Well said, Will, IMO a very balanced view. Quite correct that one can have an opinion on a country's foreign policies, and form conclusions resulting from individual contacts with American folk, but generalisations are useless. I have always thought Will Self to be rather off-centre and muddled. His style is over-complex and hard to decipher. I do think many prejudices remain even now from WW2 about Americans. In my experience, prejudice arises from total ignorance or any actual contact, travel or study of a people. Billy Connelly has always impressed me with his attitude that Nationalism, flag waving and criticism of other lands arising from over-patriotism is not to be encouraged. In these modern times, 'what we think of eachother' is very childish and old-hat. 'How we can work together' is a better basis for progress.