On Fri, 7 Nov 2008 15:01:59 -0800 (PST), Bolaleman
wrote:

Thanks to Barack Obama, suddenly it may be cool to be an American
again!
For longtime U.S. expatriates someone far more accustomed to being
targeted over unpopular policies, for having my very Americanness
publicly assailed it feels like an extraordinary turnabout. Like a
long journey over a very bumpy road has abruptly come to an end.
Overnight, Americans did something their harshest critics in Europe
have yet to do: elect a person of color as head of state and commander
in chief. That gives U.S. citizens some bragging rights, even if a lot
of us would just as soon eschew hubris and embrace humility.



I understand this sentiment - and you didn't even mention a
forthcoming end to the sense of national shame at being associated
with state-sponsored torture, clandestine export of torture sites,
pre-emptive declarations of war for unfounded reasons, sub contracting
a legitimate drive to hunt down a terrorist organizer to mercenaries,
an effort to provide social disincentives to people who object to
government policies (krystallnacht II in a way) and on, and on.

Brian W