Doug, I don't think Michael Moore hates America. He could easily go and live on the French Riviera (and let his mother turn his picture to the wall) if he chose to. What he hates (if he hates anything at all) is what the Bush administration is doing to the country. Apparently it has never occurred to you that one can love one's country, but dislike its rulers and their policies, both foreign and domestic.

And as to whether or not Americans are the dumbest people in the world, it's possible to make a pretty strong case by pointing out that only about half of the registered voters can be bothered to get up off their flabby fannies and go out and vote, and half of those who did voted for someone as obviously unqualified as George W. Bush.

And I think you'll find that most people in the world don't hate Americans. In fact, many like and admire Americans (this from people I know who travel a lot). They do intensly dislike aspects of American foreign policy and the way America tries to exploit and bully the rest of the world. And that is directly traceable to America's government and the behavior of American corporations that operate in foreign countries.

It doesn't have to be this way. In fact, the world--and America--would be a lot happier and better off if we learned to live in cooperation with the rest of the world instead of constantly playing the schoolyard bully.

Don Firth