The military only comes into play under certain circumstances, for instance it gives the US a lot of leeway in Eastern Europe, as long as it acts as a credible counter-balance to Russia. It doesn't have so much of an effect in most of the rest of the developed world. The US is not going to invade Germany or France if they act independently to protect the interests of their citizens. In much of the world, the credibility of US actions matters just as much as brute strength, and that will become more and more the case. And arguably, in many circumstances, strength is better measured through economic leverage than military expenditure.