>In fairness, my grandparents told me of the day they woke up in the World War to find the US White fleet in harbour and everybody celebrated because they knew they now were safe. The US has contributed hugely to global security and continues to do so- and you're right, it's easy for Europe to be at peace after the US held off the Ruskies and still maintains a presence especially in Germany. But things are changing and wars and nuclear weapons no longer make the sense they once seemed to. Certainly for NZ the chances of an invasion are practically zero as you'd have to traverse that awful Australian desert continent first and the cost would be truly vast... for what? A few million sheep protected by farmers and rural Maori who can retreat to high country and conduct guerrilla warfare indefinitely? Even for the US, realistically what is the risk of invasion- and what would they do once they arrived? Risks these days are more likely to be carried in test tubes and the best defense is to create jobs and opportunity for people whose hopelessness makes them willing to carry the test tube and enter paradise.

You might want to read this. Some rather interesting points in there.

http://www.islandsbusiness.com/news/new-zealand/5676/nz-government-aligns-more-closely-with-us-amid-ris/