system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Legit question: How are the US troops "protecting our freedom"?

I'm Dutch myself, and I keep reading these things on the internet about the US troops protecting and fighting for the freedom of US citizens. Now I don't mean they don't, I legitimately don't understand how they are protecting the citizens' freedom at all? how do conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and so on influence the "Freedom" of US citizens? or is it more of a metaphorical thing? I'm really asking here, I'm not trying to be a dick. Any answer would be greatly appreciated :)
gpt
It's controversial, and it's abstract, but there is a logic behind it.  

You see, the USA is the most powerful country in the world.  Some countries have big economies (Japan), some have big armies (Russia), some have political stability and are relatively free of corruption (European Union... for the most part).  

Now the USA might have it's problems, but overall it's got all of those things.  Especially big guns and lots of money.  

Now the thing about little countries, countries without big armies and big economies, is that they don't get much of a say in anything.  An extreme example might by the Island nation of Tuvalu.  This tiny island with only thousands of people is going to be swamped by rising sea levels.  They don't have the armies to conquer new lands, the money to protect the island, or the political influence to force other countries to help them.   

Tuvalu is about as weak as a nation can get.  The USA could be stronger, and was a lot stronger relative to the rest of the world 20 years ago compared to now, but is about as strong as any country could dream about.  

So why are US soldiers protecting your freedom?  Well, when the US army uses its forces to achieve its goals - it's ensuring its citizens maintain control over their own destiny.  The nation itself, the USA still decides what happens in the USA.  Not like the people of Tuvalu, who would barely form a country town if they got transplanted into the US.  When the USA signs treaties, flexes its muscles, drops bombs or innovates new weapons technologies it is protecting that freedom.  

It's a lot more complex than that and, of course, thing like the Patriot act and the massive draining military budgets can make people argue strong cases to suggest individual freedoms are being eroded rather than protected.  However, for the time being, the USA's imperfect democracy remains in tact and for the time being on most important policies the USA either gets their way exactly, or can prevent things they don't want to happen from happening.  For now, their vast wealth and power gets them a seat at tables all over the world.  The USA advises countries of their thoughts on all sorts of issues, treaties and other matters.  Tuvalu, of course, does no such thing.