There's an old joke that Chris Rock used to make-- since he bought a gun, he doesn't need to work out anymore.

Same goes for the Gulf Arab oil kingdoms. No need to build a real army (they might launch a coup) - just go buy a bunch of fancy weapons from the Americans. They're fun to play with, and it makes them feel secure. And if there's any real problem, the Americans will be there in a jiffy, a la Kuwait circa 1991.

Check out FP.com's photo essay here.