No American lies awake at night worrying what other countries think about us.

I do. I've lived and worked all over the world, and life is better for everyone when we like each other. I've worked closely with people we once fought against, Mexicans, Germans, Japanese, Vietnamese. International business is much more productive with a positive environment. The big dog approach is counter productive.

I recently had my appendix removed in a rural hospital in Costa Rica. They were very nice to me, I got good care, and they never asked about payment. I much prefer a world that has a positive view of Americans.

.... only started to distrust the US when DOGE shut down USAID?
Did you follow the quake in Myanmar? The US sent three people with 2 million dollars for relief, then recalled the people and fired them. The Chinese sent a big crew in red uniforms and genuinely helped. Moral and compassionate issues aside, if we want countries to align with the US, we would do well to make a favorable impression