@Palma,I think we have a semantic disagreement, as many of the characteristics you loathe are abhorred by many Americans : the death penalty, especially.

Fox news of course is ridiculously right wing and reactive. The past diplomacy in Latin America, spurred by a phobia about Communism,- also full of errors.

The bible thumpers screaming at executions...a few hundred people out of almost 300 million...ridiculous, but not as evil as the serial killers being executed...

The advocates of creationism..(mainly in the Deep South where education has always trailed the rest of the nation) - ...a tiny minority who feel very strongly and voice their beliefs acordingly. I do not aree with them, I feel the creation account is an allegory.

As for the homeless being mainly ex-service men, I am unsure. Many homeless are mentally ill, (schizophrenics,) alcoholics, drug addicts, etc. Yes, among these are some former military..but there are veteran’s hospitals which will care for them , if they seek help.

Also among the homeless is a legion of drifters. Folks who move around from state to state and are hard to categorize.

« Drunk with power »,...which administration do you speak of ? All of them ? I feel this is too strong an assertion...(but you and I may disagree in a civil manner ?)...certainly we are nervous and on guard after 9/11...but ’drunk with power’..is a bit too strong a description, I feel....

As for the qualities you found positive, I am happy that you had some reactions which were not negative.

And the quote from Lincoln is very apropos...

So all in all, - I learned my ’lesson’ from the voices of AgoraVox today : keep your mouth shut, do not offer us your ideas,— which the bloggers found to be misguided and arrogant....

The response was humbling, funny, painful, obscene,loud, boisterous at times,...but I guess I earned it with my simplistic observations and solutions.

My face is red. Mea culpa.

We are never too old to learn !

Sorry to have offended any of you !

I’ll stay out of these discussions.

I wish all of you the best, and the best future for France as well...

And so, -Good Bye, - Good Luck, - and Godspeed !

Claire Elizabeth