I am coming in late to this thread. I just wanted to throw something out for consideration.

I had a Spanish friend tell me that Americans are too hard on ourselves. That we are the greatest power on the earth and that we better get used to it instead of crying all the time that nobody likes us. That we need to embrace the responsibility that comes with the postion as the worlds greatest power instead of trying to deny what we are.

Becuase of our roots we are uncomfortable in the roll of the last great colonial power. But until we reach utopia, there will always be the haves and the have nots.

That doesn't mean that we have to remake the world in our image, which seems to be the current purpose of our foriegn policy. I understand the argument that democracies don't fight other democracies, but not every country is ready for democracy. We labor under the delution that every person in the world wants what we have. Many people in the world just want to eat tomorrow.

Are we always going to be right, NO. We are just as feable as any other person. Will someone be able to find flaw in the way we handled a particular situation, YES. Comes with the territory. learn from your mistakes and move on. Don't whine that I am being nice and everyone should love me for it.

In a vast oversimplification, you never love the guy in charge, but if he is fair, leaves you alone as long as you play well in the playpen but slaps you (or your neighbor) if you screw up, then you will come to respect and admire him.

We could have a world of near-peer competetor militaries. Worked real well for Europe in the ninetenth and twentieth centruries. Or, we could be the Leviathan. Accept that roll. Keep the world from imploding on itself. and let the other regions of the world develop in thier own good time. Radical islam might be a threat, but it could be contained.

Once you determine this is what you are then you can start to determine what your foriegn policy ought to be.