When events unfolded in Syria, Ukraine and now Iraq, Senator McCain took issue with the President because he did not utilize a modern day “Gunboat Diplomacy” as a means to an end.

The Senator, Dick Cheney, and other conservatives believe such inaction has diminished the nation’s image in the eyes of the rest of the world.

As the world’s only Super Power the United States lives in a fishbowl. Everything we do is subject to review by a foreign press and citizenry who view our actions through a different set of lenses—often self-serving and biased.

Picture yourself sitting at a café in one of the world’s capital cities and reading article after article in which the citizenry of this country angrily describes their government as “dysfunctional” with 93 percent of voters saying they do not trust Congress. Not a pretty picture.

Or having a latte (Starbucks is everywhere) while reviewing a story on global warming and noting some Republican political leaders are saying it is all a “hoax.” The reader must wonder how that can be when almost all other nations accept the science as fact.

Another capital, another coffee house, another negative article. This time it is about a school shooting……again! The story says the gun lobby prevents the government from doing anything (the word “dysfunctional” comes to the reader’s mind).

How about Texas’ bravado regarding the use of the death penalty? Only Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and China have such a punishment. “Great company to be in!”

Yes, I purposely chose some of my own self-serving issues in order to make a point. There are many reasons why a nation(s) may or may not admire or respect the United States. Senator McCain and his think-alikes are wrong to zero in on “guns and bullets” as the major rationale.