Other Columns by Frank Salvato
Frank Salvato Bio

Printer-Friendly Version

One can't enter into a political discussion these days without hearing about how badly American "credibility" has been damaged or how our "image" abroad has suffered under the current presidency. From Bob Beckel to Mary Anne Marsh, Dick Durbin to Nancy Pelosi, it is a talking point used ad nauseum. But is our credibility and image damaged? And, if so, who really did the most damage to them?

Through the course of history the United States has always stood for freedom and a Republican form of government. Over the last 230 years, those who have served our country -- both in uniform and in government -- have shed their blood, sacrificed and given their lives so that We the People could remain free; free to pursue happiness and free to exercise the rights afforded to us under the Constitution.

So, too, over the course of our history, our nation has responded when the face of evil has revealed itself. Each time the peoples of the world have found themselves confronted by oppression and tyranny, each time the world has called for our help in battling the enemies of freedom, the United States (especially those wearing her uniforms) has answered the call without fail, unwavering in our dedication to securing the freedom of the oppressed from the four corners of the earth.

These truths being evident, and accepting the fact that the US is perhaps the most potent, and some say only super-power in the world; one would think that our image and credibility wouldn't be in question. Given that the US has taken the lead in liberating Europe from the oppression of fascism twice; has effectively vanquished a totalitarian foe in the Cold War; and has entered into conflicts in the Middle East to unshackle an invaded country, free millions from the genocidal grip of a power-hungry totalitarian and fight a global war against Islamofascism that few countries have the courage to aid us in fighting, one would believe it laughable to question our "image" and our "credibility."

Yet, US credibility is questioned.

Throughout Europe and the Middle East, from South America to Asia, people rail against the United States, burning our flag and calling for our defeat. This occurs in many of the countries that would be speaking the foreign tongues of their invaders had it not been for actions taken by the United States in the last century. To say that these people have "Attention Deficit Disorder" would be an understatement.

But looking through the eyes of a world that employs a sitcom attention-span, and views the United States as protector instead of embracing it as partner, I can see a few instances where the people of the world might have been moved to a diminished view of our country over the last 50 years.

>> Continued -- Page 1 2 3