Originally Posted by Bill8

That's not true - we do get something from israel. They are our proxy army, our mercenary force, strategically located to give us infantry and bases shoudl we ever have to militarily defend the petrodollar.

Wether or not we should actually have a mercenary army to defend the petrodollar is a whole nuther level of question.

But, we do have one, and it's israel. They aren't a particularly loyal army, but with mercenaries, you get what you pay for. They are pretty intimidating, and thats what you need in a proxy force.

It's like having a pit bull - you benefit if your neighbors think the dog might go nuts.

It's all about logistics - having an armed population, and defended land with ocean access, is a critical part of the post reagan petrodollar logistics strategy.