Claims made without evidence can be dismissed without evidence. Still, it’s striking that in America, it’s those that present themselves as “weak” that are the biggest bullies and thieves. Abroad, America has little moral leg to stand on, to put it mildly.
Your appeal to reason lacks evidence and is non-falsifiable; there is no control group scenario in which America husbands its strength instead of “engaging.” I see an enormously powerful economic engine, powered substantially by inertia, that continues to dominate the world in spite of its government and foreign policy, not because of it. Not a libertarian statement, by the way. I believe government can play a commanding and positive role — ours just isn’t such an example.