THIS was modded 'insightful"? More propaganda crap. For all the notion that the US is somehow exploiting the rest of the world, the US also has a huge trade deficit, with more net wealth leaving the country for the past 40 years than coming in. The US military serves two main purposes: 1) to ensure the world doesn't get stupid with another world war; and 2) to keep the sea and air lanes open, mostly the sea as 90% of the world's commerce moves via the oceans. That's why there are 12 carriers, 5,000 aircraft and divisions of Army and Marine personnel.
Because the US has prevented another world war, we now enjoy the most prosperous time EVER in the history of the world, period. I'm not saying everyone is happy, but a hell of a lot more are than there used to be, and as long as the US keeps the peace, that trend will continue. The Chinese really could care less about anything but China, the recent typhoon in the Philippines is a case in point. Individuals are giving more than China is, and China is their neighbor. The US constantly offers aid and succor to nations and people who've had a tragedy. The US understands that being there handing out an MRE is just as important as standing guard with an M-16. China hasn't a clue, nor will it ever, it's just a machine, driven to expand or die.
Because the carriers constantly ply their trade through the major ocean routes, the world economy flourishes. And never, not once, has the US ever levied a toll for that service. The US understands that if one prospers, all prosper and works to make sure that trade lanes stay open and accessible to everyone. And yes, what's good for the world is good for the US, that's just good business. Because the US made Europe and Asia play nice through forward deploying their own flesh and blood, their own sons and daughters, Asia and Europe are now major economic powers after being devastated in WWII. The US could've kept them down, forced them to accept one-way trade agreements. But no, the US rebuilt them, and allowed it's own factories to fall silent, and unemployment to rise. I'm not sure that sounds like something a nation with a bloated war-mongering military machine would allow to happen. Hell, even Vietnam is prospering! The Philippines asked the US to leave, and they did. The US has left every place that has asked them to go. Will China? Unlikely.
I'm still trying to figure out how the US is "exploiting" all those billions of people who have good jobs, food on the table, clothes on their backs, schools, roads, high-speed trains, satellite TV, etc, etc. /rant