Except that friend has been paying to defend off bullies it's entire life with little reciprocity. And when they do, all those friends give them a hard time.

Except that friend has been paying to defend off bullies it's entire life with little reciprocity. And when they do, all those friends give them a hard time. The US can't win here, they either meddle too much or "not-a-friend". Meanwhile the US has maxed out it's credit cards and risks paying for it's own bills. Pick one.