Pentagon Discovers 'Containment' Works Best With Bases Abroad
Newsweek highlights a 'strategic triangle' of US bases and alliances in the Pacific aiming to 'contain' China. The article, however, politely skips over the rather obvious historical context: the United States has 750 known military bases in 80 foreign countries and territories (Source: Watson Institute, Brown University). This isn't a novel strategy; it’s a re-branding of perennial global
military encirclement, with a fresh coat of 'containment' paint. We are told this is about 'stability,' a term often synonymous with maintaining hegemonic power structures. When nations like China – or Russia before it – conduct military exercises or establish foreign ties, it's 'aggression.' When the US projects power globally with an unrivaled defense budget ($886 billion for 2024, Source:
Congressional Research Service), it's just 'strategy.' It's a miracle how 'containment' always seems to involve placing military assets squarely in someone else's backyard while presenting it as a defensive posture. How many 'strategic triangles' does one superpower need before it's simply a global military grid?