Aubuy: you should have also seen how they dealt with Europe during the Cold War era. Cruel. No-one in those parts of Europe want them back (Eastern Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, Estonia etc.).
But I believe the US is risking literally the 3rd World War, if they do anything offensive there. Too many conflicts started.
Afghanistan seemed justified... people didn't quite believe the Iraq justifications, but then came Libya, etc. etc. and now they want to attack Syria?
It's easy to do this, because the US is doing it in others' back yard. The USA is far away.
Europeans and Middle Easterners are terrified. It's so close to Turkey, Greece...
The US never had the guts to attack Cuba or other neighbors. They're too close... it's easy to wage war on the other side of the Earth.
I guess with all that money spent on so many wars... They could have bought more gold for the Fed, they could have even bought the dictators out

Pay them and send them on vacation!
The Iraq war cost at least 3.2 trillion $, but "up to" more than 4 trillion (according to Brown University)...
With that money, the US could have bought 2,285,714,285.71 ounces of gold!
That's: 71,093.6613 tonnes!
Could have bought up almost half the gold ever mined on Earth! Practically probably impossible... but with all that money spent wisely... wow!
They could have built a new Detroit, even more with that money!
In fact, I strongly believe they could have built several New Yorks with 4 trillion!
UAE is building a new city for 50,000 people. Costs a staggering 22 billion $:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masdar_City
Awesome... but with 4 trillion...