Noam Chomsky: US control is diminishing, but it still thinks it owns the world. ▻http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/feb/04/us-control-diminishing-own-world?CMP=twt_gu
Iraq was an attempt to reinstitute by force something like the old system of control, but it was beaten back. In general, I think, US policies remain constant, going back to the second world war. But the capacity to implement them is declining.