Originally Posted by The_Jazz

I don't think that self-dependence is possible in today's global economy, especially when you start talking about resources that the US just does not have. Self-dependence MIGHT be possible in strictly military sense, but true self-dependence would require withdrawl from multiple treaties and organizations and the abandonment of virtually all overseas bases. That means the European bases, Japan, all the various Middle Eastern bases and others scattered around the world. That sort of base closures would devastate local economies (the same as it does domestically) and leave a short term base housing shortage and overly large military. We'd also most likely have to cut back on defense spending, which would make quite a few defense contractors hurt, and there would be significantly fewer cooler "toys" for the military to play with. Recruiting would most likely stagnate, mostly because all the branches wouldn't need additional personnel.

Let's not forget the power vacuum that we'd leave in Korea, the Japan Straights, Afganistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Western Europe.