Jonathan Delacour provides an Australian perspective to all the flag-waving in an American election year. Lots of refreshing viewpoints and facts, with a few jolts along the way, like this:
the United States:
…accounts for 5 per cent of the world’s population, 20 per cent of the world economy, and fully 50 per cent of global defence spending. It is structured for war.
In the 228 years since it declared independence, the US has made 200 military interventions abroad, says the Congressional Research Service, an average of one every 14 months.
The citation here is actually a quote from Peter Hartchner in the Sydney Morning Herald, but Delacour threads these facts and other ideas into an essay of import. Thanks to Tim Bray for the pointer.