Military bases != Colonization.

One is an outpost. The other is making the people there subservient to you. I get the point you're making, but it's not the same and it trivializes actual colonization(which yes, the US does do). India wasn't just a military base for the British. They ruled over them and collected taxes and imposed laws. Same with Ireland. It's be offensive to compare their plights to placing a military base.