“What if they refuse to pay more too?”
They won’t.
Or, they MAY decide to build their own capabilities which are substantial. And we gradually wind down.
The stakes for them are not being absorbed into the borg...but existential. Everyone else in Asia hates the Japanese.
Like the world hates the US and Israel.
They will pay until/unless they replace.
And if they do?
Or, they MAY decide to build their own capabilities which are substantial. And we gradually wind down.
If they won't pay then why would the wind down be gradual? I would think it'd be pretty immediate.
They will pay until/unless they replace.
If the U.S. shows itself to be an unreliable ally, and bought allies are by definition unreliable, then they have no choice but to look elsewhere.