It has always surprised me that in a world of relations as hard as that of the United States, cordiality constantly springs out like water from an unstanchable fountain.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
However fragmented the world, however intense the national rivalries, it is an inexorable fact that we become more interdependent every day.
It is hard to cement any relations with any country based on promises that may not be deliverable.
When I look at the world, I recognize that unfortunately, it sometimes takes an atrocity like 9/11 to force us to come together.
The economic and political roots of the conflicts are too strong for us to pretend to create a lasting state of harmonious understanding between men.
The world of American politics is more contentious than it has ever been in my lifetime.
In the twentieth century one of the most personal relationships to have developed is that of the person and the state. It's become a fact of life that governments have become very intimate with people, most always to their detriment.
On one side, citizens have great respect for the United States; they have a great feeling of friendship. That is solid. But in the opposition and in the political arena I often find criticism of the closeness of relations with the United States. That is a reality.
The United States has got to adopt a policy of befriending and creating allies around the world.
The British claim to have a special relationship with the U.S., but if you mention this in Washington, no one knows what you are talking about.
It's painfully obvious to see that as Americans we can sometimes be wrapped up in our own affairs.