Can I just sum it up as "we suck"?

no. I have a friend who is married to an American, and she's a lovely person. The same is probably true for 90% of Americans. The same is probably true for 90% of most people in the world. Decent, intelligent, thinking people.
The problem seems to be the Adminstration and its self interest and short sigtedness. Why wouldn't Bush sign the Kyota Protocol? To protect America's interests. Too bad if those interest may be different in ten years.
Americans appear to be 'too close' to it's own affairs to really see what the rest of the world does. (same with any country, I'll wager). It's like watching a kid being naughty in a shop and thinking "i'll never let my child get away with that". But given the same circumstance, your own child may behave the same way and you don't do anything.

I do wonder if the US comments about the Iraqi Soldiers not playing fair were more that they weren't reacting in ways they had trained for and their forces were being humiliated.