The American (or about 50% of the population - half seem OK) fascination with commies, islamic fundamentalists, ruskkies, Frenchmen and just about everyone else in the world, is due to the fact they constantly need an external threat to make them feel better, to pull together as a nation.

They have no common desire to make either themselves happy or care if their actions make other peoples lives a misery (witness the US contempt for Kyoto, the general befuddlement on everyone else's view of the Iraq war etc).

That said, I believe in the inherent goodness of people, and I think the 52% of Americans who have just elected Monkey Boy again have been frightened by years of neo-con mythologising about threats that largely do not exist.

When I was in New York, I found the people to be friendly, warm and well-informed - they made us feel very welcome.