A short history of the United States: "Canadians, Mexicans, and fish"

Having those for neighbours is the basis of the United States' rise to world power, sez Aaron David Miller in Foreign Policy's "How Geography Explains the United States"

After that promising start -- and Miller credits historian Thomas Bailey for it -- the rest of the article is a letdown. Possibly the foreign policy elite of the US can take seriously statements like  "Americans seem to believe that because rational dialogue, debate, and compromise have served the United States well, the rest of the world should follow in their footsteps." The rest of the world is likely to be saying: "Health care? Gun control? Religion? The filibuster? Torture? George Bush?  George Bush?  GEORGE BUSH?"