Can I ask why you feel the need to act condescending and dismissive?

Just old and bitter?

Rather than get into a "feelings and perception" contest... let's talk about the facts.

Citizens are allowed to vote. For the sake of this argument, lets leave out the actual process of voting. Citizens elect official.

Citizens are NOT consulted for major decisions post election of said official. Citizens can bluff and buster all they want. Elected official can do as they please.

Lobby groups have more access to decision making process than citizens, and way more pull as they control the purse strings to re-election and keeping elected official with a job.

Therefore, I posit that it is simply naive to think "citizens" could demand the US to retreat from Europe anymore than they could demand an invasion of Europe. The world simply doesn't work that way. I am not saying it can't... it is going to take a whole lot more than electing Bernie Sanders or Donald Trump or Hillary or some horrible clown to get the power into the hands of the Citizens.

The bigger question(s) are; has power EVER been truly in the hands of the masses/citizens? Why do people cling on to that as a good way forward? Leadership by committee in my experience has been horrible beyond reproach...

I agree about your larger question, and would enjoy exploring that. But, for this conversation I find it most interesting and relevant that the citizens don't even see the military budget as an issue. On this issue we need not even worry about my naive belief that citizen's have power, because in fact the citizens don't even see the need to change anything as they fully subscribe to the belief--put forward by the rulers--that the military budget is essential.

So, yes, citizens could stand to wake up, I agree.