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Originally Posted by highthief
And let's put into context what the glam rock fan said to elicit such a response:
The United States is the reason the other western countries can have luxuries like socialized health care and country club prisons. Contrary to popular belief, mankind has not entered some new enlightened age where the lion and the lamb have laid down together. The only thing standing between the relative international stability we see today and global chaos is the U.S. Sixth Fleet and the American will to use it. If the United States didn't spill the treasure and blood necessary to slam some little murderous despot up against the wall every 10 years or so, western countries that depend on the United States for defense would be in deep shit. Most "allies" depend on the United States to keep the sea lanes open and the skyways safe. If Canada was unable to deliver its lumber across the ocean it wouldn't be long before its prosperity would end.
I'm betting it will happen again before all who are reading this reach old age: there will arise yet another genocidal utopian ideal that will threaten civilization, and the only country that will be able (and willing) to stop it will be the USA. So yes, in that sense, we are an anachronism.
The glam rock fan believes the US is superior to all other nations and that other nations should get down on their collective knees and praise God for the US's existence.
Meanwhile, citizens of other nations are justifiably proud of their countries but don't think everyone else should be thankful just to be mentioned in the same sentence.
There is quite a difference here...
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You know, he's right. You are exaggerating what he said. There's an obvious externality being created by the US's military spending. During the Cold war, western Europe was able to develop their economy, knowing that the US was largely footing the bill for their defense (with not only the stationed troops, but NATO). And despite the recent tensions, Europe (and Canada) know that if some despot does arise (I'm looking at you, Germany) the US will come to their defense. It's not about bowing down before American superiority, it's about recognizing the fact that because of the US's bloated military budget, the rest of the western world doesn't have to create their own bloated militaries. And there's a similar effect in medicine, but not quite as pronounced (innovations created in America where the profit is higher spread around the world to places where national health care make developing many drugs not profitable).