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Until recently, we have been rather understanding of those countries who support us privately while slapping us in public. It was all part of the game, and who cares as long as at the end of the day, they do the right thing.

But things have deteriorated since then, and this double game has itself become part of the problem. Since these countries have only supported us privately, they have never had to defend their actions to their own people, and so there has been no philosophical counter-current to oppose the default anti-americanism that is ever present. And, so, it finally gets to the point that the governments do not dare to support us even in private, so great is the hostility among the people.

We don't need those kinds of friends anymore. I refer specifically to countries like Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, and our latin american brothers as well. We need friends who are prepared to help us in the full light of day, and to explain their decision to their own people, to engage openly in the debate that is necessary to build a national consensus, so that our support in a given country is more than just skin deep, and our support goes beyond a few government functionaries in-the-know.

Countries that are not our friends when the bullets are flying should not expect to be treated as friends when it is dinner time, when contracts are being dispursed, and when they are themselves under attack. They must understand that we are deadly serious, and they will have to earn their way out of the doghouse. Try sending some commandos to Afghanistan, a few hundred, not just a few clerks, we want to see who is willing to help us publicly, and at some risk to themselves.