But we also need to show the world that we can be good stewards of such responsibility to keep their goodwill - endless wars is not gonna be enough in the long run. China is already working out deals with its neighbors like Russia and now India to bypass the dollar in their direct trade. Our heavy handedness in destroying other country's economies by restricting their access to dollar payments is wearing thin, even with some of our Western Europe allies. My guess is we have one more decade of dollar rule at best before the rest of the world insists upon some sort of "world currency". That's when the sh*t really hits the fan here in the US. Of course with our insane debt levels and endless spending it could very well be less than a decade should the whole ponzi collapse before then.
Thanx for the reasoned and thoughtful reply. It's so disappointing to have conversations quickly devolve into fact-free, emotionally driven diatribes. OK, so since we're on the same page as to an objective evaluation of US strengths & weaknesses, we can move into the more subjective sphere where reasonable people can disagree about differing policy debates.
The segment I quoted above is where we disagree; I don't believe the US owes anything to anybody. Like the Romans, or any good ruler, it's better to be feared than loved. The love will flow anyway as long as rigid standards are upheld. People may bitch & complain, but at the end of the day, smooth and harmonious commercial transactions without piracy and/or fraud, and stress free nights of restful sleep more than compensate for perceived 'unfairness'.
You may choose to disagree, and I completely concur your perspective is valid. After all, hasn't this been the core essential debate with respect to law & governance since man first formed societies?