"Today Saudi Arabia, tomorrow the world. "

[arisbe]

Then, suddenly, the US has faced the limits of its own power, and the realization that the world cannot be treated as a huge prison with the US as sole warden. Sometimes it is best to leave well enough alone, and let people go about their own business. Not every citizen of the world needs to be staring down the barrel of a US gun in order to behave. It is possible to unload and lower the gun, even put it away. The world will not fall apart.