It is common knowledge that the image of America has been dimmed and even tarnished in the past few years. Most will blame President Bush and his foreign policy (some would say a lack of it), the Iraq war, and a general bumbling along with a grin on his face. Yet we often hear from the real people of free and not so free countries that they have nothing against the American people, per se, but more with the current government in power. It is the U.S. government's actions - invasions, bombings, possible torture, denial of trials to foreign citizens, and on and on. Yet, if they have any view of the citizenry at all, either through TV or other media, they seem to like us better than we might think.
So how about the flip side? We condemn Iraq for its resistance to democracy, Iran for its nuclea
r ambitions, North Korea for its nukes, and on and on. But after seeing the 29th Olympiad in China recently, I wonder if we might have been too hard on the people of those countries. Maybe it is their leaders and governments who we need to criticize and berate, but the people, especially those in Communist or other totalitarian states, have few choices and even fewer media options so need to be given a bye. If they can say they have nothing against us as Americans, we have to at least consider that those people of those evil empires might be more like us than we think.
r ambitions, North Korea for its nukes, and on and on. But after seeing the 29th Olympiad in China recently, I wonder if we might have been too hard on the people of those countries. Maybe it is their leaders and governments who we need to criticize and berate, but the people, especially those in Communist or other totalitarian states, have few choices and even fewer media options so need to be given a bye. If they can say they have nothing against us as Americans, we have to at least consider that those people of those evil empires might be more like us than we think.We are lucky in that we are able to criticize our leaders vehemently and can vote them out in four years if we desire. Some of the world's peoples might just disappear if they utter a discouraging word in the public square. So let us work to accept the peoples of 
the world and continue to help them as we have done over the years of our republic. We are a generous people, a friendly people, and not the war-mongers that some around the world think of us now.
the world and continue to help them as we have done over the years of our republic. We are a generous people, a friendly people, and not the war-mongers that some around the world think of us now.
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