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Not only is the US dollar the reserve currency but oil is also sold exclusively for US dollars by OPEC. This forces most countries to hold vast reserves of US dollars. The US benefits because they are able to print a ton of dollars which get absorbed by other countries instead of causing inflation.

This allows the US to import goods for 'free' (in exchange for printed money). This is especially true for institutions which are close to the printing presses (the gov., big gov. contractors). This is what allows the US to have such an extravagant military spending.




SFAIK, anybody who has kopecs, roubles, yuan or lira can exchange them freely and instantaneously for dollars ( albeit probably for a fee ).

Those US dollars printed that get stuffed under mattresses don't actually... exist, in a way, wrt to US monetary policy.

The military spending is the same as for everything else.




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