| The United States is not just one among many. Take NATO: we provide most of the budget, materiel, and more manpower than any other country. Our military is the best equipped and trained. In essence, the Europeans have been relying on us for their defence, and, if not taking a free ride, have at least gotten the better end of the deal. Not to mention the reconstruction dollars we put into Europe through the Marshall Plan. As I said, we contribute more than any other nation to the World Bank and IMF, to help the developing world, and pay a lot of foreign aid directly. We have basically protected the Asian littoral (South Korea, Japan, the Phillipines, and Taiwan) since the end of World War II, and provided massive reconstruction aid there too. America is still the most sought after market for foreign goods; it is still the favorite place for overseas investors; and the dollar is the de facto international currency. In so many ways, the position of the United States is exceptionl...... |
