From outside it looks as if Americans are belligerent and aggressive because you have a big war machine and WMD's, and because you send "other people" to war, not your own sons. Put another way: Americans believe their own press (mainly Hollywood?) - nothing anyone outside (and precious little anyone rational inside) says counts. This may be an over-simplification, but it seems the ruling class stays at home and pays the poor to fight while the rich intelligentsia shout religious slogans and hover their collective finger over the button that could unleash the "big one" on us infidels (that is anyone non-American).

Ask most outsiders for an answer to "unelected mad fundamentalist with WMD's" and the answer you'll get is "Bush".

Unfortunately, the pendulum will probably swing, and your children will pay the price for your refusal to regard the rest of us as worth consulting - or even human.

The big question is probably: On its way down (2nd biggest economy, 3rd biggest . .) when will America unleash the big one? Is it possible you will democratically accept your diminishing status in the world?

that Craig is gay. They should care very much that he's willing to lie about it.

Weep when, under the guise of freedom of speech, and supposedly being very brave, a leading academic has to forgo traditional American courtesy and "flame" his guest at length before letting him speak, thus "proving" he's not so bad to the menacing people that run his country. Would he have been as honest or as critical if his "free speech" guest had been the man who has actually launched wars and killed thousands of innocent women and children? So why is it that a leader of a great university - even when hosting an open debate clearly meant to "hear the other side" - can feel himself so cowed? I weep for a country I used to admire.

" . . . . an ensuing P.R. disaster for Paramount, which agreed to delay the film's release until the kids were safely out of Afghanistan. Last week, the studio announced that the children and their guardians had been relocated to an unnamed city in the United Arab Emirates, clearing the way for the film's release this Friday."

So that's alright then, Paramount/Hollywood?: Some lives disrupted (ruined?), but "phew!" the profit isn't lost!

I don't understand the tip-toeing around these bloated billionaires! He cocked up, he doesn't want to admit it: That's par for the course for unaccountables. But we must stop going easy on them. George Bush is going to want to re-write his history in hindsight, too. We should not let him.

"Maestro" is "responsible" for everything that went right, but "we don't understand him" when things go wrong! He sounds like any old two-bit wife-basher to me.

Just like Americans in their foreign policy approach, no-one is willing to abide by any rules of engagement these days!

When discussing matters of belief (ANY belief), we should agree on some rules.

Eg:

Stick to principles, not specifics

No threats of consequences of "not doing as I say" (hear that, religionists?)

Respect for others

Acknowledging upfront that no-one knows everything (hear that, scientists?)

No egos

NO LYING!! This should be easy, folks! But it's the one thing both sides do all the time!

And there should be consequences to those who don't abide by the rules (Giberson has provided us with a beauty: We'll call all dogmatics "Reverend" and know thereby that they are breaking the "ego" and "knowing everything" rules).

Catch some EQ, radical atheists! Stop acting like preachers (worse, tele-evangelists!). The debate is not one that will be WON or LOST, so it's far more important HOW WE CONDUCT OURSELVES in the debate. We want to win over and charm, not browbeat!

Three countries in the whole world don't have the metric system as their official standard: I think it's Libya and Myanmar, and I know it's you guys!

C'mon already!

Meantime I'm just going to have to add big dollops of liquor into the glass "by eye" while I wait for you guys to fall in line.

and what will you end up with? Rich execs running off with the money and factories still making cars that the rest of the world (and many Americans) don't want.

Call all these clever capitalists' bluff: Refuse to give them socialism when they run into trouble.

THEY said "We get paid so much because we take risk", but now they come crying to the little guy when they come short!

The money will be wasted. Don't let a bailout happen.

It just astounds me how ostensibly good Americans can be so party-bound. How so many would rather have poor (even crooked) leadership from "their" party rather than better (even excellent) leadership from "the other" party.

In some ways it seems Americans really don't understand democracy. I can think of nothing good about being a member of a party (as a voter), as opposed to being fiercely independent and deciding for yourself which person to choose on merit.

Am I right in suspecting the answer to my ignorance lies in money, graft and favours?

. . it looks like yet another crazy Hollywood American shouting "Let's stamp out terrorism!", even if it is Temporary-Saint Obama saying it.

When will America get it?

At least one - more humble - American seems to get it:

"If history serves, we as often as not just make matters worse.

Hope I'm wrong."

-- Million-Year Picnic

No, M-Y Picnic, you're not wrong. Humility is good; Just very rare before the Empire actually realises it is falling. America does not have any answers. Your leaders should be asking a lot of questions - and listening to the answers.