Should the world fear the US?

Ok, I have to debate this at school, just wondering what your opinion is (and maybe a bit of help :-)).
So what's your opinion: Should the WORLD fear the US? (define world ;) before you answer...)
Please, it would be helpful for me, I have to debate that the world shouldn't fear the US, and I am also interested in personal opinions, particually from people who do not live in the USA.

lol i would personally think that the US are just complete dickheads with enough power to kill themselves..
they shouldn't be feared because they think that they are too smart to start a nuclear war and will only launch nukes if another country attacks them first.. and if some other country attacks we will all be dead because of Nuclear winter from there nukes.. so it really doesn't matter.. so in conclusion NO!!

I agree, Bob. I also must say, yes, we should fear the USA. Look at us across the water in Britain, we've become so far up Bush's ass that we might just as well become another of America's states! What is for sure, is that when the big boys start firing we'll be the first to be knocked out of the race. America and Britain are acting like the world's police force; a police force that nobody wants. As for Iraq - was that all about fuel?

The world will fear whatever nation is in hyperpower.

Fear is the only thing that makes them the most powerful country.

I may be baised because I am an American, but what's scary to me is the world hyperpower switching (to most likely China). Everyone knows how the US does business and people may be frustrated with it, but we do a lot of good for the world (which people love to overlook), and if the countries dont do anything to provoke us or ask us for help usually we stay out of their hair.

Sometimes it's necessary to instill fear.

But what the US is is PREDICTABLE. Whereas NK is not, and we dont know if other future hyperpowers WILL be predictable or not.

The US is as predictable as we can get without losing our upper hand.

We dont take action unprovoked, generally.

I think that the US is the most predictable of the powerful countries.

Fear: No... Hate: yes

The U.S. seem completely oblivious of how much the rest of the world hate them, they seem to be proud of it, The UK kiss ass to much, we are a big power as well, we should have some independence instead of the US controlling us, thinking they own us

Why is my opinion any more biased than yours? I totally agree with that, and what I said was not biased, but correct.

Hmm... well I'd fear the world more if there was no USA (If that even makes sense). But i understand what everyone is saying.

Hey, we the English have been the bastards in the past -centuries of bastardization in fact! I don't think there's anything we didn't do in the name of trade and wealth. I digress. But I'll tell you one thing, comrades. Bush scares me more than anything in the USA. He seems like the fat kid in Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory: he just can't keep is fucking nose out! Dangerous.

All of that is true, but what is predictable about us is that if there is no political reasoning behind our motives then there wont be action. The countries that are involved politically with us KNOW what the likelyhood of us attacking or taking action is, and the first domino would not be set off by US, but them. That's what makes us predictable.

As the presidents shift (and the power between democratic and republican agenda) our political interests slightly change, but the truth still stands that the countries who know they are likely to get attacked know what ramifications their actions will have.

If the hyperpowers shift, we dont know how predictable the next country will be for a while while things settle down.

WHEN the hyper powers shift, there will be tons of unpredictability on behalf of the country moving into the most powerful position.

America's stance is almost always predictable, depending on if the conservatives or the liberals are in control of the government at the time. Other countries may as well be predictable, but America wont do anything to oppress any other established nation (not 3rd world), whereas if the powers shift (say it's China), everything will be unpredictable and no nation, established or not, will be safe.

That's all.

Nada: You need to re read my post.

It's pretty obvious why other countries wont be safe if the hyperpowers shift AT ALL, not just if it's China, because obviously there will be something that triggers the shift of powers (an attack of some sort) and then we will all have to adjust to the new way that things function, during that time allies will be floundering and America will try to re establish control, mounting for a new world war.

I was just using China as an example, it's most likely going to be an Asian country that sparks a power shift and therefore another world war, but it could be Spain or any other nation really.

China is the general concensus though, but it wont be for a few years.

That's only in the case that the war is SPARKED by a power shift, if a war breaks out for a different reason the shift could come after the war.

People shouldnt talk about what they dont know ;)

Nope.

Ignorance is not the same as dumb ass-ness.

It's important to differentiate between uneducated and the state of being devoid of the ability to be educated.

OK, well there is a little known stage between the glass being half full and half empty, and that is half filled.

Reality is not optomistic, nor pessimistic. It simply is.

By my saying there was a difference between dumb ass-ness and ignorance I insinuated that you were NOT a dumb ass.

Man, the girls on this forum are getting REALLY high strung, has anyone noticed that?

Lets all knock off the drama. Nada, if you stopped caring that's fine, but that's simply not the way you are going to accomplish anything, if you dont care to accomplish anything, that's fine too, but you seem to be a bit too opinionated to not care, people who dont care dont bother- and you do bother, which tells me you care.

JPM: You're asshole is actually the one that does the talking, as do your balls.

I still stand by my potentially biased opinion, it may not have been demonstrated yet but it holds merit on a level of common sense, whether you disagree or not, we will come to find out if/when the powers do shift.

What's your opinion on the subject?

Nada: You're high strung because you're tired, get some sleep and feel better. You're not a dumb ass.

If forced, the US would have no say in the matter.

But it wouldnt happen without a fight, hence WWIII.

You know why there will eventually be a WW3?

Because there was a WW1 and 2. Sometime in the future of the world there is bound to be another world war.

It has nothing to do with being a teenager.

That's ridiculous.

There WILL be another WW in the future because power struggles are inevitable. It may not even be in your lifetime or mine, but if/when the superpowers shift, it will trigger a world war (because like Bob said, America wont give it up that easily and it will be a controvercial shift). There have been wars all throughout the course of history, and there will be in the future. There are wars going on as we speak.

It's fine if you disagree, but it's too optomistic of an outlook to be reality.

it's kind of disturbing how much people generalize or globalize in here...I mean honestly, you can't say all americans are like this, just as you can't say all astralians are like this and so on and so forth...it's just...naive and stupid.

I feel hated now, i'm never going to travel to another country, they may beat the crap out of me because i'm an american. Hey, you never know...

In my question, I *AM* meaning a generalisation of America. Not necesserily the people, but the influence George W Bush has on other countries. He could order war, Australia's JoHn Howard would follow.
If I hear of an American coming to my school, I don't think "Oh no, an American! She's going to take control of the school!", But if I hear about Bush finding some military explosives... that's when I start to feel fear.
The question was not saying "HEY, all American's are horrible!" It was merely asking if, because America holds the most political power in the world, should all other countries fear it?

sure!!! why not?!