tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1673747533541391425.post7024168028425519359..comments2010-02-21T06:04:40.590+02:00Mark Jacobsenhttps://profiles.google.com/107999162787819355839noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1673747533541391425.post-41986516473213565942010-02-21T06:04:40.590+02:002010-02-21T06:04:40.590+02:00Your strategy is correct. I have had many such conversations in Europe, the Middle East, China, and Africa with people deeply suspicious and fearful of the United States. I challenged their assumptions by listening to what they had to say, trying to understand why they felt that way, and respectfully disagreeing with them. Once a German friend got very upset at another American who had behaved in a way that confirmed many of the German's worst stereotypes of Americans. He contrasted the other American's behavior with mine, that he considered acceptable. He thought that he was complimenting me when he said, "It is a mistake that you are an American." I simply asked him why he chose to judge Americans by the other's bad behavior instead of his respect for me.Lester Pittmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03066353609241041101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1673747533541391425.post-4558043678554700522010-02-19T04:51:51.233+02:002010-02-19T04:51:51.233+02:00This is an incredibly helpful article. I've been sharing this with many of my more conservative, fundamentalist friends in and outside of the military, and it's amazing what sort of discussion has ensued. Please keep up the writing on this and other topics.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com