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[–]FN-guy 1045ポイント1046ポイント  (4子コメント)

15 years ago, as a career military man, I would have said that the freedoms, education, health care, etc...enjoyed are protected by the military. I'd still say that but I'd also add that there's more waste and nepotism than can be imagined. The military-industrial complex is very real and it's making some people very rich.

[–]pogue23 25ポイント26ポイント  (3子コメント)

I would have told the 15 year younger person you are, that the next 8 countries on that list mostly also have education, and health care without needing such a colossal military industrial complex.

[–]Spongebobs_Asshole 61ポイント62ポイント  (2子コメント)

Because they don't need to defend themselves.

Someone is going to be dominant hegemon, and if we were to suddenly stop filling that role, someone else would step up and fill it and they'd probably be a lot more malevolent than we are. (or less benevolent, or whatever, it's all relative)

Europe for example, enjoys a lot of military protection from us because they are the tip of the NATO spear, geographically. They have considerable military spending but nowhere near what they otherwise would have needed during the Cold War because we were basing a lot of stuff in that theater.

Most countries don't have broader geopolitical aspirations beyond their own borders and can spend their money domestically. This isn't how the US works, because the US has long been the dominant global hegemon. It would be a very different world if the US opted out of this role and it was filled by someone else.

That said, there is enormous waste in the US defense complex and it's terrifyingly inefficient. I'm not trying to say that it's perfect, but I am saying that anyone who is pining for a world where the US behaves like a Eurozone country is either out of their minds or is from one of the nations that would step in as hegemon if we stepped out.

[–]macboost84 11ポイント12ポイント  (1子コメント)

Yup. Other countries don't need big military. The US is a global defense system that provides 24x7 protection.

Heck Canada can get away with none. Even Mexico. The US will defend both because they are on our borders.

Everyone's fear is what happens when China or Russia becomes that force. As much as every country says they hate the US for being everywhere, it's more the media blasting this. Those countries would cry if we left and they were to be attacked.

[–]_ShowMeYourKitties_ 3ポイント4ポイント  (0子コメント)

This is a great point and i wish more people understood it.

As much as every country says they hate the US for being everywhere, it's more the media blasting this. Those countries would cry if we left and they were to be attacked.

As far as this goes, most people in europe and abroad (at least whom I've met) actually like the US. The media that says everyone hates us is, 9 times out of 10, leftist liberal american media.