You can't get around the fact that U.S. foreign policy sucks.

However, I think most people around the world know that the U.S. government does not represent its people outside the U.S. - rather it only represents a few powerful lobbies and their usually distasteful demands. I'm thinking about large American corporations and Israel here, who between them pretty much determine who gets elected in America. So in my mind and I'm sure the minds of many, the actions of the U.S. government are easily separatable from the caracter of the American people.

I have found that most Americans are far more polite when overseas than the average international traveler outside his or her home country. Even when I was a youngster growing up in London, I enjoyed meeting Americans (and Canadians, who were the same as Americans to a ten year old) more than any other nationality, because they were so friendly, upbeat and appeared to be very willing to learn about other cultures.