We should have never messed in Libya, messed in Syria, and perhaps not meddled in Iraq. These places are definitely not better off today for our having done so.
These misadventures were built upon the myth of the "good" Islamists guys against the evil, Western-supported dictators. Sure, the average person in the street and village largely just wants peace and to be able to eat and sleep safe. But the factions of Islamic revolutionaries are always ready to stir the "hate" pot, to exploit traditional rivalries and hatreds. Yep, the West has dealt with many such dictators - AS OPPOSED TO having to deal with a wide variety of violent factions, only hating each other more than the West, each asserting a superior religious mandate, or a different branch of Islam. AT LEAST the dictators, while still causing many problems, have largely kept key countries stable - that is, as opposed to civil war and discombobulation! Yep, in this imperfect world, we have to choose between levels of evil. Unfortunately. But we've also bought into the idea of nation-building and encouraging democracies in places where their beliefs are incongruent with democracy.
The other issue we must always balance, is where can we reasonably interject ourselves with positive results. And what situations can we AFFORD to get involved, and not risk some quagmire. The U.S. and it's allies don't have the ability to financially play policemen, not beyond today's much more limited scale. Also, the U.S. has protected so many allies out of it's own pocket - particularly in Europe. This must stop! Everyone needs to pony up and pay their cost of security!