A new study shows that "Hostility towards the US has reached 'shocking' levels in the Muslim world".

Now then, if someone has a poor opinion of you, or expresses hostility toward you, of course you should engage in introspection. But your analysis should also take into consideration just who is criticizing you.

We're an open democracy with a free press, who peacefully transfer power to elected leaders on a regular basis. The vast majority of Arab countries are dictatorships, with little or no human rights, no free press, and the vilification of minorities. Arab countries in the Middle East translate fewer books combined than the number translated each year by Spain. They are, for the most part, closed, repressive societies with strong streaks of religious fundamentalism.

So I ask: Who needs to take a harder look at their policies? Who really needs more reform?

"Surveys indicate that much of the resentment toward America stems from real conflicts and displeasure with policies, including those involving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and Iraq," the US report says.

And why aren't the pollsters calling me up asking my opinion of Middle Eastern countries? My view of Saudi Arabia isn't very goddamn favorable, either. My resentment stems from real conflicts and displeasure with policies, including forcing young girls to burn alive in a school because of a fucking religious dress code, fomenting intolerance and hatred of America by supporting hard-line religious schools, and a little thing called 9/11.

Where the hell are the calls for Middle Eastern governments to take a good hard look at themselves? To change their policies? To worry about how they are perceived by the rest of the world?