But the US goverment also use their political influence in ways that hurt our (non-military) industries. When it comes to standards they routinely throw in their political influence to guard their own industries in a way that hurts competition, often in Europe.

We might still (probably are) economic benefactors of the american empire, but the picture is a bit more complicated.

The question of course is benefactors compared to what? The obivious losers in the empire or our situation in another system?

One can imagine a world were oil supplies did not need to be guarded by an imperial strikeforce.

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