| Ecuador wants military base in Miami
Posted: 10/23/2007 7:56:11 AM | By Phil Stewart
NAPLES (Reuters) - Ecuador's leftist President Rafael Correa said Washington must let him open a military base in Miami if the United States wants to keep using an air base on Ecuador's Pacific coast.
Correa has refused to renew Washington's lease on the Manta air base, set to expire in 2009. U.S. officials say it is vital for counter-narcotics surveillance operations on Pacific drug-running routes.
"We'll renew the base on one condition: that they let us put a base in Miami -- an Ecuadorean base," Correa said in an interview during a trip to Italy.
"If there's no problem having foreign soldiers on a country's soil, surely they'll let us have an Ecuadorean base in the United States."
http://uk.reuters.com/article/reutersEdge/idUKADD25267520071022 | |
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| Ecuador wants military base in Miami
Posted: 10/23/2007 9:52:57 AM |
"If there's no problem having foreign soldiers on a country's soil, surely they'll let us have an Ecuadorean base in the United States."
that would be really cool. I'd say go for it. what's good for the goose, etc etc. | |
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| Ecuador wants military base in Miami
Posted: 10/24/2007 5:35:43 AM | What the president of Ecuador isn't taking into account is that the United States leases those bases at fair market value. In other words, we pay major money for the real estate to put a base in a foreign country. We build the base. Then we employ many people from the local population at that base. The bases usually bring a major economic boon to an area.
Is the president of Ecuador willing to do the same thing for real estate in Miami? We are talking about some of the priciest land in the nation in my opinion. He isn't going to be handed the land for free. Then is Ecaudor going to pay American union wages to build this base? They better because that is what it is going to take to construct a base most likely. Then is Ecaudor willing to employ the local population and pay them a competitive wage to work the many civilian jobs to keep the base going? If they don't, the base will not be viable.
All in all, I think this is a plan that the president of Ecuador hasn't truly thought through. | |
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| Ecuador wants military base in Miami
Posted: 10/24/2007 7:25:31 AM | I say it is you who has not thought it through. Money is not the issue. Sovereignty and being in control of ones own home are the issues.
How many bases does the US have in how many other countries? | |
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| Ecuador wants military base in Miami
Posted: 10/24/2007 8:25:01 AM | I'd say she's got an extremely salient point.
But you know what? So does the president of Ecuador. Let's go ahead and disassemble our base there. Everything we built should be knocked down so that we can return the base to them in the exact same shape we got it in.
Let's tell the hundreds (thousands?) of Ecuadoreans we employ there that they'll have to go back to looking to the local economy for jobs.
Let's also tell the president that not only do we take his point, and are leaving, but that we're also going to stop whatever foreign aid payments (not associated with the base) we make to his country.
Sovereignty and being in control of ones own home are the issues.
Yes, they're so in control of their country that the taxi drivers brought most of the country to a standstill when gas prices hiked a few years ago.
There's no shame in having a strong ally like the States on your soil to help with strictly-defined operations like counter-narcotics. Especially when the South American countries themselves admit they need serious help and money.
Your assertion that having a military base on your soil means that you have no sovereignty holds no water.
We pay a pretty penny for every foreign base we have overseas. I have to laugh when I see some of our allies get a new, left-leaning president and all of a sudden he wants to cut off his nose to spite his face. | |
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| Ecuador wants military base in Miami
Posted: 10/24/2007 8:47:07 AM | That President knowns not what he is doing. He needs to look at what happens to the economy when an American Military Base leaves. Germany is still begging us to come back after they kicked out half our Air Force Bases.
Imagine what happens to the local economy when GI Joe is not fueling.
What a moron. | |
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| Ecuador wants military base in Miami
Posted: 10/24/2007 10:10:26 AM | There's no shame in having a strong ally like the States on your soil
Perhaps they don't see you as an Ally?
And by your reasoning, think of all the jobs and money their base would bring to Florida. | |
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| Ecuador wants military base in Miami
Posted: 10/24/2007 11:38:26 AM | Trewq? Ecuador couldn't afford a military base in Florida and they can't afford to pay American wages. Best they could do is rent a house.
If they don't see us as an Ally then we need to cut them out of GAT and NAFTA along with a trade embargo and watch them starve. It amazes me how many countries in this world look a gift horse in the mouth as a right instead of benevalence.
I guess Ecuador is just of America like every other country in this world.
Hang Ecuador out to dry is what I would do. I'd cut off ALL aid, all assistance, and all trade. I would cut off all American bank transfers to the Country and cut off all mail from illegals sending money back home. I'd turn it into Cuba Jr.
Ingrates. They forget. They need us. We don't need them. | |
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| Ecuador wants military base in Miami
Posted: 10/24/2007 12:48:41 PM | | Not many people in the world see the US as an ally anymore. Guess that comes with the territory of the might is right philosophy. | |
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| Ecuador wants military base in Miami
Posted: 10/24/2007 1:07:44 PM | to 1longbow:
Typical imperialistic thinking...
Try to get your mind around this simple thought.
Not every country needs, or indeed wants, your help.
Especially when they see all the help the US has given Iraq.
You can't afford to be so smug and feel so superior when you can't
even care for your own citizens. There may come a day when you all
will be very happy to see the rest of the world come to help you.
Payback is truly a biatch.... | |
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| Ecuador wants military base in Miami
Posted: 10/24/2007 4:42:49 PM | American Superpower isn't going anywhere.
We have the best Military
We have the best Economy
We have the best Technology
We have the best Infrastructure
We feed 30 percent of the world
Anyone care to refute these 5 statements?
We are the only country willing to protect the free world from Islamo-fascism
Last I knew, Europe was the one that was crashing and burning. Did I read the wrong newspaper?
As to taking care of our own people? Government aid is available for all who need it. Shucks. We even give aid to illegal aliens. How many other countries do that? | |
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| Ecuador wants military base in Miami
Posted: 10/24/2007 5:26:55 PM | 1longbow
Is it really our right to police the world from things that we believe to be wrong? We base right from wrong in the world from our own lifestyle and beliefs here in the US.
In all honesty, what gives us the right to decide what is right and what is wrong? If you believe that us having a great military, economy, technology, and infrastructure gives us the right to decide what other people can and cannot do, then you are looking at a whole new type of government my friend. One that is definitely not a democracy.
Dont get me wrong, Im patriotic to my country and I would fight for it, but I do believe that there are things out there that we shouldnt mettle with because It hurts us more than the good we do. | |
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gkn45
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Joined: 8/30/2007
Msg: 16 | |
| Ecuador wants military base in Miami
Posted: 10/24/2007 5:35:18 PM | Anyone care to refute these 5 statements?
By best military do you mean the ones with the highest kill ratio? With the exception of Nazi Germany the USA has certainly got the highest kill ratio for non-citizens of any nation - something to be proud of I guess. Without a doubt the USA has killed more citizens of other countries than any other state in history - chalk one up to the US military.
Best economy - by which I suppose that you mean you can throw your economic muscle around - a bit like the ancient Egyptians who were able to use starvation as a weapon in much the same way.
Best technology - sure - you have an absolute monopoly on deciding who can use atomic power; who can use genetics. I'm not clear what's so good about having the best technology - surely the point is best use of the technology?
Best infrastructure? Now you really are taking the piss. The UK has a better national electrical grid; Germany has a better postal service; the Netherlands has a better Motorway system; Luxembourg has a more integrated economy; Switzerland's rail system is the envy of the world;
Actually - on the basics - I can't find a single thing in which the US falls in the top 5. Transport, Healthcare, Power supply, Postal service, Communications and Telecomms, News and Current Affairs.
You feed 30 per cent of the world - now that is one that is hard to refute and is probably true. You're obviously very good farmers - can I suggest that you stick to farming which you're good at and let the rest of us do the more complicated bits which we do so much better than you?
I have no idea which newspaper you were reading about Europe Crashing and Burning - or even what that means.
What I do know is that the country I live in doesn't particularly feel threatened by Islamo-Fascism (whatever that is).
As to giving aid to your own people - that's your problem and I won't comment. Michael Moore is better qualified than I am. | |
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gkn45
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Joined: 8/30/2007
Msg: 17 | |
| Ecuador wants military base in Miami
Posted: 10/24/2007 5:39:49 PM | Just one question on your post (most of which seems sensible)
Why would you fight for "your country"? If Bush declared tomorrow that Texas was part of Mexico would you fight for it or not? Seems a bit arbitrary to fight for somebody else's definition of "your country". | |
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| Ecuador wants military base in Miami
Posted: 10/24/2007 5:55:43 PM | Very good posts in my opinion to both rickb21 and gkn.
I know what you meant when you typed non citizens. You meant cit's of the country we are at war with.
I think China and Japan have mor citizen kills than us also but I don't feel like looking it up so I cede the point.
We have killed many non-combatants in Iraq and Afghanistan, that is true. It's a tough call as unlike Western Civ, they bring the family with them. So when we fire a Hellfire missile into a house to kill a terrorist, we also kill his family.
We also get blamed in Iraq for the civilian deaths that suicide bombers commit. Whether or not pointing blame on America for that is another discussion. A valid discussion that would make a nice post by the way.
Rail? All of Europe beats America for people transport. The moving of supplies and product is probably the best in the U.S.
Electrical Grid? I'd agree with you if you live in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Power goes out all the time there.
Nukes? We don't control it. Just try to limit it. Do you want Iran to have Nukes? I think that is a very bad idea.
You make some nice opinionated comments vs my opinionated comments.
As I can make a case for both our comments? I'll just say I appreciate the well thought out response and will dwell on them. | |
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| Ecuador wants military base in Miami
Posted: 10/24/2007 5:59:49 PM | I can't believe peoples minds. Everyone is concerned about the economy. Have they forgotten about 9/11. To let some other nation have a military base in the U.S. would just open a can of sardines for a terrorist back door. If they want us to dismantle the base we have in Ecuador then turn it upside down so then can grow their food on it because they will need it. I was dissapointed in Kaiwat not helping us by keeping the petroleum prices down after we sacrificed ourselves for their freedom. The oil companies are at big time fault for that too. But that is another book.
I don't believe that we should require a nation to be democratic just to have us help them. After all the different cultures is what makes the world interesting.
Thank you for reading. | |
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| Ecuador wants military base in Miami
Posted: 10/24/2007 9:20:57 PM | Setting aside the money issue....since they can not afford it, what strategic purpose does and Ecuadorian military base in Miami serve????
This is just a political grand standing point to make the Ecuadorian president look like a world player....LOL
Can the Jamicians build a military base in Alaska along the Artic Circle???? Sure if they have the money.....LOL
Does the Ecuadorians even have a consulate in Miami? | |
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| Ecuador wants military base in Miami
Posted: 10/24/2007 9:25:09 PM | Remember when the Puerto Ricans wanted our bombing range closed. So we did and now they are lobbying to have us re-open it.....LOL
I say close that base in Ecuador and open one in Chile. Better yet, build another Aircraft Carrier and station it off their coast.
Remember you mess with the Bull, you get the Horns....LOL | |
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| Ecuador wants military base in Miami
Posted: 10/24/2007 9:42:21 PM |
Anyone care to refute these 5 statements? Care to back them up with reputable references?
Back to topic..the Ecuador president is well within his rights to modify the terms of the lease agreement, it IS after all HIS country. On the same token, we do have the right to refuse or honor those modifications. Right or wrong (in your opinion based on your perspective), it's his choice. | |
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| Ecuador wants military base in Miami
Posted: 10/25/2007 2:28:24 PM | Colombia wants and needs a new base. We should find a way without breaking the lease and close the base in Ecuador. Hopefully the Chavez clone in Ecuador can make it possible with his silly rhetoric.
Care to back them up with reputable references?
Just one needed Einstein. If not for America, you will be speaking Russian or Chinese and in servitude to them.
Ecuador has a lefty president, for now. We need to close more bases that are not needed anymore. Ecuador base has been kept open due to the lease. Clark AFB and naval bases in the Philippines was closed. Saving us billions a year. Those bases were once strategic. Philippines are still hurting over those closures. The more bases we close worldwide the more money we have to maintain our strong smaller version United States in the Middle-East, Israel. Israel superiority is second to the United States and Canadian lefties, Russia, Iran and China hate it. Ecuador new president is voicing the stupid thoughts he reads from Canadian lefty press and commentators. Yes, Canada, that is the Canadian left is a world player indeed and destroying economies already a mess in third world countries. Because the envious idiots of the world subscribe to these anti-American, hostile self-destructive rhetoric. Too many African nations for example have suffered and perished due to Canadian lefty thoughts.
Ecuador has not saved any nation and continent, America has. It's maintain with bases around the world. Ecuador has no Ecuadorian interest in the world, America does. Fact is all that the world has is due to America. From technology to the Moon and further. Democracy all over the world, especially the fall of the Soviet Union from America. American Empire is alive and well. All your entertainment come from us. Try living without an American film or song for a week and you will die of loneliness. And you know much more of your lives are affected from American influence and inventions. Your Computer, phone and TV alone came from us and now made all over even in Ecuador. And you need them so very much. | |
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| Ecuador wants military base in Miami
Posted: 10/25/2007 2:43:46 PM | "Try living without an American film or song for a week and you will die of loneliness"
Done it for much more than one week and didn`t miss it one bit. | |
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