Pew

The Pew Organization has published a poll that shows how low the reputation of the United States has fallen in the rest of the world's eyes, with most of the damage done in the last seven years.

Right. Well, if people elsewhere feel bad about the U.S., there are plenty of current polls showing that Americans feel bad about the U.S. too.

The last polls I saw had like 77% of Americans saying they thought the country was "on the wrong track," or something to that effect.

Everybody feels bad about us and we feel bad too. We all feel very bad. Boo hoo.

As President Merkin Muffley (played by Peter Sellers) in the movie "Dr. Strangelove" said to the Soviet Premier after the U.S. had launched a nuclear strike against Russia, "I'm sorry too, Dmitri. I'm very sorry. All right! You're sorrier than I am! But I am sorry as well. I am as sorry as you are Dmitri. Don't say that you are more sorry than I am, because I am capable of being just as sorry as you are. So we're both sorry, all right? All right."

When we get tired of feeling bad, maybe we'll do something about it. We could start by impeaching Bush and Cheney and getting a little self-respect back. Maybe if we respected ourselves a little more, other people might start to respect us a little more too.

Incidentally, the scenario in "Strangelove" hinged on the nutty breakdown of a supposedly foolproof system. The nuclear strike against Russia occurred because of the efforts of a certifiable lunatic, Air Force General Jack D. Ripper, to monkey wrench and override the system of safeguards, and launch the air wing under his command against the Soviets on his own initiative. That was back in the early 60's, the days when the theoretically sane people were in charge.

Is Dick Cheney sane? Even theoretically?