The simple fact is that every country in the world looks out for its own interests first. EVERY ONE. The fact that everyone chooses to bash the US for doing what every other country in the world does means that all its critics are the ones who are practising exceptionalism. Critics of the US are only trying to make themselves feel better about their own country's selfishness. The US was an isolationist country until thrust into world wars. Meanwhile European countries colonised Africa, Asia, the Middle East and thrived off the rubber of Vietnam, the diamonds of Africa, sugar, etc. The Portuguese began extracting slaves from Africa for sugar plantations. The country that recieved the most slaves? Brazil. The only reason France was against the Iraq war was because they were making a ton of money off Saddam. The reason the US initially got involved in Vietnam was to appease France, who wanted to keep the colony for its rubber. Then things went haywire. All of these things are ignored because the US is everyone's punching bag. The US has had its blunders, no doubt, but so has EVERY COUNTRY in the world. Stop the selective criticism and realise that regardless of where you live, your country's government is looking out for itself before everything else. To heap all criticism on one country is pandering to your own misguided exceptionalism. It may make you feel better but one day you should just look in your own back yard for problems. Stop taking the easy road. There's plenty of blame to go around.