[AnimalMuppet]

> Half of the US economy is based upon the country's military might, and (through it) imposing favorable deals, bullying, controlling oil and trade routes, IP laws and so on (plus "quantitative easing financial policies" and trillion dollar bailouts, subsidies and handouts to Detroit and co). I'll take Japan's "quantitative easing financial policies" any day...

Bluntly, this is BS. A bit of the US economy, yes. Half? Not even close. But you seem to have an ax you want to grind with respect to the US, and reality would not serve you as well as hyperbole.

[coldtea]

>Bluntly, this is BS. A bit of the US economy, yes. Half? Not even close.

I'm not talking directly -- like the arms industry and the oil industry and so on. I'm talking about the cascading effect that pumps up and propels the rest.

[AnimalMuppet]

And I still say it's BS. Or, to be more charitable, excessive hyperbole.

[coldtea]

Well, not if you live out in the rest of the world and have suffered the consequences for near a century...

[AnimalMuppet]

How does where you live change what fraction of the US economy is based on the country's military might?

I suppose, though, that your claim might be true of the fraction of the US economy that happens where you are...