@divineorder @Lookout Like the idea of other purposes for the closed military bases. In Austin when BergstromAir Force base was closed, it was turned into the new International airport for Austin. The old Robert Mueller airport which happened to be located right in the center of Austin with planes making their final approach over I-35 was turned into a mixed use urban hub with homes, open space, and retail space as well. Pretty much a win-win for Austin! It can be done regardless of the negative opinions.

#2 to use creatively, so yes, let's do that.

Perhaps we could use some of the bases to help the people whose countries we have destroyed. We could re-imagine them as peace bases to bring people clean water, green energy, and so on.

@divineorder activism in this country. I've been told many times imperialism is too big a word for today's society, but it's the only word that truly characterizes and addresses the situation. Hegemony in another, with one less syllable, but for a national debate, I think it must be about imperialism. Of course, that's my opinion.
Which is one of my disagreements with most of the groups listed in your essay, they tend to tiptoe around the problem.

#3 publicizing the lack of heating in Baltimore Schools vs money spent on bases. Love it!

1/3 of Baltimore schools lack heat. We've planned a rally and conference for Jan 12 in Baltimore on a simple way to come up with hundreds of billions of dollars a year https://t.co/rwPjGZCciL

— WorldBeyondWar.org (@WorldBeyondWar) January 5, 2018

Hey, re: the word 'Imperialism' really dates us, no? Who outside of Boomers even know what that means? 'Imperial' seems so archaic to me. Rarely ever see the word in print anymore, but that could be just me. Have been looking for word that is more in line with the times. US 'Bullying', perhaps? Oh well, just a thought.

At any rate, this movement will probably need to be complemented by divestment and join with efforts like New Energy Economy in NM, toward transformation and Economic Conversion:

Regarding differences in the 1970s and the postwar era, Seymour Melman noted that: "The problem of conversion from military to civilian work is fundamentally different now from the problem that existed after World War II. At that time, the issue was reconversion; the firms could and did go back to doing the work they had been involved in before the war. They could literally draw the olds sets of blueprints and tools from the shelf and go to work on the old products. At the present time, the bulk of military production is concentrated in industries, firms, or plants that have been specialized for this work, and frequently have no prior history of civilian work" (The Defense Economy, 1970: 7).

Detailed empirical studies conducted by Seymour Melman, John Ullmann, Lloyd J. Dumas, Catherine Hill, Greg Bischak, Ann Markusen, Michael Oden, Jonathan Michael Feldman, and others have shown the technical or economic viability of economic conversion. After the September 11, 2001 attacks and concentrated political power directed towards military-serving interests, the obstacles to conversion have been considerable. Extensive political barriers suggest that conversion promotion requires various forms of institutional transformation and social movement mobilization.

To be successful, conversion must be part of a larger political program involving, military budget reductions, reindustrialization, and infrastructure renewal. For example, if a given defense firm should convert, its production could be easily replaced by output from another firm. Marcus Raskin at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C. has developed such a draft treaty for comprehensive disarmament.

In the contemporary period, from the late 1990s to the present day (circa 2010) the prospects for conversion have been constrained by regional conflicts, the so-called "war on terror," and consolidation within the defense industry through mergers, acquisitions and regional production networks. These barriers have decreased the incentives to shift into civilian markets for various firms, except for those more on the periphery of defense acquisition. Nevertheless, the potential debate over mega military systems like specific jet fighter programs or Trident (in the U.K.) as well as an overall climate of fiscal austerity might pressure or encourage some military firms to go civilian. Arms control agreements related to nuclear weapons might also lower the projected demand for some military suppliers. Ultimately, the extension of civilian markets for defense firms might be encouraged by building up the demand for civilian industrial markets like mass transit, alternative energy and sustainable, civilian infrastructure.

@divineorder

that was about either a lawsuit or a congressional suggestion about the government being responsible for full time employment. When big fires break out I wonder if there are enough people fighting them? They seem to be too big for just a few hundred or thousand fighting them. The ones in California are still burning. And there aren't enough homes for the people who lost their homes to the fires and hurricanes. Not enough people still working in construction.As Nastarana stated, there are plenty of job opportunities that need to be filled by returning veterans. I'll see if I can find it.

#4

@Wink

If "they" closed the base here, eyo, there would be more than G.I. Joes heading southbound. Hundreds if not thousands of civilian jobs would be following the G.I. Joes out of Dodge. And, along with them would be the Red Robbins and Ruby Tuesdays and DQs and Tullys and Applebees and... and... collectively employing hundreds of workers. The negative trickle down effect huuge.

I can verify what you're saying by noting what happened the last time Fort Carson had a major deployment to Iraq. Even without closing the base, all of these things happened. Southwestern El Paso County rolled up the sidewalks and the last man out of Fountain turned off the lights.

DOD money; it's as bad as heroin!

I don't think it happens here becuz it's the biggest base in the entire northeast, but you never know. And, if all those businesses flee - and they will - much of NY-21 follows. The deer and antelope waving everyone buh bye along I-87 and I-81, northern NY reduced to a game preserve.

And the Haudenosaunee get their old stomping grounds back!

here, #4 , there would be more than G.I. Joes heading southbound. Hundreds if not thousands of civilian jobs would be following the G.I. Joes out of Dodge. And, along with them would be the Red Robbins and Ruby Tuesdays and DQs and Tullys and Applebees and... and... collectively employing hundreds of workers. The negative trickle down effect huuge.
I don't think it happens here becuz it's the biggest base in the entire northeast, but you never know. And, if all those businesses flee - and they will - much of NY-21 follows. The deer and antelope waving everyone buh bye along I-87 and I-81, northern NY reduced to a game preserve. Not that I care one way or another, there's less and less keeping me here. But there's no doubt the impact would be yuuuge.