re: Is there a strategic reason we send tens, hundreds of billions of taxpayer $ to countries?

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Is there a strategic reason we send tens, hundreds of billions of taxpayer $ to countries?

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Economic and security reasons. Disruptions in the international system create negative externalities, which are costly. They are more costly to the US, as we benefit the most from the current worldwide economic system (and our place therein).

So the theory is, if we send out $100B (to prevent the negative externalities) to save $400B in putative costs (that would come if this negative externalities occurred), we come out ahead, net.

So that our politicians can get rich off our money by skimming off the top. Every conflict we enter should begin with the question, what is our critical and vital interest in this conflict?