Actually the way the American world looks, is one in which no major world powers have gone to war since WW2 ended, with America maintaining the peace and protecting Western Europe from the Soviet Union.

Global poverty and global violence - in fact, nearly every major negative measurement has plunged in the last 70 years during which America has reigned. The global median income and standard of living keeps rising. The world has never had it so good, as it has during the time in which America has been the leading superpower.

Endless war among major nations for centuries. America becomes the global superpower, not a single major war between major nations in 70 years.

Two world wars in 25 years. Zero world wars - despite vast global military armament, including two aggressive communist powers that murdered a hundred million of their own people combined - in 70 years. America has been the sole thing holding it all in check.

Global wealth - at an all time high. Global charity - at an all time high. Global median income - at an all time high. Global median standard of living - at an all time high. Child death rates, at all time lows. Science, space, manufacturing, global trade, innovation, opportunity, education, pick a topic - the world has never been better off than it has been the last 70 years on average, and especially since the collapse of the USSR and old-line Communist China, both of which occurred on America's watch.

That is one way of seeing it.

Here is another way: global period of prosperity in which a world superpower has (momentarily?) solved the problem of maintaining its supremacy (mainly economic, but also military and political) by leeching the rest of the world using various mechanisms: dollar as reserve country, military occupation of resource rich countries - sometimes by tacit alliances with repressive regimes - international intellectual property agreements skewed to favor the home economy, rigged international financial markets ...

Which is fine, but here is the problem: it is not that America has chosen the "peace-americana", it is that the "peace-americana" is working in its favor. As soon as it does not work anymore, the US will very willingly fight other major powers, in a race to the bottom.

All this, of course, discounting the fact that during the "peace-americana" the US has killed millions of people (most of whom are innocent bystanders), while at the same time suffering the loss of a couple of thousand people. Every person killed is a big loss, and that means the millions of people killed are a very big loss, even if you do not care.

So, what is the grudge we in the rest of the world have with the US? Speaking for myself, just the fact that you are not using the chance that this period of prosperity is giving the world to engage in a permanent and objective international state of affairs, which is not just a way for you to control us and maintain your supremacy.

You are just a bully, which is to be expected: everybody would do exactly the same thing in your situation. Just don't try to sell it as something that it is not.

And let me tell you one more thing: even if it is in your short-term interest to act as you are doing, long-term it is just stupid. Instead of fostering collaboration you are creating enemies (Russia, China, some parts of south america, now even Europe); in the long run, your supremacy will be eroded and you will fall, like all empires fall. The question is if another empire will come, or an international cosmopolitan establishment will be created to regulate the relations among people on Earth (hopefully not country-based anymore). You could have lead this path, but my impression (based on the status of the world and particularly the US economy, as related to the upcoming powers) is that that chance has already passed.

This is a very salient and valid point. Life really sucks for a lot of people, but it is very good for more of humanity than it's ever been.

Here here! Very well said!