[jona-f]

US's legitimization of it's leading role in the world is based on the story how they saved the world from the nazis. This story escalated ideologically, so now any critique of Israel is indirectly questioning USA as the world leader.

[graemep]

I do not think so. Not outside the US anyway.

The legitimisation lies in the alternatives having been (historically) the Soviet Union, and (now) China.

[krageon]

In any practical sense the Soviet Union did in fact do the lion's share of beating the Nazis. They opened an extra front and sent in a staggering amount of troops. I don't see why it is still so demonized, except when you view it directly through the lens of US propaganda.

Their death toll, such as it is, is not even a tenth of the incredible casualty rate of the British. It does not need to be said that they're nowhere near as demonised, except in India. The scope and depth of a civilisation's deaths is not actually all that relevant to how much people hate it.