Poll: Half of German voters want US troops to leave the country

[Tender Branson]

YouGov for the DPA (German Press Agency):

42% - the US should pull out its troops from Germany
37% - the US troops should remain in Germany

Support for the troop removal by party voters:

67% Left Party
55% AfD
48% Greens
42% SPD
37% FDP
35% CDU/CSU

https://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten.de/inhalt.umfrage-fast-jeder-zweite-deutsche-fuer-abzug-der-us-truppen.17191b86-789f-43b8-966a-bacbbbc1f6ca.html

[mvd10]

Half of German voters are idiots. That's a well known fact that applies not only to Germany, but to any country but the UK (where 80% of voters are idiots).

But seriously, this isn't good. Trump fuelling anti-Americanism is another reason why he's a complete trainwreck.

[Frodo]

I want US troops to leave Germany permanently too, but by that I mean move them closer to the Russian border, probably Poland -not leave Europe altogether as the isolationists would have us do.  

[Famous Mortimer]

All troops out of Europe. There's no reason for them to be there.

[PSOL]

Not to mention there really isn’t a purpose in Germany, this isn’t the Cold War. It would make logical sense to build in Poland no?

[Santander]

Not to mention there really isn’t a purpose in Germany, this isn’t the Cold War. It would make logical sense to build in Poland no?

That would be barely a step short of a declaration of war on Russia.

[rc18]

I don't see the point in keeping them there tbh, times have changed.

[Mr. Smith]

All troops out of Europe. There's no reason for them to be there.

This.

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

Ron Paul wants the U.S. troops to leave Germany, too, but not for politico-military reasons, but rather because he thinks the soldiers (and therefore indirectly the U.S. government) finance the "socialist" German welfare state.

[Frodo]

Not to mention there really isn’t a purpose in Germany, this isn’t the Cold War. It would make logical sense to build in Poland no?

That would be barely a step short of a declaration of war on Russia.

They already did that by interfering in our recent election, and having their Manchurian candidate installed in the Oval Office.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

All troops out of Europe. There's no reason for them to be there.

This.

[Intell]

All troops out of Europe. There's no reason for them to be there.

This.

This is double beneficial, The US shouldn't waste it's money there, the Germans don't want the US troops there. Pull all troops out of Europe!

[Blue3]

Only Poland and the Baltics.

[Izzyeviel]

YouGov for the DPA (German Press Agency):

42% - the US should pull out its troops from Germany
37% - the US troops should remain in Germany

Support for the troop removal by party voters:

67% Left Party
55% AfD
48% Greens
42% SPD
37% FDP
35% CDU/CSU

https://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten.de/inhalt.umfrage-fast-jeder-zweite-deutsche-fuer-abzug-der-us-truppen.17191b86-789f-43b8-966a-bacbbbc1f6ca.html

What should be of surprise to us isn't the East Germans dislike the Americans, but that the Afd (The Trump lovers of Germany) don't want Trumps troops in their country.

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

What should be of surprise to us isn't the East Germans dislike the Americans, but that the Afd (The Trump lovers of Germany) don't want Trumps troops in their country.

Well, the Trump lovers love Trump, but hate America.
Furthermore, when it comes to a dispute between Trump and Putin they always remain steadfastly at the tsar's side.

[GoTfan]

Not to mention there really isn’t a purpose in Germany, this isn’t the Cold War. It would make logical sense to build in Poland no?

That would be barely a step short of a declaration of war on Russia.

They already did that by interfering in our recent election, and having their Manchurian candidate installed in the Oval Office.

Coll. I'll sit out the Third World War you so desperately want, thanks.

[Frodo]

Not to mention there really isn’t a purpose in Germany, this isn’t the Cold War. It would make logical sense to build in Poland no?

That would be barely a step short of a declaration of war on Russia.

They already did that by interfering in our recent election, and having their Manchurian candidate installed in the Oval Office.

Coll. I'll sit out the Third World War you so desperately want, thanks.

Yeah, that nuclear winter from the last war with the Soviet Union was really something, wasn't it?  

Anyways, the surest path to a nuclear war is when your adversary thinks you are either weak, or you don't have the will to resist them.  The stronger your deterrent, the less likely war is to break out.  Any response we make that gives Putin the impression that it is flaccid is more dangerous than moving American troops from Germany and Italy to Eastern Europe in an effort to contain his ambitions.  

[mvd10]

YouGov for the DPA (German Press Agency):

42% - the US should pull out its troops from Germany
37% - the US troops should remain in Germany

Support for the troop removal by party voters:

67% Left Party
55% AfD
48% Greens
42% SPD
37% FDP
35% CDU/CSU

https://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten.de/inhalt.umfrage-fast-jeder-zweite-deutsche-fuer-abzug-der-us-truppen.17191b86-789f-43b8-966a-bacbbbc1f6ca.html

What should be of surprise to us isn't the East Germans dislike the Americans, but that the Afd (The Trump lovers of Germany) don't want Trumps troops in their country.

The AfD is rather anti-American (they're probably just sore losers after WW2 ). But seriously, among the most extreme parts of the European far-right anti-Americanism definitely is a thing. Something with Wall Street and 'Jewish influences'. America is just about the posterboy of the globalism/rootless capitalism the European far-right opposes.

[Gass3268]

Moving American troops out of Europe would be incredibly stupid. There are other ways to reduce defense spending while not giving Russia the green light to do whatever the please in Europe.

[RINO Tom]

Moving American troops out of Europe would be incredibly stupid. There are other ways to reduce defense spending while not giving Russia the green light to do whatever the please in Europe.

This.  Anyone who cozies into the line of thinking like "oh, this is the MODERN age, things are different now!" too far is just not learning from history, period.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Moving American troops out of Europe would be incredibly stupid. There are other ways to reduce defense spending while not giving Russia the green light to do whatever the please in Europe.

This.  Anyone who cozies into the line of thinking like "oh, this is the MODERN age, things are different now!" too far is just not learning from history, period.

[Lord Halifax]

Moving American troops out of Europe would be incredibly stupid. There are other ways to reduce defense spending while not giving Russia the green light to do whatever the please in Europe.

Russia is a bit of a paper tiger. They aren't exactly the Soviet Union and have a much smaller population and economy than the EU (Germany and France have around 5 mio. more people combined and the German GDP is more than twice the Russian) and a lower technological level in most fields. It would be perfectly possible for the EU countries to defend themselves against Russia if the US withdrew, provided they increased their military a bit. Asia is a lot more important than Europe anyway and Chinese expansion a real threat. Time to ditch Cold War relic NATO and focus on the things that matter.

[Karpatsky]

Not to mention there really isn’t a purpose in Germany, this isn’t the Cold War. It would make logical sense to build in Poland no?

That would be barely a step short of a declaration of war on Russia.

They already did that by interfering in our recent election, and having their Manchurian candidate installed in the Oval Office.

Coll. I'll sit out the Third World War you so desperately want, thanks.

Yeah, the fastest way to get to WW3 is removing the troops. They are there to deter Russia from salami slice attacks. If the U.S. pulls out of Europe, six months later there will mysteriously arise a 'east Latvian People's Republic', and a year later there will either be war with Russia or the collapse of NATO. Keeping some barrier troops there is much cheaper and better for everyone involved.

[DavidB.]

German kneejerk anti-Americanism is both an annoying sentiment and a sentiment rooted in something dark. Removing the troops is a very bad idea. And if they have to go, I would say they are more than welcome here, where Trump might be about as unpopular as in Germany but America most definitely isn't.

[Storebought]

Is this news? Adenauer understood seventy-some years ago that a significant portion of the German population craves authoritarianism (right-wing or "socialist") and would eagerly support the then USSR in any conflict between it and the US-backed west. That's why he forced W Germany to join NATO, to suppress the anti-democratic elements of his country as much as to defend it against Soviet intervention. It's no different now.