>The author is an American - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalmers_Johnson. Unless, of course, you think I am jealous of your country? In which case I am not. I think the US have done, and are doing, amazing things. But so are other countries. I think the US are doing some things wrong. But so are other countries. But the US tends to have a significant influence on the world, directly and indirectly and for good and bad, and hence is a focus of attention to many other countries and the people of those countries.

You make my point. I'm not saying we're perfect, we just happen to be at the top of the pile. I didn't have anything to do with that, and only by sheer luck was I born here. I am just thankful every day that it happened that way. I think we have a duty to the rest of the world to try to make things better, not worse, but that would be a whole other thread.