via bases (similarity 0.81)
• Closing overseas bases is politically easier than closing domestic ones (similarity 0.81)
• Closing overseas bases draws support across the US political spectrum. (similarity 0.81)
• US overseas bases make war more likely by easing military action (similarity 0.80)

Broader Connections

• Overseas bases perpetuate themselves by inventing new missions as old ones expire #expands (0.60)
• Self-contained base towns normalized permanent overseas troop deployment. #exemplifies (0.60) — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 128
• Closing overseas bases is politically easier than closing domestic ones #complicates (0.50) — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 1072