Afraid, I feel you man. Cary, I think one problem is that you're assuming that this problem goes away if Obama wins. Since Gore won, and didn't become president, and it's extremely likely the same thing happened to Kerry, what makes you think Obama can win?

I don't know if the current American attitude goes away that easily. Some nasty truths would have to be faced first, and I don't see any willingness to do that. I mean, it's American POLICY now to torture people; that would have been unimaginable when I was a kid.

Help us rise up against the fascists in our midst. I've been dreaming about leaving the US [permanently for the last 5 years and establish a life somewhere else. But I am afraid that that would just be running away from a problem that can't be run away from -- my European friends wish they could vote here, and there is so much work to be done to stop the crazies and theocrats.

Right now, I think America is scaring Americans, too.

LW expresses my discomfort exquisitely. I simply cannot endure another 4 years of this insanity and if November goes badly, I may have to regroup as an expat, abroad.

But have some compassion for us. The root cause of all this dysfunction is the simple, unspeakable fact that we, as a country, were humiliated on 9/11. Americans can endure a lot of things, but humiliation on a national level is, to our psyches, inconceivable. Impossible. Absolutely unacceptable. We grew up knowing we were the greatest power on the planet and were laid low by a band of psychopaths with box cutters.

Every dysfunction you've witnessed since then has been some sort of weird, desperate, psycho-social attempt to alleviate the intense suffering, horror and embarrassment we've been trying to incorporate since then. We're desperately trying to regain our footing, and unfortunately, in our uncertainty and pain some of us have gravitated to political "leaders" who seem solid and "resolute" (favorite republican catchword), even if they are, under examination, simply belligerent, arrogant and catastrophically wrong.

It seems to me that until we can, as a nation, come to terms with our vulnerability and take skillful action to correct it, a certain segment of our population will continue to be persuaded by bluster and moral posturing, because it feels like safety. The more cynical among us see opportunity in their fear and have taken advantage for personal reasons.

That said, I doubt we'll be invading Canada anytime soon. Most of the damage and exploitation will continue to be wrought here at home, and those of us who are horrified by it will fight well as long as we can stand it. Send good karma. Hopefully in another few years this sad, tortured nation will have emerged stronger, wiser and duly chastened on the other side.

This letter saddens me. Afraid of Americans, you live right next door: please get out and talk with real people.

An American-big-city native, I've been the victim of crime several times -- all but one in Canada! But I wouldn't dream of generalizing my experience to accuse Canada of being crime-ridden, or Canadians of being criminals. I've spoken with too many honest Canadians. All that my experience and your anecdotal evidence point out is that there are yahoos and idiots on both sides of the border.

I repeat: Leave the media labels and stereotypes behind and talk with real people. Good luck!

You have legitimate concerns about the direction that the United States -- a world superpower and your country's neighbor -- has taken in recent years. Unfortunately your response has been to pick up the broadest brush in your toolkit and paint us all as imperialists, evangelicals, and bullies.

Rather than complaining about "you Americans" as though we are all on board with the New American Century, it might help you to remember that we are not our government. And although many have been slow to realize it, our government has not been working in our favor for some time.

You mention that Americans don't "get" healthcare. That's right, we don't get healthcare. Many of us can't afford treatment when we are sick. While the rich prosper, America's middle class is shrinking and a growing population of working poor people is uninsured, undereducated, and working multiple jobs to survive. The military once provided opportunity, but now our government has sent thousands of poor kids to their deaths in Iraq. Those who do graduate college often have huge loan debts that they will be paying off for decades.

America's imperialist project benefits the government and the business community, not average American people. I understand your frustration with the Americans who have swallowed the propaganda on Fox News and Rush Limbaugh. You can be angry with them, if you want, for being ignorant and easily swayed by messages about "God" and "patriotism."

But many of us are not on board. There are activists who have been protesting the American empire for decades, and there are those who have only recently begun to doubt the government... but dissent is growing. A full 80% of Americans now say the country is "on the wrong track."

You ask how you can possibly like and support our country. I doubt anyone who reads Salon will ask you to support "America" as you describe it. But we might ask you to support us: the countless Americans who recognize that our government is not serving its people or the world.

Like-minded American citizens and Canadian citizens could be allies as we work to undermine the government, economic, and military powers that are driving American imperialism. Although viewers of Fox News don't yet know it, American citizens will be much better off if the current power structure is exposed and dismantled. All people, including Americans, will be better off if other countries (like yours) stand up to our government and refuse to fall in line.

You can help by working in your own country, or by reaching out to likeminded American neighbors. Or you can stand back and call us stupid and evil and scary... but I hope you choose the former.