that correct thought process is no longer being considered by the pentagon, which is now concerning itself with resource extraction in the western hemisphere, in an attempted return to the distant past, which will fail on it's own accord. it is instead encouraging it's enemies to arm themselves so america doesn't need to "protect" them, as though they were there out of the goodness of their hearts, and not as occupying and pacifying forces, with the purpose of subjugating them.
instead, america seeks to align itself with the "rising powers" in the middle east, which are, in truth, the society that is on the brink of actual civilizational collapse. they are not following russian propaganda, they're being led by the arab lobby and easily distracted by the display of gold and outward wealth. but this distribution of wealth is false, as it reflects decisions in washington to buy oil from the middle east and increase european reliance on american defence systems. the europeans can defend themselves, but the muslims cannot.
what america is going to learn very quickly is that if it allows europe to "defend itself", it will immediately reassert itself as a threat to us interests and that if it gets out of the way in the middle east, the society will almost instantly collapse. the united states is not holding europe together, but it is propping up dictatorships in the middle east. this is the opposite of their calculations. germany does not need the united states to protect itself from russia, but saudi arabia does need the united states to protect itself from it's own people.
as a secular leftist, i'm interested in this outcome. the world will be better off with a stronger europe and a weaker middle east. the mistake of america's stupid right will be of the benefit of the global left.
as for the pacific, i don't imagine the united states is going to actually withdraw from japan and, so long as it remains in japan, it will retain a deterrent.