re: The image of the US
The image throughout the world of the US has seriously collapsed.
Perhaps it's not that important, perhaps it is.
When the US and the allies landed in Normandy, they knew how dangerous the german army was and it took less than a year to stop the war, sign the treaties and rebuild.
Invading Iraq was done after inspectors were unable to find WMD's, by the strongest army in the world when no territorial issues were at stake and Iraq had not invaded any other country.
Where's courage, where's felony in those cases?