How Europe Views Americans

Dave Schuler over at Dean's World posts about how our European brethren see us, particularly when it comes our reactions to 9/11.

Dave says that, as usual, they got it wrong.

Last week in response to this observation from an overseas blogger:

Fear and hysteria are the two words often mentioned in the wake of 9/11. To this I would add ‘insecurity’.

By and large my few readers had similar reactions to mine and they weren't “fear and hysteria”.

Nor was mine. I felt horror at what had been done. I felt rage at those who had perpetrated such an atrocity. And a quote from Admiral Yamamoto after the attack on Pearl Harbor popped into my mind:

“I fear all we have done is to awaken a slumbering giant and filled him with a terrible resolve.”

Those behind the planning of the attacks on 9/11 are either dead, in custody, or hiding out far from civilization. Those that helped protect them are either dead or out of power.

That does not come from being fearful or insecure.