I just have some "food for thought" in response to the article by Fred Kaplan regarding America's image abroad, (which was a worthwhile read). As an immigrant in Canada who has lived in numerous countries, I find that America needs to take a step back, and stop trying to force itself onto the plates and TV sets of other countries.

American culture - whatever you perceive that to be - is precisely that; American. American values have become another commodity to be exported, and ultimately that's what really gets under the skin of people abroad. Of course, at America's heart is "spreading capitalism" and really keeping the American economy going, at the expense of the rest of the world - which doesn't go unnoticed either.

The honest truth is, the United States, with it's tremendous resources over the years, has lodged its cultural, social, and economic foundations into the lives of most people on this planet, and that alone frustrates people, who feel their culture disappears under this Herculean force called "America". Believe it or not, but some people just want America to stay in America - and this realization is hard to digest for good ol' Uncle Sam.

Ultimately, improving America's image is an uphill battle that not too many are willing to fight - and who'd even want to? To improve America's image means raising the level of education to global standards, improving social welfare and healthcare, developing more diversified cultural environments, and making political decisions based on merit and common sense, rather than corporate agendas - and that my dear Americans is something no one in your beloved country has the guts to do - that's the de facto scenario; also known as reality.

As the French say - C'est La Vie.