re: Where would we be as a country if 9/11 didn’t happen and we didnt go to war?

I’m not giving you my opinion on right or wrong, just my opinion on how things work.

Just imagine if the US cut our military budget, with it our assets, in half over night. Russia and China would immediately start expanding their presence / influence and the EU nations budgets would shoot up to counter. There is a stalemate / balance, it’s not “if we weren’t doing xyz” that xyz would no longer exist

Russia had bases being built in Cuba and nukes off the coast when we had our blockade. Those behind the scenes political battles are going on in their hemisphere not ours right now, we are fortunate. They will never end though, and and every inch given will be taken until it’s on our doorstep if we let it

IMO