In an interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes in September 2014, President Obama called America “the indispensable nation”. “When trouble comes up anywhere in the world, they don’t call Beijing, they don’t call Moscow. They call us. That’s the deal”, he added. While it was unnerving to watch Obama state this as if he was relaying some new level of insider knowledge to the interviewer, Steve Kroft, that the president himself had just recently come to understand (we’ll have to discuss his foreign policy naivete elsewhere due to the obvious space constraints here), the president nonetheless was 100% correct: the world does indeed call us first.

In fact, just to be perfectly clear, it would take exactly one nanosecond for the world to explode in war without us policing it. Across the globe, fragile borders and simmering hostilities, some as old as time itself, are held in check by the mere presence of America on the world stage. Country after country has made the decision that escalating their squabble with their neighbor to a military level is simply not worth attempting so long as America is walking the beat. For all the crap America puts up with from the rest of the world, and all too often from many of its own citizens, President Obama’s words describe a reality that has kept humanity from global conflagration time and time again. America is indeed “indispensable”, assuming you’re someone who prefers peace over war.

Of course, a comparatively peaceful planet is in our best interest as well, and many would say we are happy to be able to play the role of global cop that we do. Since we have made the decision to develop such a dominant military compared to the rest of the world and have proven the capability to do so, many would also say that there’s nothing wrong with using that military to not only defend America but to help maintain peace around the globe. And we absolutely do that. But perhaps it’s time to take a closer look at this relationship we have cultivated with the rest of the world, just to make sure that the burden of peace hasn’t fallen too squarely on our shoulders and off the backs of those who could perhaps contribute more than they currently do.

Now, despite what the newly elected president might have said over the last year, there are few people who want to close up our global shop and bring all of our substantial military power home. It might however turn out to be beneficial to us that some of President Trump’s saber rattling will get other countries to cough up some more funding to share the load. Many American’s feel that our allies and our not-so-allies have become complacent in this safe environment we’ve created and are all too comfortable with the status quo of “let America deal with it”. Who can blame them for thinking “why should we worry about it since America will protect us” when that’s exactly what we do, and everyone else knows that we do. 30,000 troops protecting South Korea from Dennis Rodman’s friend to the north? No problem. 50,000 more in Japan to offset an increasingly militaristic China? We got you covered. Another 100,000 in Europe because Russia never stops acting like its playing the board game RISK? Sure, we’ll be there. Yes, we get a tremendous benefit from having these troops stationed permanently in strategic locations around the globe, and it’s often cheaper to have the troops and equipment there as opposed to back home. But it sure feels like the time has come for the world to start contributing more to our cost of supplying everyone with such safety.

Now, not every country who benefits from our presence has the wherewithal to compensate us for the peace benefit we supply, and America is not running a protection racket looking to extort developing countries. But a day doesn’t seem to go by without someone comparing our country in a derogatory light to some other country in a variety of categories, while that other country has the benefit of America protecting them like a big brother and thereby allowing that country to focus its money and resources on other issues beyond defense. The next time you read an article stating that American sixth graders are fourteenth in the world in science and can’t compete with their Swedish counterparts because Sweden pays every teacher a million dollars and can still afford three teachers for every student, perhaps our Swedish friends should be reminded that a year or so ago when Russian submarines apparently started showing up in the waters off Stockholm driving everyone into a frenzy there, while it may have been disconcerting, there was never anything to REALLY worry about since big bad Russia wasn’t going to actually throw a punch with us standing there. So yeah, Sweden, while you may not be an actual NATO member, perhaps it’s time that you and your Nordic neighbors, who always seem to outrank Americans in every one of those lists the media loves to refer to so often, started contributing a little bit more to the global peacekeeping that helps keep you so prosperous and tastefully furnished. And, hey South Korea, we like you, and we love our great relationship with you. We also know that it’s not a free ride you’re on, you do pay a nice portion of the bill for those troops we have there in the DMZ, and it’s appreciated. And it looks like you’re footing most of the bill for a massive $10+ billion revamp of our bases in your country. But perhaps it’s still time to take another look at our financial balance, and yes, perhaps you’re going to have to contribute a little more as well. It doesn’t necessarily have to come in the form of writing a check, but Samsung and Hyundai/Kia seem to have free reign in America to sell their goods and compete with all other brands here, which is fine, but perhaps it’s time we figure out a more equitable trade agreement that puts more American goods and services on the streets of Seoul. As for Germany? Well, maybe if your country also made a larger financial contribution to the cause then someday there can be one issue of Car and Driver magazine that doesn’t contain an article lamenting the sad state of our pothole-riddled roads compared to the super-smooth highways in your country while road testing some new vehicle.

Yes, America is the policeman to the world. Keeping China from just going into any country they want to and extracting their natural resources. Keeping Russia from annexing all of their neighbors and reviving the good old days of the Soviet Union (hopefully no one in Ukraine is reading this!). Keeping the Middle East from, well, actually, we’ll skip that one for another day, but suffice to say things would be much worse there, believe it or not. And keeping a hundred other smaller conflicts around the world from turning into veritable bloodbaths. All in a day’s work for America, but it just might be time for others to contribute a little bit more to the cause.