A "parental figure" may or may not have chosen the path to such authority and responsibility. It would be interesting to study whether the arrival at empire status of Great Britain was the result of any kind of ruthless objective/pursuit. (As opposed to just being a robust assertive mercantilism being behind the effort.) Clearly, 1930s Germany and Japan chose such a role for themselves, IMO. (Going, competing after space, "Lebensraum", and vital industrial raw material resources.)

Or, was the arrival of English language as the world's lingua franca somewhat merely the result of the early healthy hopeful stirrings of the Industrial Revolution(s), commercial and trading interests and forces, that were inevitable? Were the Finnish house builders, f'rinstance harmed in any way by the availability of wire-, machine-made, as opposed to blacksmith-wrought nails?

Angus:"If so, perhaps the desire of United States citizens to consider themselves to be a greater power than any other on earth continues the begetting in current times of the inevitability of violence begetting violence?"

No. It's just a self evident fact of station in the hierarchy of governmental collectives in the world, subject to eventual revisions and further coalitions changing the picture, as the growing European Union, f'rinstance. Geopolitically, and economically, I think the USA is better suited than Great Britain or Canada, though, f'rinstance, OR the loosely united EU to the role of responsibility and guidance/leadership to the world. Committees, such as the "United Nations" can be droll and insipid. That leadership and capability of the USofA is well demonstrated by the pioneering excursions into space programs. It is oddly ironic, IMO, that the heavy work was achieved in a context of ballistic missile competition with the Soviet Union. Thanks. :-)

Angus, possibly not expecting to be heard or even taken seriously:"How the interrupt the begetting reproductive cycle? Proffer DWA as the next Mahatma? "

Wh-a-a-a? Do I hear some babbling and gooing there?