I see it the same way - from colleagues in various offices round the world, the overwhelming viewpoint seems to be that the US should just leave well alone. In the Middle East this is especially so - as there the US not only acts in its own interests, typically by screwing the locals out of fuel/resources etc, but also trying to overpower the local culture with (as Roger put it) it's own lack of one.

Imposition of the US Intellectual Property Framework is also not helping developing countries, and just further reinforces the world view that the US is the big bully of the neighbourhood.

World transmission of the CNN channel also does the US no favours at all! The coverage of issues outside the US is staggeringly low (admittedly, we in the UK have a similar issue here - a cow falling off a cliff in Cornwall is likely to make the news although there is enough independence in the various news channels that we get a reasonable world focus) so the rest of the world may get the impression that the US pays no attention to anything outside its borders unless American corporate interests are impacted, and then any force is acceptable to resolve the problem, no matter what the collateral damage.

I for one was horrified by the Twin Towers attack, but think it outrageous that the US attacked Afghanistan and killed more innocents than the original terrorists. A definite case of abuse of a powerful position by the US.

Hmmm - I sound tetchy today. Must be all the rain - hasn't stopped for 38 hours here. Need a holiday. Unfortunately I'm heading north a few hundred miles for the weekend, so it'll be even wetter. Oh joy.