Common wisdom says that the US deficit is used to pay for militarism, but we could just as easily say it is being used to pay for US consumerism. Walmart, for example, imports about $15 billion from China alone.

The point is that the US is providing protective (?) services to other countries thus giving them a free ride.

The UK is in the middle of a bribery scandal with Saudi Arabia. Something like $80 billion in arms trades over the past decade and future sales are involved. This a perfect case where Europe sells (mostly useless) military equipment whereas the US has to provide the troops and run the bases.

Policies not Politics
---- Daily Landscape