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I'm not really saying all of the Americans are like this, but from what I've come to see is that most of you don't really see what goes on beyond the borders of your own state and even far less, beyond the U.S. borders. Of course this is a bit of generalization, just like saying most of the Muslim countries are socially in the stone ages. They are culturally very different from the western world and yes, they treat their women poorly, if they get out of line, but then again, there are some Christian factions that are just as stone aged, if you ask me. It doesn't matter, what the religion is - fundamentalists are fundamentalists everywhere and they act pretty much the same everywhere, no matter what the religion is.
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The reality is much harsher, most Americans are in the dark as to who their town's mayor and city councils are, let alone what they are doing. When you start adding in what the various states and even the federal governments are up too....most Americans would rather watch the various sitcoms and sports programs. Toss in what is going on over seas....I doubt that the vast majority of Americans can even pinpoint Iraq and Afghanistan on a map, let alone have any idea of what is going on. Toss in the religious nuts....I always have felt that the founding fathers shouldn't have stopped with the seperation of Church and State, they should have added that Chruches are forbidden to have anything to do with the State!
Case in point, that certain little church in Kansas that feels it is necessary to "attend" every military funeral so that they can scream their racist/sexist agenda and blame the service member's death on the government's failure to keep >INSERT MINORITY GROUP OF CHOICE< under control. I've always believed that the freedom of speech should be defended, even when you don't agree with what the other party is saying, but this group of lunatics is enough to make one doubt the validity of that argument.
Coupled to a complete failure to teach American History or Civics and I fear for the future.
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As for the U.S. military diminishing it's power, I don't really see that generally as a bad thing. I can't say I'm anti-U.S., but I kind of frown to the way, you guys have driven your own agendas at gunpoint ever since the Iron Curtain came down. The appeasement policy the U.S. has towards Israel is something very disturbing - UN sanctions against Israel harassing people, who lived in the region before someone got the bright idea to actually erect a jewish colony there, can not be put in to action because the motions are vetoed by the U.S..
What the world would most definitely need is a bit broader point of view. And thus endeth the rant. No hard feelings, people. I know some very intelligent and nice Americans, who actually know where Finland is and have enough curiosity to get to know other cultures and societies. 
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The problem is that whatever political party that is in control of the government at the time, is made up of a collection of weak-minded dips**ts who answer to the various special intrest groups and whatever briefing points that their staffs draw up. This is perhaps the greatest weakness of the American system of government. Not the election of the most populat vs. the most qualified, but the willingness to allow any political action committee to have the degree of power that these special intrest groups have. They need to be banned or have their degree of access rigidly controlled...perhaps no more than 5 minutes per decade.