by James Glaser
March 10, 2005

First off, it has been a long time since the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. I think the world now knows that the terrorists got away with it. Oh sure, those men in the planes are all dead, but somebody had to do all the logistical setup for the whole operation.

Maybe Osama bin Laden and his people came up with the idea and pushed for it, but somebody supported the attackers with money, heck, somebody found those willing to die in the attack, and somebody figured out the schedule and all the little things that made this a successful operation.

It took a lot more people to put the attack together than those actually giving their lives and it looks to the rest of the world like they got away with it. George Bush has really lost that first round of his War on Terrorism and if you look at Iraq, you could say he has lost that round too.

America might be the Super Power, but we are not invincible and George Bush has let the terrorists of the world see that we can be taken down a peg or two.

I think it is human nature to pull for the under dog. Americans do that when ever some small school makes it to the State Tournament in sports. Sometimes we call them the Cinderella Team. Well people the world over are the same way and even though they know that it is good that we got rid of Saddam Hussein, billions find joy in the fact that a few thousand Iraqis are giving us a run for our money.

All week George Bush has been saying that the people in Lebanon are on the march to freedom by kicking out their pro-Syria Prime Minister. Well it is kind of a kick in the pants, but the New York Times reports, "Nine days after Lebanon's pro-Syria prime minister, Omar Karami was forced to quit under pressure by opponents of Syria's occupation, he was voted back into the post on Wednesday by the Lebanese Parliament."

I have no idea of what the Lebanese Parliament is doing this for, but I have to believe that many people in this world smile when they read what is happening.

America is the only Super Power. Before the Cold War ended, there was also the Soviet Union and we could always claim that we were the good guys and they were the Evil Empire. Now we are both the good and the evil. George Bush tries to paint Iraq, Iran and North Korea as the Evil our Good is fighting against, but the rest of the world knows that these three are really third world nations, who are nothing compared to us.

The world knows we spend more on our military than the rest of the world combined. Here at home we think of ourselves as the good guys trying to bring freedom to everyone else, but if you are on the outside, and everyone else in the world is on the outside, you don't see it that way.

The United States is what most people fear. George Bush is thought of as an evil emperor. American troops are in over a hundred other countries and we stick or nose in everyone's business.

When Bill Clinton was President, America was indignant, when we thought a Chinese businessman gave money to his campaign. We however set up radio and television stations all over the world, so that we can influence other nation's elections. We give money to any group who says they will play ball with us.

Yes, I know all is fair in Capitalism, but those tactics do not garner us friends the world over. If we get indignant when outsiders try to get involved in our politics, we should know the rest of the world feels the same way. People the world over know that our CIA and State Department have bags of money that they buy world leaders with and people get mad because of it.

Just the fact that we are that Super Power makes us a target for hate. Our country's actions under George Bush adds to that hate.

When the world sees Lebanon reinstating their Prime Minister after George says he is glad he was removed, billions around the globe smile. When they see those few Iraqis fight our army to a stand still, they know were are not unbeatable and it fills them with hope. When the world sees the photos of our torture of prisoners and our killing of civilians, they know the stories of our evil are true.

If you think about it, it wasn't all that long ago that America was loved and we were looked on with respect, but George Bush has changed all of that. He is in his fifth year in office and in his fifth year of attacking little pitiful countries and the whole world is now rooting for the under dog and you know every American would be doing the same if our places were reversed.

America is filled with good people. People willing to help their neighbors. People who know how to mind their own business.

Our government has lost that. Now we think everyone's business is our business and we have to step in and help them, even when they haven't asked for our help. We have become the world's busybody. For some reason we feel we have to meddle in everyone's affairs and just like you and I wouldn't like it if a neighbor was like that, the rest of the world doesn't like it either. George Bush has made America a busybody and we are not going to be liked again until we learn to mind our own business. Iraq and Osama have proved to the world that we are vulnerable and now we are the super power, with a small "s."