Originally Posted by ilnjscb

Ever seen the analyses that posit that the American military could not be defeated by the rest of the world put together? Russia, China, India, Germany, UK, Pakistan, Turkey and South Korea could "contain" the USA, but if their coalition frayed even a little, they'd be defeated.

I'm not sure I can think of a nation that had this much power that didn't use it to take over smaller countries. Almost any other group of people or system of government would have half the world under its yoke, paying tribute and slaves. Strangely, the US not only doesn't do that, it sits around getting dumped on by places like North Korea and the bedraggled forces of ISIS while writing check after check and rushing ineptly to everyone's aid like an autistic big brother.

I think what terrifies people about Trump (unreasonably because he could never get any of this done) is that he might notice that the world would perhaps write a strongly worded note, or issue a condemnation, but they would sit by with their thumbs in their asses while the USA took over or made war on any nation it wanted to. People are afraid that the USA will realize what it could do if it wanted to. It wouldn't be the USA any more, but there wouldn't be any North Koreas.