Yep, more military spending before Chavez came in, that's new to me, and the position down in the pile of Venezuela with other countries .. much more detail .. good ones.
No doubt in my mind that military spending in all the countries would be much lower if all countries were allowed more independence. How the hell are systems supposed to be able to evolve if they some are stuck in the same old rut and legit, other systems are not allowed to have a go in a fair and cooperative environment.
The US and the West just cannot suppose that they can force there will on others forever. It is immoral, unfair and grossly unjust.