[God Emperor]

The whole problem about the Iraq affair is that the world community knows that the planned US invasion (Bush has intended to invade from day 1, have no doubt about that) is not being done solely because of altruistic reasons. Control of oil supplies and the middle-east and the USA's need to dominate the world (to support its economy) is a significant factor.

The above statement is not intended to pooh-pooh the fact that the strength of the USA over the Last 80 years has made it possible for western democracy to flourish. Its just to make the point that US policy is directed at ensuring the best outcomes for the US people, even if it is to the detriment of others (no different really from what other countries try to do).
The difference of course though is that the US is the only super-power, spends more on its military budget than the rest of the world combined, and maintains battle fleets in five of the worlds major oceans. With the USSR gone, the negative aspects of US foreign policy are more likely to become a source of friction between the US and its allies.
Comments by hardliners such as Rumsfeld (old Europe) and by Bush I think have exacerbated the differences - "if you are not with us, you are against us". Although the statement was referring to the War on Terror, it is clearly the approach that the current US administration takes to all of its dealings with other countries and just reinforces the message that the US "empire" will not tolerate dissenters.
I find it quite concerning actually that anyone the US disagrees with is automatically considered to be wrong, negative, etc.....

Just hope you Americans can keep your politicians under control and maintain your democracy and freedoms in the form that your founding fathers had in mind.
Regards,
GE

(the perspective of an Australian who doesnt like the way his Prime Minister says "how high" when Bush says "jump").....