macmanmike6100

Although our often-blind self-confidence sometimes blurs into arrogance, the belief that nothing is impossible remains one of the many reasons why America is a great country to be in. The world's innovations of the past century have, for the most part, originated within America's borders. This is not to say that an Irish or Chinese or Mexican wasn't the progenitor of these innovations, but they were accomplished from within an American institution, whether it be corporate, philanthropic, governmental, or a mix.

I strongly agree that all Americans would say that, once united, we are unstoppable. From the standpoint of many outside of America, it's "arrogant." Those people likely don't understand the power expressed in that statement. America's success thus far is a direct result of the power of ideas, and with some much-needed repairs that many are already beginning to repair, our continued success will be founded on much of the same.

As a footnote, I hope the world recognizes that America's current international image -- that which is less secular, less rationally-justified, less understanding -- is a fluke of the Bush administration. Obviously, my bias is revealed in that I think Bush is a terrible president. But the world needs to recognize that although there are many problems in America, Bush was elected by a popular minority the first and a popular slight majority the second time, and even the second victory was highly questioned for its electronic election practices by the independent media. In an unprecedented way, almost every American across all party lines has had to face questions typically unseen: What are the rights of citizens? What are the rights of criminals, terrorists, and traitors? How is the corporate world truly structured, modified, and maintained, and how much do I want to be a part of it? And more.

The point is, America is a damned great country. Prior to my four months in China (I'm still here for another eight), I was pretty sure that the downfall of America was imminent within the next 20 years. Now more than ever am I confident that this is simply not true. America will pull itself out of the international mire it sits in at the moment (and this moment is relatively brief in history) and not only regain its strength two-fold but, as it's done throughout the past century, bring the entire world to a better place as well.