This is too simple, Scott, even though you make excellent pointers.

Can the USA become a better nation in this world? Yes, of course, and actually even by a lot. It is holding on to power where it should have given away some of its power.

For instance, when twenty years ago or so China proposed a basket of global currencies to establish 'the new peg of the world', the USA refused. All others were interested. The USA could not give up on its golden goose. That is haunting us today, because the USA said it wanted to remain the world leader no matter what.

At the same time, we would not know what we would have ended up with today. But to your point, we are not perfect.

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Yet the imperfection we see on the Russian side is worse. They are not free at all, whereas we have two political dictators to pick from. They have no choice.

Our dissidents roam our city streets day and night, looking for food, for shelter. No perfection, though we can say what we want and even try to organize ourselves. That freedom is not available in Russia. Their game is more singular; they want to be the best or second best.

Had the Sochi Olympics not been a major loss of face for Russia, they may not have invaded Crimea. I recognize Kim Jong Un in Putin. He is crazy enough to pull the switch and start WW III.

So, I think you are treading here too lightly. You are not recognizing the madman in Hitler, the madman in Stalin, the madman in Kim Jong Un, the madman in Joseph McCarthy, the madman in Putin. Nothing to lose, dangerous as hell. We should never give in and play the game as smartly as we are today. And then in the future if we are given the chance to help make this a better world, we should accept that challenge. Remaking the world in the image of the USA is not a good thing for the world. Yet giving up our sole power, we need to do that one careful small step at a time.