We are IN a civil war in Iraq.... The people over there are having a Civil War and we are in the middle of it... 10-30 people die everyday, and these are just our troops.... The gov pulled the old bait and switch on us a few times and now we are too involved to leave quickly and the media won't report on it because it's not as big a ratings grabber as Britney shaving her head, or Don Imus saying "Nappy Headed Hoes", or Anna Nicole baby daddy drama AFTER she is dead..... And because the news isn't telling us EVERY day how many died the day before we're not getting upset about it....

I'll have to tell you, that I am a native German .

And I well am aware of the situation in Iraq. I think the problems there could not have been solved by anyone. That's why I am grateful, that our goverment decided to stay out of that mess.

Anyway, my thought was meant more globally, including those countries that are at peace.

When I say WE I'm talking about Americans.... And How the world sees America affects alot.... America passed a law banning online gambling, and people in other countries that run perfectly legal websites for gambling are being taken by American agents back to America and arrested for running a website that is legal in their own country.... This is clearly a violation of World Trade Organization policies, and our gov'ment doesn't care... That kind of behaviour makes alot of other countries nervous and as a result, who knows how many other countries are making deals and banding together to keep America from interfering with their countries and laws....

I didn't know things had gone that far already.
I have heard, that it isn't a very good idea to send a threat to the US President which might get you an invitation you can't refuse by these nice guys in black. Not exactly what I call a sane method, but understandable one from the view of a paranoid.
But enforcing US laws internationally like that? That's just crazy.

And you're right. The image we get from America just gets worse and I mean for the last 20 years. Or more exactly since the cold war ended.

If I think about it, it reminds me of the fall of the British Empire. In the end they tried to hold on as much influence as they could, even if it meant doing it by force.

Actually, it's more like the French Revolution.... Our leaders here are 2nd and 3rd generation career polititians, it's becoming more and more like royalty with these people.... This country was founded with the IDEA that common people would be running it, the people running it now have never had to live life like the people they are screwing over..... At the rate things are going, I'm going to start looking into moving to Quebec/becoming a Canadian citizen.....

Same over here with the difference, that they haven't screwed us over too much (yet).

Well, America's foreign relations begin to look like the British Empire in t he end.

Good luck with the immigration.