On many postings I express my scathing criticism of the extravagancy of American consumer culture and the destructiveness and corruption of American politics. I have to admit that I have been rather uneasy each time I touch this topic, because it sounds so unpatriotic to speak unfavorably of America, even if everything said is true, that is, to the best of my knowledge.

To balance the two sides of America, I feel the need to emphasize the fact that, despite the recent unfavorable image of America brought about by Bush wars, I still hold dear the memory of an America imbued with idealism, represented by the Civil Rights and the antiwar movements of 1960s, by JFK’s call for “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country” and his Peace Corps; and the humanitarianism demonstrated in the Hands Across America in 1986, Habitat For Humanity drive, and the life skills taught at public schools to both of my children, etc.

America has changed so drastically from the one lived by JFK and Martin Luther King, Jr. Not that we like all these changes but we cannot help whatsoever. Yet, it is always soul-comforting to retreat back to your history book.