Gallup: February 21, 2011
Two-thirds of Americans believe the U.S. should play either the leading or a major role in solving international problems. However, 32% now say the U.S. should be a minor player or not involved at all, up from 23% in 2009.
I think we are going to see this expand hugely as the confluence of the boomer retirement with debts generated by Presidents from Reagan to Bush II. Our debt problems and tax problems would go away If we did not have this massive military budget, .
Realistically, we no longer have the money to be the world cop nor do we have any major enemies. Who is there we could fight with if we wanted to? Russia? Iran? India? Cuba? China? The only likley wars are more like police actions than the kind of outrageous invasion GWB foisted off on us in Iran. Surely regional powers are effective enough to keep the peace in most areas of the world and if that is not true, I assume we can cooperate with China and other new powers to foist this cost off on our mutual trading partners.
The rest of the “advanced world” has already decided for itself that police work is only a local activity. Can anyone imagine Germany or Korea or even Israel putting a serious force into battle to resolve a crisis in Russia, the Philippines or North Africa?