The question of 2008 is really this---Did the USA have the energy (meaning : strength + power + stamina + influence) to make China capitalist, Russia democratic, India prosperous, and Latin America free and Africa stable all at the same time?  Indeed  did / would some of those goals work against others? Certainly the USA tried to isolate Russia. It neglected Latin America; had little clear policy on Africa----not that one was possible. I suppose "stability". It turned to India fairly late---mainly in the form of Microsoft, which employs the most people outside USA in Ireland ----but that will soon change to India. And will probably exceed numbers in USA in about 10-12 years. Question comes back to Russia : Steven Cohen said in letter to me that Strobe Talbot led a campaign to isolate Russia. In general it was successful. But Russia is neither N Korea nor Iran.   [Mr Talbot was Clinton's roommate at Georgetown and Under Sec of State].

The USA was quite successful in moving Poland and the Ukraine and Romania and Bulagria and the 3 Baltic states away from Russia, followed by Georgia. The result of an isolated Russia is not good. While 100% of the recent Russian invasion of Georgia cannot be laid at the feet of the last 2 US administrations, much of it can.

It is as if the task of democracy in Russia was too much for the USA. Instead, it chose a step by step approach : Romania, Poland, the Ukraine, Lithuania, Georgia. Where it overstepped was in Kosovo. That shd have been left to Serbia. Ossetia is "Kosovo East". Georgia is the west's Serbia. Russia is determined to take revenge  : Ossetia for Kosovo. Symbolic, yes, but in Moscow strong symbolism.