[mobilefriendly]

All three have active US military bases on their soil and enjoy the economic surplus of living under the US defense umbrella.

[davidw]

The post WWII system was imperfect in many ways, but it was also mutually beneficial and worked out pretty well despite the problems.

And we're throwing that all out the window.

US military bases aren't what made those countries modern, prosperous, democratic places. It took the will of the people to rebuild something better after the war.

[Quarrelsome]

don't make it out like its a favour. The US have done very well out of their defense umbrella ensuring its global dominance for most of last century.

Most powers have to pay in blood to do what they want geo politically without question. The US inherited a global state where many potential rivals were weak and helped keep them weak. It was a cost worth paying and its a shame that current US leaders are so cheap and foolhardy to not see what they're throwing away.

[matwood]

You seem to imply the US reaps no benefit from providing security?

[bonsai_spool]

Britain essentially ceded its bases to the US at the end of WWII - these things aren’t as durable as they may seem.

[Quarrelsome]

that's cos WW1 financially broke Britain, then WW2 happened.

[4gotunameagain]

All that economic surplus - and much more - flows back to the US. How do you think the US can sustain that amount of USD printing without inflation ? The rest of the world is buying those dollars.