The Myth of the Ugly American

Following is the opening paragraph to an article that accompanied this picture:

"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Alarmed by the relentless rise of anti-Americanism around the world, a business-backed group is trying to change the behavior that spawned an enduring stereotype of Americans abroad -- loud, arrogant, ill-dressed, ill-mannered and lacking respect for other cultures."

If I'm not mistaken the "loud, arrogant, ill-dressed, ill-mannered" and behavior "lacking respect for other cultures" being displayed in this picture isn't exactly being displayed by Americans. However, one can gather from the quote below that whatever insult or injury other cultures and countries would like to inflict on the U.S. (flag-burning, kidnapping and beheading U.S. Citizens, dragging the mutilated remains of U.S. servicemen around, flying planes into civilian buildings, etc.) are justly deserved by Americans. The article quotes Mr. Keith Reinhard, Business for Diplomatic Action Inc. (BDA), as saying:

"our collective personality is one of the root causes of anti-Americanism."

I have traveled extensively, overseas: Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Ireland, England, Poland, and Italy, and am usually met with the courtesy and respect that my behavior deserves (Except for once in Ireland in 1992 when a gentleman from Dingle complained that "the U.S. was able to get Iraq out of Kuwait, why couldn't we do the same for the North?"). I suspect that nowhere is anti-Americanism more prevalent than at Business for Diplomatic Action Inc. and CBS news (even with Dan Rather gone).

I'm just wondering why, when we are a country so filled with loud, ill-dressed, and ill-mannered people, we have 12,000,000 illegal aliens clamoring to stay? Please note that I am by no means including these 12,000,000 illegal aliens in the group of people exhibiting the offensive behavior mentioned above. As demonstrated by the mass gatherings of these illegal immigrants, in recent weeks, all other cultures are clearly more refined and humble than our own. If I hear of one more person describe Americans as "loud, arrogant, ill-mannered, ill-dressed," or "lacking respect for other cultures" I'm going to softly, and in a very diffident, polite (and well-dressed) manner kick his sorry sed (see the Latin translation) back to whatever third world latrine he came from.