> I don't think OP is specifically criticising the size of the US army, but rather the culture that surrounds the presence the military has in the country. I'm

> I don't think OP is specifically criticising the size of the US army, but rather the culture that surrounds the presence the military has in the country. I'm from the UK, and I too have found the cultural US norms around military service creepy and weird. The culture surrounding the military in the US is intrinsically linked to both its size and its importance on a global scale (which are two distinct factors). There is no military power in NATO or MNNA more powerful than the US military. So it would be surprising - and honestly dangerous - for it not to have a culture of visibility in its own country. > I'm from the UK, and I too have found the cultural US norms around military service creepy and weird. Personally, I find nothing creepier and weirder than the relationship the UK has with its own military actions. In the US, we may not always like or approve of our military engagements or decisions, but we're certainly aware of their prevalence and significance. Having a visible military culture makes it rather difficult to forget that - both the good and the bad. The UK outsources much of its defense interests to NATO (read: the US), and of the rest, does a bang-up job of keeping them out of the public eye. Not in secret, mind you - just quietly enough that Brits forget about their own country's responsibility in ongoing armed conflicts to this day, let alone historical ones.