I find this post both provacative and well thought. In many respects I agree, i think it is foolish to run arround with nothing but a positive attitude and not acknowledge negative things. We are all a balance of both energies and we need both to live full lives.

There is an episode of the old Star Trek series where Captain Kirk is somehow seperated into two people, one embodies his hate, anger, fear, and sadness, the other his compassion, love, synpathy. Neither of the two entities could function. The "Good" Kirk was weak, indecisive, passive, the "bad" Kirk was dangerous and ultimately self destructive.

America by innate nature was always a can-do optimistic kinda of place. We are a young country and lack the more innate cynisim of Western Europe, So I think the folks there perceive us as pollyannas and we perceive Western Europe as a bunch of grouses, each must learn from the other.