Mr_OwlThe richest people have somehow convinced the poorest people that poor people don't matter.
Actually, we were just convinced we could be rich too. Most of the conservatism in the lower and middle class arises from the belief that with enough work and sweat you can be reasonably wealthy no matter what, because of the competitive nature of the American market. Most people where I live are staunch Republicans, and most of the (white) people at my school put a decent amount of effort into school and making good grades, trying to play the system for a free education, with the hope that no one else can.
Pretty much every decision in America is considered in the light that some people do not want help, and feel the market and populace will perform best when left alone.
MarxistWell that's very reassuring lol.
There was an experiment with universal disarmament and collective security after ww 1 - but it kinda well. I don't need to bring up Hitler and how very little everybody but the UK actually disarmed :/
The problem with collective security is that historically, nations don't trust each other - they always assume that if they start a war with an aggressor for being an aggressor their friends won't actually help out and then they'll be bogged down in some major war (why France reneged on the Russo-Franco pact - or the 7 day war in 67'). So you are in essence correct - I just got hung up on China being used - or the US being brought up (since we essentially need no military at all minus a defensive navy and some air defences because everybody else is waaaayy far away).
Being far away doesn't really matter, unless you want to rely entirely on a nuclear arsenal. Most people in my city are pretty pro military and believe in the US being the world police force, trying to keep democracy and stuff going. I'd figure that's the main reason people want a large standing military.