Speaking personally and not attempting to speak for the world at large, I am living in fear.

All my life, I have been able to muster optimism for the future. This optimism is, as far as I can tell, a major constituent part of the American Dream. What makes America great to me are the following:

Freedom of expression
A sense of optimism about the future
Good (but clearly imperfect) quality of life
Opportunities for individual improvement
Political stability, lack of political violence

I feel like this America is fading, losing its lustre. And I can't blame Al Qaeda for this, not entirely. The response to September 11th, which I believe has been largely inappropriate, has left us with a battered country. Despite the unity that I felt immediately after 9-11, I find an America which is politically divided. I see a world that doesn't respect the US and sees it as a petty bully. I have experienced an economy where companies are unwilling to hire at the entry level, where unemployment balloons and the stock market limps along.

Surely we can do better. Much better.