Could the United States be invaded?

[flare09]

If the rest of the world?
Fuck that We'll send in the SAS and you'll be taken over before you know it.

So, yes - you could. It probably wouldn't need every other country to band against you, to be fair.

A couple of guys in dark clothing going in at night can only do so much.

 

[Lord Beautiful]

Being that President Obama has made us aware of his foreign policy, I think the US could easily be invaded by Britain alone.

 

[smokeybearsb]

As it was said earlier.

Any country can be invaded, now holding onto the terratory you gain in that initial invasion is an entirely different thing.


The US from any other country's perspective would be a hell to keep. With the exception of few other areas in the world the US would be so inundated with "insurgants" that any country/countries that did invade would quickly find that the invasion was the "easy" part and that occupying is far more difficult(much like the US is finding out now)

I can name 12 people who are friends who I am close with. out of those 12 nine of them have at least 3 guns each and the other 3 have at least one.

Not to mention the fact that there is historical precedent that we here in the US go batshit psycho insane whenever our authority or safety is challenged.


So yes, the US can be invaded.


Whether or not the invaders would deem it worth it after the initial invasion is another thing entirely.

If they made a video game on that concept, I would play it. In two seconds.

 

[faranor]

is it just me or has this been done in RA2. and better yet it would be damn easy to invade US but who would want that now. the only real reason everyone would have to invade the US would be bush and he is gone. I think if bush was still in power even the majority of the US would like to invade the US. the rest of the countries are more. if we threw everything we got at the US half way into the fight the US would get bored of winning and kill themselves out of boredom anyway. and last but not least. get the best system admins and nerds together and just invade the US from the inside out. nerds will one day rule the world so the US should just be a stepping stone on the way to glory for them (us and who ever feels the need to be included)

 

[quiet_samurai]

I don't know, it is possible to throw the US into complete turmoil. We also have vastly superior technology in terms of military hardware. Also there is a national guard and a few million armed citizens, which alone could probably out gun some countires prime military. Also there is the fact that probably 80% of the rest of the worlds countries have no way to even transport themselves the the US let alone be capable of an invasion.

 

[G1eet]

Go down through Canada, up throw Mexico. Squeeze in via Navy from the sides, and fly over head with RAF etc. It would be easier the UK me thinks, but still a daunting task.

Come up through Mexico and take the West. Washington's got some big software companies, there's Area 51 (c'mon, there's gotta be something there), big population centers, some strategic bases. Plus you get the protection of the Rockies.

 

[LewsTherin]

I will let a certain gentleman answer this question:

Spoiler

Khorne/Cthulu for 2012!

 

[la-le-lu-li-lo]

I'd like to see someone try.

God knows I'm ready.

 

[Rigs83]

Who wants to conquer our debt.

 

[bad peanut]

[quote="smokeybearsb" post="18.116632.2188124
If they made a video game on that concept, I would play it. In two seconds.[/quote]

Freedom Fighters. It's awsome, a bit dated though but from IO Interactive

Edit: Quote Fail

 

[Rigs83]

Let's try this
http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/155546

 

[Ignignoct]

Psst. The song was made by Americans, too.

Also, again, what non-American NATO forces?

I think he means all of these guys that aren't the USA...while some sort of convoluted series of events might allow them to do so, realistically (isticly?), the advanced forces simply aren't present in large enough numbers to pull it off, none of them could fight a protracted war.

EDIT: DUH! Forgot the link. Twattery. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Members_of_NATO

Thanks for the link.

I don't see anyone that militarily powerful aside from the UK, Germany, and maybe Spain/France.

Have these NATO forces, doing NATO work, done anything substantial ever? I.E. Policing a reservation of refugees from a brutal African dictatorship or something like that?

I followed the link to "What does NATO do?" And "FAQs", and this is what I got:

The fight against terrorism is a permanent agenda item and priority for the Alliance.

In combating terrorism, NATO helps to ensure that individuals can go about their daily lives safely, free from the threat of indiscriminate acts of terror.

The Alliance offers a unique range of assets to the international community in the fight against terrorism. First, it is a permanent consultation forum, which can transform discussions into collective decisions. Second, this is backed by unparalleled military capability at the Alliance?s disposal. Third, NATO is part of an impressive network of cooperative relations with many partners.
What does this mean in practice?

The multifaceted nature of terrorism is such that NATO has engaged in a number of initiatives ? political, operational, conceptual, military and technological ? to address this issue. NATO has launched, for instance, its first operations outside Europe and has begun a far-reaching transformation of its forces and capabilities. It is also working closely with partner countries and organizations to ensure broad cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

All Alliance activities in the fight against terrorism are fully in line with international law, including human rights standards and humanitarian requirements.

So...

TL;DR They do good stuff and help support countries that do good things, but they don't list any examples of actual assistance.

Anyone have some of those?

I'm not being snarky, sarcastic, or facetious. Honest question.

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

why aren't we doing this right this second?

because my armies aren't quite ready yet. It took me 3 years to breed an effective fighting force from alien/insect spliced DNA. On a side note, anyone have a lot of bug spray?

 

[Neonbob]

why aren't we doing this right this second?

became my armies aren't quite ready yet. It took me 3 years to breed an effective fighting force from alien/insect spliced DNA. On a side note, anyone have a lot of bug spray?

No...but you get two guesses as to what I do have a lot of.

 

[Ignignoct]

If the rest of the world?
Fuck that We'll send in the SAS and you'll be taken over before you know it.

So, yes - you could. It probably wouldn't need every other country to band against you, to be fair.

A couple of guys in dark clothing going in at night can only do so much.

True, but what if they all operate at BULLET TIME!?

...

Still not gunna happen =p.

Besides, America loves Australia, and vice versa, god dammit.

 

[la-le-lu-li-lo]

Invade the U.S. ? Yeah it can be done, and if every nation joined in, just the sheer amount would prove a difficult task to defeat, and invasion success is most likely, but it would become a battle of attrition by then, with the invaders paying a very high price. Let's look at some of the issues with an invasion.

To propose a straight out attack via land and sea, you would have to either position troops beforehand(sneaking in through freighters via Canada/Mexico), or land them alongside your ships. This itself is near impossible, as a large enough land force would be difficult to sneak over and keep hidden, much less fully supplied and equipped. An immediate attack by sea is highly impractical, as the U.S. has many long range strike options(not to mention their navy) as well as good intelligence agencies and satellite systems for detections of such a fleet. A sea invasion would only be practical if some of these options were eliminated. Also, any initial attacks would be wise to also have forces stationed to take out the U.S. bases across the world, disbarring a 'full' scale invasion, as well as increasing likelihood of discovery, for having such forces near every U.S. base on the globe would be a bit suspicious. If that is not done, then it will become a global war with near countless fronts, and nations pulling back their armies to defend their homelands instead of invading the states.

As for points of attack, the west coast is impractical if you aim to expand to the east coast as well, for the cascades provide a strong barrier, and all major roadways through them will be deathtraps(guerrilla tactics, artillery, or just destroyed roads), limiting any reliable/timely transportation across to air travel, which will hinge on air superiority. To hit the east, as mentioned, the number of towns and roads make it a tactical nightmare for the military to control and expand. By land from north or south you will hit the same issues if you aim along the western or eastern edge. Cutting through the middle can divide the nation and cause confusion, but will also leave the invasion force highly exposed, as well as their logistics line behind them. The south provides the largest insurgent threat as more rednecks and gun touting rights activists will be there, making the north a bit more viable. But, the most important factor to remember is that such an invasion will unite the populace against you, for announcing an invasion(in hopes of scaring the populace to submission, or whatever other reasons) would eliminate a sneak attack option, whereas a sneak attack will cause all the citizens to distrust and hate the invading nations.

In contrast to an all-out invasion, taking over or blockading key economic points have been brought up. These would indeed eventually cripple the nation(if the economic system remained in effect at all during such an incident), but also cripple the economy of the world once more. Remember that a central cause for the current economic issues did indeed originate from the states, but even then, a majority of the businesses in the world still manage their money and trade through wallstreet/dow jones. Disrupting a central hub of trade and business in order to cripple the states would cripple the world just as badly. Also, although a majority of production is done outside the US, most of those places are run and owned by companies based in the states, and with them cut off from their headquarters - and subsequently their funding - it is doubtful they will continue to operate, now just imagine the fallout from factories around the world shutting down. Hell, even if it was a full invasion instead of a targeted economic attack, these same economic effects would be felt around the world.

In further points, although the US military is somewhat small in numbers, their technology and resources are second to none. It is also good to note that there are many ex-military citizens out there, whether retired or those that served for a short time instead of career, most of whom likely have kept weapons and trained up. The police forces and militias are also not to be underestimated, for although they might seem weak, they are trained, organized, and experienced. There is also the fact that, as the ones being invaded, they have the homefield advantage, whether its in knowing the terrain, or fighting to defend their homes, which is a zeal no invader can match.

For now, this is good, feel free to pick, I'll respond when able. For those who may be curious, I am an American.

First off, I'd like to state that I did actually read this, and you make several very valid points. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to hear someone who actually seems to know what they're talking about.

And I agree with you. Attack the economy, you cripple the world economy. Attack America invasion-style, you'll be dealing with our generally superior technology, varied military branches, police forces, crazy gun-toting NRA members [such as myself], rednecks galore, and I imagine the gangsters would join in too. Why not?

But most importantly, I think that if we were actually invaded, it would unite America pretty damn solidly. You wouldn't have half the populace disagreeing with whatever war it may be... You'd have everyone, every single American to contend with.

Except for the hippies I guess.

 

[Zykon TheLich]

They do good stuff and help support countries that do good things, but they don't list any examples of actual assistance.

Anyone have some of those?

I'm not being snarky, sarcastic, or facetious. Honest question.

NATO is a defensive agreement rooted in the cold war, it doesn't do anything unless one of it's members is attacked [EDIT: Having said that I think the purpose has been revised over the years]. I would imagine there is cooperation on anti terrorist operations. As for peacekeeping/brutal african dictatorships etc, that's not it's purpose. Individually the UK has done a few things on it's own or in support of the UN.

...DOH! Yugoslavia was a NATO operation, also Kosovo...and peacekeepers in Afghanistan.

I believe what he was saying is that if for some strange reason the other memebers of NATO decided to invade the US, they could do it. Or maybe he wasn't, maybe he was just saying that NATO members outside the US do have a fairly large advanced military, I can't really remember.

PS France does have a very large military, spending is roughly equal to the UK, certainly more 'powerful' than the German army.

 

[sms_117b]

Yes, SAS styled invasion of New York, Washington DC and LA and another few major cities with a fire sale (Or whatever it was called from Die Hard 4.0). However keeping a effective garrison in such a large, spread out, patriotic country would be a nightmare, the invading/garrisoned soldiers would lose morale very quickly.

 

[Danzaivar]

Invade? Easily, way too large/too much borders to secure all of it. Get some suvivalist type soldiers in through the cracks before the army comes back and it'd be easy to just destroy it from inside.

No real point tho, the American population is very proud of their independence so you just wouldn't be able to control it. All that bullcrap propaganda they have forced on them since childhood about America just means it wouldn't work.

You want a hard country to invade? China.

--

Edit: Ironically British forces would probably lose less to American troops than they do from 'friendly fire' anyway. Atleast they'd be allowed to act like they might get shot at any second by the yanks, heh.