The problem with the United States is that it emphasizes and magnifies the supposed wrongness of any act with which it is not in agreement. At the same time, it is oblivious to the results of its actions on others. Self, dear self exclusively. Until World War II, American policy was occasionally in line with the principles of justice and equality on which the nation was founded. In fact, the world has forgotten the two atom bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Marshal Plan that rebuilt Europe.
Even the Arabs allowed themselves to push to one side the American role in the foundation of Israel. The world also seems to have forgotten the Suez debacle in 1956, the liberation movements in Asia and Africa and the fierce resistance to communism.
Unfortunately, the US has abandoned the principles so dear to its founders and now prefers to play the role of a cowboy on the international stage. Moreover, the Americans seek to dominate the world, using a policy of double standards rigorously applied. This of course damages others as well as the interests of the United States itself. Few Americans, however, are aware of that. Despite agreement within the international community which led to universal condemnation of the terrorist attacks, the world has now discovered that the US has forsaken the values that it has promoted for decades.
It has an unfortunate history of acting contrary to its values at certain times: the excesses of the McCarthy era and the moving of Japanese-Americans into camps after Pearl Harbor are two outstanding examples of what I mean. The US, at the same time it is waging war on terrorism, is also attacking the media outside its borders. It chooses of course to ignore the shortcomings of its own media which has published an enormous amount of false and inaccurate information. Freedom of the press but evidently the press only enjoys freedom if it agrees with the US government. It is hard for many to believe that the US would abandon its principles, alter its existing regulations regarding investigations and grant the security forces absolute power to arrest and possibly deport anyone without the need for judicial approval. Further, for the first time the US has admitted that its security forces have full authority to intercept and eavesdrop on communications, including normal telephone calls. Really, just like any two-bit Third World dictatorship.
