Regarding your second paragraph, awareness amongst the US population should be risen about that. For the past 3 or so years Russia has been getting more and more nervous about the US defence shield. Its argument is that the US can use it for offence missiles which could be used to strike and neutralise its nuclear potential.

Instead of addressing the issue, the US has been playing dumb by claiming that "don't worry mate, this is against Iran not Russia!"

Now, Russia plays its own geopolitical game too, of course. And you might believe that the US defence shield poses no danger to Russia. But you have to ask yourself, what does Russia believe? Because if Russia really believes the US is making moves to neutralise its nuclear threat, it's just a matter of time until it strikes, because like you said the alternative is to be wiped out from the world stage. Don't corner a rat. Very very concerning.

And this has been some ten years in the making, since the US withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty (which the US argued at the name was so that it could build its missile defence system). This does not seem conducting of stability in the world.

Not just Hussein but the entire Arab Spring. Heck, the US is still trying to topple Assad although it's blindingly obvious that doing so will only strengthen ISIS in Syria.

The problem with US foreign politics is that in the face of it they seem entirely ignorant of how their actions appear to the rest of the world (and what it might mean to their interests and how they would react to that).

EDIT: To clarify, I'm not saying the US was responsible for the entire Arab spring, but the Arab Spring and the mess it caused (when the initial euphoria had ended) are part of the fallout from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.