[Zsfe510asG]

The wisdom was that the US dollar due to its exorbitant privilege (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exorbitant_privilege#Origin) can afford these debts.

Countries put up with it because the US "provided protection" and insured maritime freedom of navigation. Oh wait ...

[wyldberry]

Dangerously close to discovering the premise of Accidental Superpower from first principles.

[8note]

accidental is a strange word for actively breaking down the british and french empires, and taking over their base locations