Though the avatar is a bit of a stretch to complain about, I do LOVE the 'sorryeverybody' site. My support for that only goes as far as Bush getting re-elected, because what the US does has a direct impact on the rest of the world.

If the US does not intervene or act as a world superpower, I could careless about what other country thinks. France and Germany can whine all they want.

But that's not the case, and any of the criticisms about the Bush administration and the Iraq war is somehow painted as "treason-like" and "get out of the country if you don't like it" - what a childish thing to say. Criticisms are what make a country free, able to say what you don't like about the government. In China and other countries, no one dares to say anything bad about the law or the government.

We have lobbyists, petitions, we are encouraged to call and write to our senators to make a difference. All of the sudden, people who criticize Bush are libel hippies, anti-Americans and traitors. The underlying reason behind criticisms is that we care, we want what we believe is the best scenario.

Ever since I spoke about Bush and criticized some of the policies in the past 4 years on my private web space away from community message boards, I've been labeled anything from "don't support our troops" to a "traitor." Even when I talk about sorryeverybody site, a few dozen decides I'm better off to Europe.

Sometimes I wonder if those people who label me and put me as a "type", a discrimination on my individuality realize that I think the same back. Whining is a different story, but criticisms and coming up with a plan for improving how things are is one of the essential traits of being an American.