Tore,

You and I have spoken about this very thing in Arizona last year. I am in full agreement with your observation about many Americans, that they have an attitude of superiority that is not founded on facts. I was one of those Americans until a number of years ago. In my early schooling I was taught over and over again that the USA was the land of the free adn that it was the most free country in the world. I was told by my teachers that the USA was far ahead of the rest of the world in all areas including science, government, wealth, freedom, and you name it.

It wasn't until I actually traveled to other countries that I began to see that these were not facts but were opinions. In visiting otehr countries I was able to see the facts, that the USA is a great country but it is certainly not the only great country. I love my country aand I consider myself a patriot. I served in the military and support my local government and am active in my community. But I also respect the other countries in this world and realize that none of them are perfect. I have seen things in other countries that work much better than the in the USA and I have seen some things that are better in the USA than in other countries.

The attitudes that you regile in your post are the very attitudes that bore the term "Ugly American" many years ago. The attitude that the USA does everything the "right" way and the rest of the world is wrong. One of the most interesting things I have learned from visiting other countries is the level of respect that there is in one country for the others wihtout any sort of competition going on.

I recall one of the first times I truly realized how young the USA is compared ot the rest of the world. I was in Germany and my host had taken me to visit a Roman castle outside of Frankfurt. As we approached I notice the corner stone on the castle which read 900. I though to myself, wow, in USA we think a building is old if it says 1700 on it and here we are off by only 1,000 years.

I really prefer to celebrate the richness of diversity we have in our world and not to compare countries for which one is "better".

Glad your vacation was good and sorry to hear you were ill after it.