Interesting comment, deserves a serious response. I may be wrong, but I just don't think what is operating is the below.

"We already know why we are hated. It has nothing to do with Israel or Palestine. There are many people on this planet who simply cannot live in the same world with Westernized culture: economic freedom and its resulting wealth, political freedom and its resulting freedom of thought, religious freedom, and its resulting secular government."

I don't know how we already know it isn't our support for Israel.

People are happy with the system with which they grow. People don't want to attack cultures because they envy economic freedom, etc. I've met Russians who during the Cold War didn't hate the US at all, did envy the goodies, just wanted to live their own lives in their own homeland.

I think they don't like us because we do bankroll causes which have an adverse impact upon people with whom they feel closer than they do us.

For instance, the Shah of Iran was installed as the result of a CIA sponsored coup. After he was put into power, the CIA trained the SAVAK in ways to control populations, inlcuding methods of torture. The US bankrolled the equipment used to do that, and then sold them the tools used to oppress the people.

The people knew the US was behind it, and they didn't like the US for it. The US purchased oil less expensively, but the price was an oppressed people who hated us.

I think that sort of thing is more likely to create hate than envy of roads, or houses, or any of the freedoms they don't miss.

I learned something a long time ago. The use of power always creates enemies. Period. I can force you to do something, and you're going to hate me. Sometimes you have to use it and there's a price. (Actually, most of the time if you really have it, you don't have to use it.)

Just a thought.

Arf