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?
From what I've gathered there is now major resentment amongst some of the Euros that we can unitarily decide for them their national trade policies - remember they are still honoring the Iran treaty even if we are not, and thus are p*ssed off at losing the biz. There has even been talk amongst them in cooperating in forming an alternative payment system to avoid such things in the future, thereby accelerating the de-dollarisation of trade. What are we gonna do start bombing western Euro countries when that happens? That's what I mean when I suggest it necessary that we be good stewards and maintain goodwill with these countries as being in our own best interest.