I agree. Though I think there are places where we have niggling details of disagreement, I'd say we're pretty much on the same page. What I was saying, in essence, is that it's no use complaining when the US goes to war. At the moment, the US is the apex predator, the top of the food chain. Until another world power starts to challenge that, you guys are going to be stuck getting sucked into every middling political issue on the world stage, because it's seen as your JOB. And then, instead of thanking you for doing the job they expect you to do, they're going to give you the middle finger and say "fuck you my friend, have a nice day" with all the pleasantry of a late 70's Punk. You've got a great empire, sure, but you've got everything that goes with it, including complaining vassals, bullshit responsibilities, and the saddle of international scapegoat.