Much of the world is now at the mercy of the United States, they must bend the knee.
Strictly said, the US does not spend that much on its defense either. Most of the expenses go into projecting power afar.
Strategic goals of, say, Poland, are different. They won't be fighting China over Taiwan, and so they don't need aircraft carriers or a chain of bases around the world.
They might invest in an atomic bomb of their own, though.
"Much of the world is now at the mercy of the United States"
In what sense? If the US starts another hot war in, say, the Middle East, I suspect that the outcomes won't be much better than they were in Iraq.
"they must bend the knee"
This only works if the giant has some consistent goals. The current US administration seems to flail around instead of pursuing some particular intelligible path.
Instead of bending knees, a dozen countries will start developing their own nukes. Non-proliferation might not be dead, but it is certainly critically ill.
They don’t even have nuclear power anymore - they shuttered the last of their nuclear power plants. The entire supply chain will need to be developed and tested without running afoul of the test ban treaty.
Besides, nuclear weapons are almost worthless without submarines to carry them. They’d only be useful against an unsophisticated adversary.
Basically, it would send Europe back into the stone age, I fear. In under a week.
Prevent US naval supply. Push American hubris and drive the US into thinking they are doing some 'Berlin Airlift 2.0' and gung-ho Americans will burn through our military $$$s. There's thousands of ways to 'death by 1000 cuts' America's military budget. We take for granted our partners support and can't afford our military without it. Make each and every base an island that has to be completely provided for by the home country, in every detail, with military resources. No civilian transport of supplies for anything. Force it all through military ports/military airports, every last drop of diesel, every moving electron, we'll see how for the US military budget goes.
Yeah, and the world is going to react. This situation might benefit the US economically in the short run but it sure won't in the long run.
There's a long history of crippling economies to fund armies and buy weapons.
Frankly, that's how US military spending has worked as well. The country would be much wealthier if it hadn't squandered so much on military spending. We just overlook that effect because the country looks so wealthy overall.
You’re thinking of the actual left.
I get it, Ukraine is pushed to the brink. But Europe isn't - and have you looked at the state of the other side?
As for simpletons - did you see the people pushing for Brexit? Or the moron Australian Prime minister who tried to the couuntry from upgrading from ADSL? It appears the world has no shortage of simpletons.
It also appears democracy doesn't prevent you from electing them. I would not blame the yankies too harshly for electing one. We all do it. What democracy does is let you get rid of them. If it doesn't, you, like Russia, don't have a functioning democracy.
If you don't think there are buttons that can paralyze/impact the US more than those forced to bend the knee you aren't looking. That the only one pushing this game is US doesn't mean we have the inherently stronger hand. And at some point if we keep pushing others will start stabbing our soft underbelly and we are absolutely fucked.