America a Weak World Power?

There are some people -- who are typically viewed as being on "my side" of politics -- who think that America is being too weak when it comes to handling the War on Terror. They say we're dealing with the Saudis too weakly, we're not confronting terror-supporting governments harshly enough, we're treating terrorist prisoners with kid gloves, we're not creating strict enough homeland security measures, &c. They often compare our restraint to the lack thereof by previous world powers, like the Romans or the USSR. I agree with these critics to some extent; America really could benefit from more a vigorous anti-terror strategy in some ways. However, it strikes me as important to remember that none of those previous world powers is around anymore, so maybe they shouldn't be held up as the gold standard.