Been an American all my life, willingly. Also been overseas a few times and find that I like both the English AND the French. Now, how many Americans can say that? Every culture (and sub-culture) has its own ways. The French can be both the most polite people you'd ever want to meet, and among the most casually rude. In my experience they reserve the most rudeness for other French people and people such as those I call "Americans in plaid" not that i'm a fashion hound just a term for people who would go to a country thousands of miles away and then eat at McDonalds. The English have the most marvelous quiet spoken machismo, as the fellow narrating the Korean war story noted. If an Englishperson is really pissed off, they are 'not amused' If they went to a party and didn't enjoy anything about it it was 'a bore'. This attitude takes some getting used to from an American who typically has to learn to speak up if he or she wants to get a point across from the family table on into school and work. We are a rather loud, unsubtle bunch, but mostly good hearted. Quite often in an English room the most influential person is the most quietly spoken. I love it.

As for who saved whom in the late spot of bother in the previous century, check out Kevin Kline's little set-to with the actress playing John Cleese's wife in the movie "A Fish Called Wanda"

As for missionaries, at their best, they can bring order, literacy, and a sense of self-worth to people who feel they have nothing. At their worst, they are mental rapists who due to their own warped insecurities feel they must transmit a false salvation to people with no basic spiritual problems. The United States is a source of both kinds.

I visited The Soviet Union in the 70's and felt very positive toward the friendliness of the individuals I met there. Lately there has been a great deal of Russian - American interaction in Alaska. Again, most of the Russians who come over here are intelligent, interested folk who really appreciate being here. They are typically better educated for their tasks than the typical American, and I'll never forget the time a whole chorus came over and in an informal setting with Russian and America folkies, the Russians knew so many more folk songs than the Yanks it was incredible. And GOOD ones. I had to attibute it to way less good TV on their side of their Bering Strait.