It has been something of a crazy ride for the people of the United States these past five years. Brutally awakened from the somnolence of a seeming Golden Age of indomitably by the terrorists of 9/11, we’ve had a new worldview thrust upon us that we’re still grappling with. While it may be futile to try to generalize the feelings of 300 million people, there are some basic facts about the American experience that are knowable. Despite a few isolated cases of aggression against those of Middle Eastern or Islamic background, by and large the peoples of the U.S. of A. seem to intuitively grasp that this heinous act was the work of a fringe group, and there was very little evidence of any stirrings of real or prolonged anti-Arabness in this country. That said, we were susceptible to the machinations of mad King George II, who was able to stir up nationalism and exploit it on his crusade into the heart of Araby. He was able to ride the tide long enough to be re-elected by the largest majority of votes in modern American history. What was the world to make of all ...