<p>The United States has been the most productive and innovative economic and scientific nation in many many decades/centuries and likely in history. We have created technologies that save lives and have changed how people live (e.g., the transistor, the personal computer, the internet – not created by Al Gore but funded by DARPA as the ARPAnet.) We also have used that technology to create a mighty military and used that might to intervene in World Wars I and II. There is much to be proud of.</p>
<p>We also have used that might in arrogant and destructive ways, such as our invasion of Iraq, and to attempt to intimidate other countries. Despite being the most scientifically and technologically advanced nation in history, we have extraordinary poverty compared to the other developed countries (with a much bigger split between the haves and the have-nots) and have a big bulk of the population that actively and proudly displays almost incomprehensible ignorance. Boards of education want to downplay the teaching of the theory of evolution (I think the state of Kansas wanted to do so) and believe that electricity is in the wall of their house to be used when they plug it in. A friend told me about the meeting of a regional school district in Indiana in which they were discussing hiring to teach foreign language courses and a farmer stood up and said, “If English was good enough for Jesus Christ, it’s good enough for my kid.” We have much to be embarrassed about including an political/educational system that allows that kind of ignorance.</p>
<p>I travel all over the world for work (and for pleasure as well). I feel generally well-treated wherever I go, but there has been a sea change in how the world regards Americans. Twenty years ago, in rural areas in Italy, people would come up on their own and tell us how grateful they felt to America. We’ve had Japanese invite us into their homes because they were well-treated by Americans when they were visiting/living in the US. But, much of the world was surprised by the first Bush election. The tended to think that we had made a mistake but an understandable one. However, the big shift occurred when we reelected him. They consider that unforgivable. We should have known, in their opinion, how misguided, arrogant and dishonest the Bush Administration was and felt that the American people were the culprits and not just a bad government.</p>
<p>We’ve also shown that despite our might, the combination of poor foreign, fiscal and energy policy choices, we are much weaker than people assumed and thus the US is not held in nearly as high a regard as before.</p>
<p>So, I am proud of much that the US has done, but I am embarrassed by much that we’ve done. It will take decades to undo the damage that Cheney/Bush have done to the perceptions of the US abroad.</p>