After WW2, the Americans were then supremo number one military and economic power. Japan and Germany were as good as colonised states with huge American military presence to control and rule over them. Then the Empire spread across the globe with nearly 800 American military bases to rule the world, to protect the Empire and American interests. The Americans were happily paying for them in their national interests. How nice to have so many colonies and crony states to rule over and to be used to fight the Soviet Union camp. No American is complaining about the huge expenditure to maintain American military presence around the world. No complains about the hundreds of American bases in Japan and South Korea to keep them as colonies. The Empire was rich and can afford to pay for them.
Things have changed today. The American Empire is broke, deep in debt. And the military expenditure has bloated by rampant corruption by the swamp things running them, fattening themselves with unaccountable inflated funds. With $36 trillion national debt and growing rapidly, this must be stopped. Trump may not be that bright but can see where the debt is heading. The American Empire cannot afford to pay for its upkeep and maintenance. But who else to pay for the upkeep of the Empire?
The Americans have cooked up a new narrative. The Americans are not going to pay to defend and protect the colonies and crony states...from who? Who is going to attack these states? The Soviet Union is gone. Russia and China are just two independent states like the rest of the world. But both are still demonised as threats in the future, Russia to invade and take over Europe and China is going to swim across the Pacific Ocean to invade and take over America and the rest of the world, including Japan. What, Japan needs protection from China, a country it invaded and almost colonised in WW2? Japan incapable of defending itself when its Self Defence Force is second to China and third largest in the world?
No matter how flimsy and silly the American narratives about the future threats from China and Russia, it must still be blared out everyday to instill fear among the colonies and crony states. Americans would be there to defend and protect them if they pay up. The Americans did not want to tell their colonies and cronies that they are paying the Americans not to attack them, to colonise and rule over them. So, all the American colonies and crony states must pay protection money to the American gangsters to avoid being attacked by the Americans. Or is it to help to upkeep and maintain the hegemony of the American Empire?
How nice, how convenient, coercing the colonies and crony states to pay to keep the American Empire alive to rule and bully them. Now, why would any colony, crony states want to do that? Would they not rather wish that the American Empire collapses, and they can be free and independent again? Why would Japan want to pay for all the American military bases and soldiers in Japan to rule over Japan? The Americans would not dare to ask the Arab states to do so as their game is up in the Middle East. The Arab states want them out immediately if possible. The same goes to Europe, a string of American colonies wanting to break free from American bullying and control.