Quote Originally Posted by PanzerJager
The trading, prosperous world (Europe, democratized Asia, South America to a certain extent) lives without fear of war or strife.
The Caucasus, Colombia and various regions in Latin America, Afghanistan and neighbouring countries, large parts of Africa and large parts of the Middle East don't live in peace and prosperity. And what is more important in this respect: they are not under U.S. control. Not even Iraq is under U.S. control two years after the invasion. You can shut your eyes to these unpalatable truths and proclaim your Pax Minima but that doesn't diminish the fact that the world is being shaped by old and new rivals of the U.S. just as much as by Washington.

Since the failed Iraqi operation there is no longer a uni-polar world, wake up to it. And your leaders have lost you the one loyal ally you had left, which is the UK. The Brits won't support an attack on Iran or Syria, for instance. And whereas London never before accepted the notion of a common European defense initiative, in 2004 it did. These changes take a generation or more to take hold, but they are in progress. There will be new realignments, possibly even an alliance between the EU and China, and there will be new 'great games', for instance over the Eurasian mineral resources.

As for your barbarians, Panzerjager; on 9/11 they struck at the heart of the 'modern Rome' and in response to that, the modern Rome, for lack of decent allies, is defending itself with mercenaries and barbarian foederati.