Dear France

[The Brain]

i used the term sarcastically, b/c we seem to view ourselves as such, yet act very different.

Well, you usually use a smilie to confirm that; stop changing your style, dammit.

<b>EDIT</b>:

Ultimately, this whole scenario we're in now, with this \"war on terrorism\", is a case of \"damn if we do, most certainly doomed if we don't\".

But that's just it; "damned if we do, damned if we don't" is what we've been living with since WW2.

If we step in and try to solve everyone's conflicts (Iraq, Liberia), then everybody says we're arrogant and using our vast resources to police the world.

If we don't step in and try to play isolationist, then everybody says we're arrogant and not using our vast resources to assist the global community.

Basically, it really is US against THEM. We're a young upstart country (remember, we're only 227), with more power than countries that have been around for millenia.