The American Congress and public have largely acquiesced and supported the Bush agenda. Congress, including the Democratic Party, fell hook, line, and sinker for all the demonization of Iraq before the invasion, despite plenty of counter-evidence presented by Scott Ritter, the UN, and many others. The bloodlust for revenge by the American people after 9/11 propelled criminal acts against peoples of Afghanistan, Iraq, and even American citizens of Arab origin.
The American people were begging to be manipulated. Fear of "terror" was far more significant than loss of freedom or repression of democracy to many Americans. The Democratic Party tried to outmaneuver Bush from the right — to enact tougher security, even when common sense screamed that the Bush claims that terrorists are "against freedom" was bogus and even slyly manipulative.
The American public was so roiled with anger and bloodlust that foreign allies who failed to immediately rally in the wrongful lust were dismissed as enemies; witness the quickly emerged American contempt for the French and Germans.
Never mind the bold evidence that wars against Iraq and Afghanistan were planned well before the events of 9/11. Never mind the strong evidence that the entire events of 9/11 were known in advance to the American government at the highest levels, and that the so-called perpetrators of the highjackings were well-known to American security and allowed to enter and leave the U.S. repeatedly over several years in advance of 9/11 despite showing up on terrorist watch lists. Little facts like that did not dissuade the American people from full acquiescence to the Bush agenda, and did not persuade the Congress to seek full truth and accountability.
So, America began to wage war against the world, and has promised to do more of the same. All the while, the American public has been dragged into more and more financial debt, leaving it ultimately extremely vulnerable to bail-outs by foreign investors.
Americans like to believe that the enormous military might of the US will allow America to dominate the entire world for the foreseeable future, including the "New American Century". Nothing could be farther from the truth. America cannot even control the Iraqi insurgency despite the use of immense firepower and the extension of American military manpower almost to the breaking point.
The civilized world has been watching America. First, the civilized world was full of sympathy and compassion after the horrors of 9/11/2001. But the world has seen the response of the American people and the Bush administration since 9/11 and has recoiled in even more horror.
American acquiescence to the Bush agenda, which perpetrated 9/11 and massive misdeeds since will long be remembered by the world, and held against the American people. The fact is that in the next very few years America’s weaknesses in economics and limitations in military might will be exposed.
America has shown itself to be a nation with little compassion, except when it serves American perceived self-interest. America has not shown compassion on Iraq. America has not shown compassion to Afghanistan. America has not shown compassion to terrorist suspects, but has tortured, detained indefinitely with no proof of crimes, and promised to expand its misdeeds. America has treated the rest of the world as its potential enemy. America has questioned the values of friend and foe, while projecting itself as the standard for goodness. The rest of the world sees the delusions and myopia of the American people.
The civilized world sees the acquiescence of the American people to the Bush agenda and will long hold America accountable. In the future, when America may well crave the mercy and compassion of the rest of the world, when our accounts are held payable, America may not receive the compassion it filed to show others.
When the accounts are finally settled, America and its recent behavior will be found wanting, and we will rue the time we allowed the Bush cabal to enact so much turmoil and suffering on others. The Bible says you reap what you sow, and America has sowed ill feelings and will reap ill feelings and all the consequences thereof.