We all bow down in the presence of such superiority of a nation that won the cold war and world war 2 not to mention Viet Nam and Iraq. Probably to go on to Iran and anyone else that get's in the way. We all love to speak American!

I think English is the international language because nearly every school system in the world teaches it (often as a required course). I suspect the US is the reason, but not the only one. Of course, with the spread of the Internet, it has become even moreso the default international language...

Both are reasons. Also, English is the language of technology and new inventions--the instructions for anything are likely to be first written in English. And it's easier to learn than other languages because we have fewer forms to memorize. Consider that the English verb has a maximum of five forms, except for the irregular verb "be". Most languages have six forms to memorize before you even get out of the present tense. Most words have only one form, but in many European languges all the nouns have eight to 14 forms, the adjectives have 16 to 28, and even the numbers may have half a dozen forms each. Although the three main Oriental languages are related in the distant past, when Chinese, Japanese and Koreans want to communicate they generally learn English, for the above reasons.

I would say it is both. The British spread the language all over the world. Then the Americans came and made it an even more important language.

The arrogance of this question boggles the mind. Actually there's only one "international" language I know... and it ain't English. Walk up to somebody on the outskirts of Hell (it's a small town in Norway) and try to talk English to them. Try to get a laugh from an immigrant ditch-digger in Dubai with Leno's latest bon mot. Try to get directions from a teenager with barely a grade four education, starving to death in Uganda because there are too many kids and not enough parents. If you get any English out of them I'd be very surprised. There was a shot at a universal language a few years back with Esperanto, but it just didn't seem to catch on. No the only "international" language in use everywhere in the world and instantly understood by all is perversely enough, AmSLan. Yes, the only international language in use everywhere is; American Sign Language! With regional variations built around the same core this language is used by deaf people and their families world-wide and it had to creep in the back door to achieve that distinction. As to the use of English as the language of international commerce or as the Flight Controllers International Language or any other such idea is... Hey you go where the money is! I expect we'll all be learning another language internationally soon, as the U.S. is running out of money, Britain already has run out of money and Canada, Australia and New Zealand never had any in the first place. Maybe it will be Arabic (Have you taken a look at the amount of new construction in the U.A.E?) Maybe it will be German (After-all, all we want is a well made car!) No, no... I've got it Chinese! (Just 'cause there's a lot more of them.) Venting a little here... So sorry, but man did that feel good! Hope this helps.