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Comment by throwaway0a5e | Hacker News Reader

>Please name some relevant countries who might be willing to bet their internal security that a hypothetical 5 year security promise from the US would definitely be operative after year 4.

Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Israel and everyone in NATO from Poland on west.

Yes, we're going through a rough patch because the US is (rightfully) sick of playing world police at the same time as China/Russia are on the up but to think that the US and all the other regionally relevant powers (e.g. NATO members for Europe) wouldn't retaliate against an attempt to annex territories in any of those countries is crazy. Also Panama and Egypt (who both have critical global shipping lanes) don't really have to worry about their sovereignty being violated by any nation that the first world would expect to restrict access to their shipping lanes.

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> the US is (rightfully) sick of playing world police

That is not a reasonable description of the current situation unless you think that the guy whose party commands a thunderous minority but wins (both the Presidency and the Senate) due to electoral bugs gets to say what we, as Americans, are and are not "sick of".

Indeed, world police is the role any international hegemon plays to secure trade routes and stability. But I wouldn't discredit the idea entirely. NATO does have its requirements and few members chip in their fair share. Furthermore, geopolitical interests are shifting and this fact may be politically useful. Right now, for example, the US, Germany/EU, and Russia are fighting over influence in the central European states with Poland at the helm. Shifting military presence eastward strengthens American influence, blocks Russian meddling, and frustrates German/EU power in the region, though the last is trying to make the US dominance work for them (note Germany's interest in the American-backed Three Seas Initiative).

You attempt a really weird spin when you try to attribute the rough patch to the U.S being "rightfully sick of playing world police". When the current commander in chief threatens nuclear war on Twitter and assassinates military commanders on sovereign soil. It's not really hallmarks of a laid-back foreign policy.

What does Taiwan have to do with Syria?

If we're going to discuss this, let's not play "Goalposts? What are those?"

You said:

>Please name some relevant countries who might be willing to bet their internal security that a hypothetical 5 year security promise from the US would definitely be operative after year 4

I deem Taiwan to be a "relevant country" due to their relevance to the technology industry.

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