The US navy protects global shipping & trade, which ties into why it provides the USD as the global reserve currency.

It makes sense that silicon valley protect this linchpin of the global economy - and the majority of their revenues.

It would be nice to have a global democracy, but unfortunately the best we can hope for is the cohesion of the US/EU/NATO alliance.

Is any non-hegemonic model of international relations truly unrealistic?

GHW Bush thought it was possible.

Would you want the UN running things?

It’s worse than our Congress. They got a couple of decent programs but for the most part it’s a corrupt organization.

If the world became a global direct democracy, most humans would lose many human rights over-night.

It is folly to think there is wisdom in the average intelligence.

Agreed. Which country’s ”war machine” would you prefer Silicon Valley powered??

Switzerland.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_neutrality

They wouldn't be neutral if they carried that much power. ...at least not for long.

From 1943 Switzerland stopped American and British aircraft, mainly bombers, overflying Switzerland during the Second World War. On numerous occasions during the war, Allied aircraft trespassed on Swiss airspace; mostly damaged Allied bombers returning from raids over Italy and Germany whose crews preferred internment by the Swiss to becoming prisoners of war. Over a hundred Allied aircraft crews were interned and placed in ski resorts which were left abandoned due to the lack of tourists after the outbreak of war. They were to be held in there until the war had ended.[20] At least 940 American airmen attempted to escape into France after the invasion of Normandy, but Swiss authorities intercepted 183 internees. Over 160 of these airmen were incarcerated in a Swiss prison camp known as Wauwilermoos, which was located near Lucerne and commanded by André Béguin, a pro-Nazi Swiss officer. The American internees remained in Wauwilermoos until November 1944 when the U.S. State Department lodged protests against the Swiss government and eventually secured their release.

>From 1943 Switzerland stopped American and British aircraft, mainly bombers

Because of those "incidents":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerial_incidents_in_Switzerlan...

And a pretty good Video from a fantastic channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FILxoQyKzDg

You have to imagine Switzerland with 100MM and then think about it.

So, Indonesia, Nigeria, Russia, India, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Japan, Mexico…

Which one would you prefer to wield the sword other than the US.

How would Pakistan feel if India were the hegemon, and vice versa? Use your imagination.

In order to be a hegemony you need to be able to sustain that. You can say: I grant thee Andorra or Singapore hegemony over the world. You rule. That’s like giving a toddler in a village a Kalashnikov. It’ll ‘rule’ for an hour till it can’t feed itself and then the brute wrests it away while it sleeps.

>I can’t think of another country that I would like to have military supremacy.

You need to travel more.

Which country that has a realistic shot at military supremacy right now would you prefer and why? I can only think of two, and neither would be good for the rest of the world.

> Which country that has a realistic shot at military supremacy right now

Moving the goal posts.

Germany. It is pretty anti-war and peaceful.

If the United States disappeared tomorrow, Germany would have approximately a snowball’s chance in hell of becoming the world’s leading military power.

Not if they hand out free beer and sausage.

You’re being sarcastic, right? You’re aware of which country started the last two WORLD WARS, right????!??!

There are not many things harder to imagine than today’s german society starting a offensive war. So yes i am serious.

Uhhuh. Give them power and weapons and see what happens.

It would happen to anyone. Just look at how Germany uses its marginal heft to boss the EU around.

Denmark

Thanks, but no thanks. Personally I prefer the asshole I know over its licker helping him.

https://www.politico.eu/article/vestager-you-should-not-spy-...

https://www.politico.eu/article/edward-snowden-is-back-spyin...

https://grapevine.is/news/2021/06/03/danish-intelligence-ser...

easy to say if you're not the one being indiscriminately bombed

I could dispute the use of the word “indiscriminate,” here, and even ask who is being bombed, but instead: who (that has a realistic chance) would you rather have as the world’s leading military superpower, and how would they be better?