This is going nowhere.

I think it is important for Americans to realise that behind all the talk and politics, the USA is hardly constrained at all in 2003. Europe cannot restrain you and there is nobody else. If Americans focused on that, you could use your undoubted generosity of spirit to understand why openly disparaging the UN, espousing unilateralism, describing NATO as an albatross, attacking natural allies like france... of course it worries the heck out of others.

I guess I am saying that the only "restraint" on the USA is our appeal to what your founding fathers called "a decent respect for the opinion of mankind". If that respect is erased by the drums of war, the US will end up more and more isolated from the West.

I know some Americans think that won't matter, but as somebody who has been privileged to accept residency or citizenship in the US, Europe and Australasia, I can tell you that the prosperity and freedom we all enjoy is greatly increased by trade and sharing between us. I guess this is one of those things where you don't know what you've got till it's gone. Bin Laden must be having a real laugh.

JR