Eric, they split up Europe at Yalta. Russians got some parts and Americans, UK and France some other parts. Nobody had a choice in the matter. Greece for example wanted to be Socialist but were not allowed and a right wing dictator was installed with the support of the US. Something similar might easily have happened in Spain which was also a right wing dictatorship for a long time after the war, with the blessing of the USA. These countries are suffering from this to this day.

If you think that Germans and others like it that there are US bases in their countries you would be totally mistaken. They had no choice after the war. The bases are a fact. Next time you meet a German or an Italian, ask them about it.

If you pass an American base on a normal train or bus in continental Europe, non locals often watch out the window and you can here them say really negative things about the base, the Americans etc. There is anti-american graffiti near the bases.

I once lived quite close to an American base in the UK and locals were not keen on it, and did not like all the secrecy or the behaviour of the Americans on town. The UK is probably the country that is the least negative towards US bases. Compare also with Japan that has been trying to get rid of the Americans for decades - they just refuse to leave. Check out the background on the American base on Okinawa, for example.

Every time there is a manifestation outside a US base, the police come and clear them off in about 5 seconds and the whole thing is silenced. Media never talks about how people really feel about these bases.

Citizens can no more get rid of the American bases than the East Germans could get rid of Russian bases during the Cold War.