The United States is suffering a bad reputation. And just like high school, once aquired a bad rap is hard to shed. The United States has long been called the beacon of hope and freedom in the world. The motto on the Statute of Liberty is "Give me you tired, you poor, your huddled masses, yearning to be free." In many ways, the US is still that place for many people. Millions of foreigners apply for visas to work, study and tour the United States every year. Many more attempt to illegally enter the US from our southern border. Yet, for many of the world's most disaffected, the US is nothing more than a democracy wearing the flag of hypocrisy. The US commands a large share of the world's wealth, and routinely negotiates bilateral trade deals that leave the lesser-well off nations in subordinate and dependant positions. In addition, the US uses half of the world's oil for less than 6% of the world's total population. The rich in America keep getting richer while the poor keep getting poorer. The world's poor, and eventhe world's better off, continue to feel their development stagnated by the US.

Economics isn't the only area where the US is suffering from an image problem. The US vigorously guards the nuclear status quo and objects to any new nations acquiring the bomb. Many countries want it for the same reason the United States does: deterrance. Many nations make their homes in volatile regions, and as such, they build their armies and buy weapons instead of invest in development. The US profits on these weapons sales and actively encourages even the poorest of countries to buy the newest and most expensive weapons on the market.

Of course the biggest source of dislike comes from the invasion of Iraq, and for those with longer memories, the US Latin America policy of the 1980's, the overthrow of "communist" regimes, the Vietnam War, etc. Many in the world still feel angry over these policies past which Americans forget about the moment the next celebrity forgets to wear her panties. However, for those in the war zone or left to pick up the pieces and bury the dead, these wounds never heal. They become institutionalized and passed on from generation to generation. The problem of Islamic terrorism will remain endemic and unbreakable because of this factor. The President routinely telling the world that "all options are on the table" when asked about varying hotspots in the world, only serves to heighten the paranoia pervasive in the most troubled areas of the world.

The United States needs to get a good PR team. The focus should be on acknowledging the legitimate grievances of people and trying to make amends. While we pump billions of dollars into Iraq, we leave others to fend for themselves. The US is not an evil nation and should not be categorized as such. We send billions in aid packages to myriad countries and are always willing to extend a hand during a natual disaster, a la the 2004 Christmas tsunami or the 2003 earthquake in Iran. Yet, we must stop refering to ourselves only by our military might and pursue economic policies and trade deals that serve to lift underdeveloped nations into a comfortable standard of living. Student exchange programs and a more streamlined visa process will bring scores of people to the country who will have their opinions shaped by their personal experiences and not the passed on histories of their parents. The United States is a great country, but it can be better. It will take hard work and patience but in the end, it is the only way to succeed in rehabilitating our image and stopping the desperate from turning to terrorism. It is necessary work and will take a long time but it is our only choice.