To establish a basis for my critic of the American Myth, I will illustrate several examples. Each of these are variations on a central set of themes. These themes are constant in our society even with their embedded contradictions. To a great extent, it is the contradictions that determine, more than anything else, our actions as a nation state. Together, these several myth elements combine to make the American Myth - a rich soup of competing icons that drives the ambiguous, passive-aggressive reality of our daily life and our exercise of political, economic, military power and contempt for planet Earth much of its plant and animal life and many of our fellow human beings. Of course, we do not think of us having this attitude and disposition. That also is a consequence of our myth. The difference between a terrorists and a freedom fighters is often which side they are on and who wins and consequently writes the history. We condemn genocide, as we should, but deny our own history [link]. The considerable good that we have done in the world is not nullified by the facts of our darker side nor does it excuse them. We tend to flip back and forth between genuine benevolence and over reactive violence. This must make us a very scary neighbor indeed.