I flubbed one stat that doesn't really move the needle on the point I was trying to make. I was thinking of world powers and didn't double check to make sure nations scorned by empire didn't barely hedge the US out of the top 5 on per capita (though another of its territories made it).
America is a remarkably "authoritarian" country by all standards whether they be prisons, police spending, or military spending.
The proper term is social democratic. Socialism has a simple and specific definition. Those Nordic countries have changed nothing about who owns the means of production and therefore have no relation to socialism.
You should read Against Empire by Michael Parenti to understand the motives behind US foreign policy. It is not that Isreal has their hand up our ass. As then Senator Biden once said, "Were there not an Israel, the United States of America would have to invent an Israel to protect her interests in the region."
I really think you'd find that Parenti book a fascinating read.
Yeah, you're right. I shouldn't have assumed you were giving cover to the other networks. Sorry if I sounded hostile! Seems like we're on the same page.