We've projected a lot of global force, no doubt about that, but at a rather stupendous cost and without a lot of help. Maybe if we'd charged for that projection we wouldn't be where we are now.
We thankfully will never know the stupendous cost of
not projecting that power. Well, hopefully not. If the hippies and the Paulist libertarian utopia worshippers ever get their way we will slink back to our borders. We will gut our defense industry losing key facilities and generations of skilled employees. We will shrink our military, not adequately fund currently fielded men or equipment, revile the need for a standing army and then....
The next world power is not likely to be as crappy an imperialist as we are our be very munificent. And then, a day late and many dollars short we will remobilize.
I'm all for accountability and common sense in the military budget. I can't get on the bring 'em all home bandwagon. Not really a big piece of the pie compared to our entitlement spending. That is what will crash this empire.
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool -- you bet that Tommy sees! ~Kipling