Why the US is trying to buy friends in South East Asia.

[Indofred]

I've known for a while, the US is trying to buy friends in this region of the world, and the projects they're funding is costing the US taxpayer a fortune, but I was never quite sure exactly why they were doing it, until now.
As we know, BRICS has taken around 20% of world trade over a few short years, putting a strain on the Dollar that wouldn't be there without it, and heralding a possible future disaster for the US economy.
Now we know China is the world's largest oil importer, all done in BRICS, and even the Saudis, where the petrodollar started life, are trading non dollar with China.
None of this is really news, but it goes some way to explaining why the US is gifting $millions to SE Asia.
Now to Indonesia, where the US taxpayers have very kindly given us a rare load of stuff, including fighter jets (F16) and are about to arm them, and the Indonesian Russian made jets, with nice, free, air to surface missiles.

Thanks very much, kind of you.
So, why are you doing this?

Easy, or it is when you look at this map.
Pretty much all of China's oil comes through the straights of Malacca, a perfect choke point if you want to stop Chinese supplies, but that requires help from Malaysia and Indonesia, or the tankers will simply divert to the other side of Java, and have a clear run.

There you go, where your tax Dollars are going.

 

[Moonglow]

So you got the old 1990 F-16, oh my!

 

[Indofred]

U.S. Congress OKs 1.56B in military aid to Indonesia - UPI.com

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AKARTA, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- The U.S. Congress has approved giving $1.56 billion to Indonesia for the purchase of military equipment, a top military official said Wednesday.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Pramono Edhie Wibowo said the money would be used to replace old weaponry, the Indonesian news agency Antara reported.

Wibowo said the military is looking to acquire tanks and cannons as well as rockets with a range of 60 miles.

The army also will purchase 24 Bell 412-type helicopters and is negotiating to buy 20 Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters.

 

[Sunni Man]

So you got the old 1990 F-16, oh my!

The F-16 is still a 1st rate fighter and still far better than anything the Chinese have in their inventory. .....

 

[Moonglow]

So you got the old 1990 F-16, oh my!

The F-16 is still a 1st rate fighter and still far better than anything the Chinese have in their inventory. .....

But in the US it's a relic....

 

[Sunni Man]

But in the US it's a relic....

And?? .....

 

[Meathead]

But in the US it's a relic....

And?? .....

And a perfect solution for countries like Indonesia since it's better than anything the Chinese have and their pilots can handle them. The good stuff we sell to countries like Australia, just to make sure it's much better than anything unstable countries have.

 

[Indofred]

Nice deflection, and totally avoiding the point.
The US is giving away billions of your taxpayers' Dollars to fund its silly foreign policy.