In fact you'll notice that most wars recently have been fought over this very reason, securing energy resources which are so vital to wage war with (Afghanistan's first 'improvement' since they were liberated from the taliban was to install a massive natural gas pipeline to tap their reserves).

Everything else is noise. Energy to power your armed forces, to secure your economic bargaining position, to secure the status quo.

Your right. Same goes for every country that exists though. In our western countries people dont have enough of an education to make a difference or ever force the hand of govermnent in any significant way (is Americas fiancial/economic system, foreign policy, border patrol, drugs, crime etc... not severely mismanaged?).

The only reason why some countries have greater living standards than others is because these riches are needed to attract migrants from other regions of the world (except mostly for Japan) and merge cultures on the march to the New World Order.

America has such a military in order to do the bidding of the power circles that originated from Europe so they can keep their hands clean when they need to kill or cause wars.

Argentina.. well nothing keeps a 3rd world country down like 3rd world management. No doubt they'll have a revolution about it and someone worse will replace the current leader. Keep them distracted with soccer though, and the locals will put up with it.

And don't be so quick to bash the USA for the size of their military. There's truth to the phrase "men with swords starve last" and when the resource wars start to move beyond cold war maneuvering, the sophisticated armed forces will make the difference between comfortable survival and poverty.

Unless of course Obama gets in. Then I hear Jesus himself is coming to the crowning ceremony, with Elvis playing the star spangled banner.