Salute!
Great discussion but we must look at the "contribution" of the critters I described a few posts back.
I look around for entities across the globe that have the ability to exert force all around the world and not for conquest. Still looking for more than one. Maybe a few that could use military instruments of policy for their basic survival or way of life. But not on a global stage.
The U.S. foreign policy is now going thru a change, so we must watch and try to understand. The threat to the policy the new guys wish to implement and even the U.S. homeland security itself, have to be considered.
Gonna be interesting next two years.
..Gums sends...