Murray, you failed to add the qualifier, "except when they are sniping on the internet" then they display their inherent doureness. Having travelled quite a bit over the years, I can only say that no nation holds a monopoly on manners, good or bad. As for Real American, it is just a reality that being the most dominant and powerful nation is going to earn your country criticism, not I might add, the individual citizenry of your fine land but more often the assinine foreign policy of your elected and non-elected officials. Add to this the fact that your nation continues to elect the most obtuse individuals as leaders much like the English were led by a bunch of bufoons back in the olde Great Britain days, despite the reality of both nations having an obvious wealth of talent (just not on the political front) Regards Albamist