Why should America lead the World ?

Why Does America have to Lead - why not other countries...?

I heard a friend of mine make what I believe was a foolish statement - it went like this " Why Does America has to lead the world - why not let the other countries do it ?"

What he was referring in a later comment was - that America acts like it's the only one that knows right from wrong and that people hate us because "we act like the world boss". He may have a point - but my question would be - who then, if not America?
Really think about it - we suffered a terrorist attack and we struck back. How many other European countries have suffered terrorist attacks and have taken a massive undertaking to retaliate?

Here is another point - no matter if we were right or wrong - we started the war in Iraq and we had the resolve to continue - while other countries started to wane and run in fear. Fear of political unrest, fear of terrorist, fear of criticism.... Spain was attacked by terrorist and 191 people died and 1,800 people were injured - what did Spain do ... they voted their officials out and pulled out their troops. How brave they must feel and how sad that they gave in to terrorist attacks.

Today we hear in the news how the insurgency is down in Iraq and the war is going well for us, I'm sure theirs a lot of countries who want to take credit - but if America would have not stood strong - if America would have not stayed the course - if America would have listened to all those “Nay Sayers“..... What would have been the news like today... maybe another terrorist attack?

America doesn't have to be the boss, and America shouldn't bully our neighbors of the world. But if we didn't lead, who would? France? Spain? Or maybe Iran?

[ Spain Unveils Memorial To Madrid Train Bomb Victims ]
Three days after the bombs, Spain held general elections and voted out the conservative Popular Party (PP), a close US ally, putting in its place a Socialist government that quickly fulfilled a pledge to pull Spanish troops out of Iraq.