I'm not sure where to post this, so I'm just going to put it in various threads, as I think everyone should read this.
Michael Ignatieff, a Professor of Human Rights at Harvard, wrote an article for New York Times Magazine on January 5th of this year, before the war in Iraq, but when it was pending. It is called The Burden, and it is a thoughtful, intelligent, balanced look at the role of the US in today's world.
He discusses the responsibilities that the US has taken upon itself, the cost to the country and its people, all from -- I repeat -- an extremely balanced perspective.
It's very long, and it's well worth reading. It's at the following link: