The post by Sxin was interesting you should be proud of your ccountry, but this is true of all countries. To state what one country has achived is pointless. On a scale of counting from when time began America has done little due to the time it has been around compared to the Romans or Greeks or chinesse.
Many people spoke of america waking up to world events, to in a sense be shaking into the world in which many of people live. From some of the posts here I can see that is true. You have now seen the horror which happens in some countries day after day.
You think this is different, perhaps yes for america it is but dont forget this is the first attack you have suffered on your own soil by another power except pearl harbor. For most of the rest of the world this is not true, most of europe has suffered countless wars and has suffered two World Wars in which the suffering was so great we even now cannot come to terms with it. Whole countries in east europe have been ripped apart, villages, towns and citys just wipped of the map with countless loss of life.
I am sure during these times people had the same recations you do now. Describing this as the end of the world but of course they where not but they where world changing events. In any case only history will judge, what is important is not the war on terror but what america's role will be in the world now.
You have to hope that countries will put aside there own countries interests in favour of world interests. Millions die in africa ech year, perhaps if countries reacted to this the way they did after the events in america we could have saved more lives.
What is the point in sending a man to the moon when we cannot even feed half the worlds population. The events in america should be remeber not just for the lose of life in one single event, but for the countless lives that are lost each day due to war, acts or terror and a simple lack of food.
If the world is to change I hope it is for this reason.