[jek0]

> I just don't understand why so many trillions of dollars around the world are being spent on military power that just sits by and watches dictatorships kidnap protestors from other countries and execute them.

We make wars to control energy sources, trade routes, etc. The west as happily puts a dictator in place of a democratic government when it's in their interest (or the best interest of the men in power and their supports).

[whimsicalism]

You also need to have an opposition figure who you can tell is likely to succeed with your assistance ahead of time, and who can make credible promises to pay you back (ie. with contracts for the rebuilding, contracts on oil extraction, etc.)

It's very clear how this played out in Libya, for instance, if you read the leaked Hillary Clinton emails. [0]

[0]: https://wikileaks.org/clinton-emails/emailid/12900