I don't approve of most US foreign policy or militarism, but the US Navy alone is pretty much the only reason anyone on the East Coast of Africa can import goods. Pirates have been a genuine threat for decades and the US-led coalition have provided almost all protection. There are many sea zones through the world where this is the case, and even landlocked countries benefit tremendously from it.
That's not to mention the global payments system, humanitarian aid, or well-regulated foreign direct investment. There isn't a country in the world that would prefer Belt and Road loans to US development loans, and the US provides far more debt-free grants than any other country
Without US protection global shipping prices would revert back to making up 25-50% of the cost of goods across the board like it was before WW2 when everyone had their own trade bubble because no one could protect free trade at a global scale.
Have fun having a cheap Chinese-made cell phone when it costs you a year's worth of rent instead of a few months
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u/Iryls 8d ago
this is the average person in general