Of course the US isn't to blame for all the ills of the world. It is to blame for some, and since it's by far the strongest and wealthiest country in the world, that gets pointed out, because it's in the best situation to set its mistakes right. It's a form of recognition of being Top Dog.

I think Doug is right about future wars being worse. Or rather, it's likely that they are no longer going to be distant affairs, which is for America especially an enormous difference.

I don't think it's so much the weapons that have been developed, it's that the technology that operates all around us is so easily capable of being turned into weapons. September 11th showed that. You don't need a Scud when you've got an airliner filled with fuel.

Where it ends? Looking back over the 20th century what has happened is that ultimately the European countries have abandoned their imperial oppressions, and through a series of wars and disasters, have ended by moving towards a unified system. In a way they have follow the development that happened in the USA in the previous century. This century I think is going to move towards a united world.

But will it be a relatively egalitarian united world, or a world empire as badly divided as ever, but with a strong government defending the position of a wealthy minority?

And I agree with InOBU - there are many ways in which true conservatives (as against the neo-liberals who use the term so freely) have a lot in common with people with very different credentials. In particular the central conservative philosophy, which is to be suspicious of change unless it can be shown to bring real improvement, is one which is a key belief for many on "the left". And all of us who truly love folk music have to see tradition as something to be respected and valued.