TODAY is July 4, American Independence Day. Always a special day for the United States, but this year of particular significance.
In the past 12 months the American people suffered the atrocity of September 11, when suicidal killers struck at the commercial and military hearts of their nation.
In the weeks that followed, there was near-universal sympathy for the US and widespread support for the "war on terrorism" launched by President Bush against al-Qaeda and its backers.
They were fighting not just to preserve the freedom and independence they celebrate each July 4 but also to protect the world from terror.
But support for Mr Bush and his aides is not as strong today.
The war they have waged has been a sham, with the only noticeable result the replacement of the hated Taliban regime in Afghanistan with one which is a bit less frightening, as John Pilger says in today's Daily Mirror.
The killing of 40 people at a wedding party this week was only the latest act of slaughter against innocent civilians.
The problem for the UK is that Tony Blair was too willing to give unqualified support to Mr Bush. The Royal Marines, the finest fighting force in the world, were ordered in to make the President look good.
Today the Marines are on their way home. Their mission has cost millions and achieved nothing.
Al-Qaeda vanished before they got there, leaving them chasing shadows.
The American people are not to blame. It is their leaders who are abusing their country's overwhelming power.
Tony Blair should be telling the President to stop playing to the US ultra-right and start acting with the responsibility the world expects from his country.
The support of the euroweenies has never been strong. They don't even have the word strong in their vocabulary.
It's time these punk ingrates shut their mouths. Pokey, you and I have paid thousands of dollars over our lifetimes in tax money to support the defense, defaulted World Bank loans, food and medical relief aid, outright grants and sweetheart trade deals for ALL these European, Asian and African sh*tholes. And they hate us and undermine our interests in return.
We protect Kuwaitis, Saudis and Albanian Muslims in Kosovo. So Muslims murder us.
Enough is enough. I'd tell the World that they owe the American people a great debt, and they damn well better accept that truth and the reality that our citizens will no longer abide their ungrateful attacks while picking our pockets. No more bouncers in the Balkans. No more aid to Africa. No $4 billion gifts from our people to Israel or Egypt. Portugal ... get bent. Cameroon ... feed your own damn people. Greece ... eat me.