Unfortunately, too many Americans fail to appreciate how important the world is to America. They also believe we give large amounts of GDP in foreign aid. 9/11 may have shown that the oceans are no longer an absolute barrier of protection but we do not realize how many good we sell abroad and how our ability to buy foreign goods make for a richer life. Additionally we are so used to having everyone take dollars and have commodities like oil be priced in dollars we probably can't imagine what it would be like to convert our currency like most other people in the world.

I am not sure this is a good area for the Democratic Party to champion. Nor do I think reflexively anti-American academics should do it either but there needs to be an aggressive effort to bring the world to Americans. How we benefit from the rest of the world. How the world needs a policeman to make trade and travel safe and the world relatively pacific and whether we like it or not America is that policeman for the good of Americans.

I fear that we Baby Boomers like to hear only comforting words. We need institutions who will tell us the truth about the world we live in.