I'm glad you think so highly of your country. Unfortunately, we do have to play the parrental roll in today's world. We are the only ones on the planet who can be trusted with nukes. Even if anyone else could be, we are the only military powerful enough to keep the enemies at bay. I've read many times that the United States is the most hated -- and the most feared -- country to our enemies. Once they loose the fear, we've lost. And our recent military exercises in Afghanastan and Iraq prove there is much to fear about us if you aren't keeping the peace. See, all we want is peace. And if you think it's impossible, I use Europe as a prime example. From the beginning of time untill about 60 years ago, no one on the continent could get along. It took us showing them the way to democracy, and now the French and Germans are bed fellows (mabe we fixed it a little too well). I look at it as the United States was sent from a higher power. That power had enough of the tyranny, hatred, and constant war that beseiged every corner of the planet untill 1776. We've taken down powerful monarchies, destroyed the stronghold of Communism, and in general the world has been more peacefull the last 227 years than it was for the thousands of years before. And it is not by military might alone. The people themselves want democracy because they see it work here. Iraq now has a chance in due time to become a great nation right in the middle of the turbulent mid-east..... and you know what that will do? No, it won't cause more problems for us. It will cause more problems for all the countries surrounding Iraq as they see their economy improve, their quality of life impove, and it will send a shockwave which will help immensely in the war on terror.