"This single story, however onesided or biased or wrong, is the kind of thing we now expect to hear from the US, and so we are prepared to believe it regardless of its truth status."

EXACTLY!   That is how bigotry, bias and hatred develop. One person hears a story that Jews control the economy, blacks are lazy, Poles are stupid,Irish are drunks and Brits have bad teeth - and suddenly it becomes fact. We never seem to learn to question.

The U.S. has a HUGE problem with the knee jerk reaction to 9/11. The woman from Iceland is one example, however I do not know the whole story. If someone has some links, I would love to see them. My own ex-sister-in-law was detained by authorities for making a comment on an airplane that 10 years ago would and should have been laughed off.   Yet as soon as one unsavorable character enters the country and commits a crime, everyone complains about our lack of security. You can't win this one because every side is reacting instead of thinking.

If anyone believes a single story and can draw conclusions about a country, perhaps it is better if you stay home. Maybe we don't need your problems. If you have a drop of American blood and think that way, maybe it is best if you don't associate yourself with us.