Similarly, a peaceful, democratic Japan would be the natural leader in the Western Pacific. Japanese Special Forces should be hunting Abu Sayyah in Mindinao. But Japan does not want the responsibility because it really is not sorry for its wartime behavior and sometimes embarrasingly lets slip that it really has no respect for other Asians.
The tragedy is that America must play the worlds' policeman because the other countries powerful enough to help mightily in that regard fear that one sip from the cup of military power and they will lapse from pacifist abstinence to staggering goose stepping militarism.
But let us not forget when Europe started mooting the possibility of creating a European Military many in America in both the present government and in the American Military opposed this.
You may complain about America being forced to deploy her military all over the globe, but your government and Military will not have it any other way, yes they want Europe to increase defence spending but only under the American umbrella.
A fully resurgent and military powerful Europe and Japan, will be seen as a threat at worst and a annoyance at best to American world wide interests.
Cheers Tony