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Trouble is if we don't sell them weapons then they buy them off Russia and China and we have even less influence.

1) We're not doing much with all this supposed influence we're getting from the sales of weapons.

2) If they can easily switch to Russian or Chinese weapons, that implies we're not getting that much influence by selling them weapons.

3) If the US is not willing to exercise its influence (point 1) or is not really getting that much actual influence (point 2), it seems like we're just profiteering off a proxy war.

Yes, the good old "If I don't do it, someone else will".

I could go and rob the local supermarket with that excuse.

Yeah but the way to stop robbing at the supermarket is police or similar, not you restraining yourself and hoping the bad guys will follow your example.

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