I am a US taxpayer. I have to file my income tax with the IRS every single year. — NOS4A2

Are you a citizen of the U.S.?

I live in Canada and recently watched the Prime Minister pledge allegiance to the King of England and his heirs during his inauguration. Lawyers and judges bow or curtsy towards a picture of King Charles when they enter and leave a courtroom. Russia could only dream of such fealty. — NOS4A2

The English have indeed been the most successful empire builders starting from the incredible wisdom of creating the identity of being "British" to their multicultural isles. They've been so successful in this, that some English now question just what being English means anymore, compared to being British. Yet this is the prime example of how identities for different people can really be built from scratch. The English were successful in this, the Russian's weren't (or the EU, for that matter). The Russians came closest to this with the identity of being Soviet.

Furthermore, the English (now called the British) have been very successful in creating a British Commonwealth. Canadians are the best example. Yet when the English have used force, the result is relationship that the UK has with Ireland. Even if Russia desperately tried to mimic this with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), they utterly failed. The worst part came with Putin and his Russian reconquista. All that soft power that Russia had, for example over Ukraine, is now past history.

I am a US taxpayer. I have to file my income tax with the IRS every single year. — NOS4A2

Ah yes, unlike other countries, you have to pay taxes for the US even when living outside. My bad. But you do pay taxes to Canada and use the services of Canada, right?

Indeed, clipping the wings of European war-mongering might have benefited the entire world. — NOS4A2

After the millions of Europeans killed in WW1 and WW2, Europeans even themselves noticed how bad the constant infighting was. Yet the US has had a notable role in the integration of Europe also.

But this arraignment has allowed NATO countries to forget about their duty to defend themselves, to spend less tax dollars on militaries, and to spend the money they saved for their own benefit and no one else’s—and all while maintaining that air of European superiority. — NOS4A2

If there's peace and your own military is training with all of your neighbors militaries and the soldiers and officers know each other well and the countries have friendly relations, what's the need for a large military? The Dutch don't have to be prepared if the Germans or Belgium would attack them. Yet Israel obviously needs a large military. It wouldn't have such large military if it as good relations with it's neighbors as Nordic countries have. The size of the military is directly related to a) the threat posed by other countries or b) the role being a great power. If you aren't b) and there is no a), then why would you need a large army?

I myself am an active reservist and have spent now decades in the voluntary defense training here in Finland. I remember few years ago sitting down after the sauna with fellow reserve officers and NCOs who also have been working in the voluntary defense training for many years and asked them one question: "Who of them would have joined the military, if our neighbor in the east with over 1000km land border would be Canada?" None would have joined in that case the military. There naturally wouldn't be a reason for universal conscription and the tiny Finnish armed forces would be struggling with the same problems as the armed forces of Canada, or Belgium. Now, as one commodore put it to me, Finland has an abundance of men to fill it's military ...and a shortage of everything else. The shortage is because we face Russia as an existential threat.

—and all while maintaining that air of European superiority. — NOS4A2

Who, other than the French, do maintain that feeling? Nobody else. The core of continental Europe is France and perhaps the Benelux countries... and everybody else looks as being somehow out from the center or have underlying issues, like Germany.