They also don't get air time...they don't make for good news.
The only people who have a genuine grudge against Americans would be the Central Americans (who we pretty well fucked over in the 20th Century) and the American Indians who we nearly wiped out. [we killed 90% of them...which I would think might initiate a grudge]
Against American Christians as a specific and distinct group, none should have a grudge...
Part of the problem is people want simple black-and-white situations. It's much easier to say that all Muslims are bad, and therefore Islam is a bad rellgion. After all, it was and effective motivating tool for ignorant Europeans that were nominal Christians during the Crusades. Some people want to take the time to figure out what's going on, some just want to find an enemy: it helps to channel their shadow aspects into constructive, or destructive, activity. People want an enemy.
I don't think people truly mean to downplay the nastiness of certain Muslim groups, but lets not extend that nastiness to include a religion as a whole, or to all Muslims. We should also make sure that just because someone thinks there is a different way of dealing with these tricky situations, doesn't mean that he or she does not want to right wrongs. I personally do think that war solves this stuff, for violence begets violence. But I unlike many democrats and republicans, I was against the invasion from the beginning.
Don't limit the screwing over to South America and the Native Americans either--the U.S. has had its hand in the Middle East as well--Hussein probably wouldn't have risen to powever, after all, without being backed by us.
No matter what the U.S. has done, however, it did not deserve any of the violent attacks on it. I do want to say, though (and this will probably stick in my buddy Stoney's craw) if you screw other nations by using them for your own economic benefit, and to their detriment (even if in that land it is technically legal), it probably will not foster a sentiment of good will toward that dominating country. ("It's just business" may work for those reaping the gains, for those who are bearing the brunt of the situation, they're just being screwed). People are not aware/refuse to acknowledge these kind of connections, and then resort to a simple matter of idealistic differences as the reason for animosity toward the U.S. And then what?
Hegel, that dude who some think glorified war, also made this quote: "What experience and history teach is this -- that people and governments never have learned anythingfrom history, or acted on principles deduced from it." Maybe some hyperbole is used, but still, it makes you wonder.
I just want to repeat an earlier sentence, just in case people want to overlook it: No matter what the U.S. has done, however, it did not deserve any of the violent attacks on it.
