Mav, i think that number (65%) exist, becuase americans, with all our fault, have a system of justice. Most Americans believe OJ "got away with murder"-- but he had is day in court, and he will not be "assasinated". he might be a social outcast, but he will live.
We have very little trust in justice in other countries, england pehaps being the exception, the rest of europe iffy.
maybe we are wrong. but we don't have any faith, that any "government" in any mid eastern country, even if presented with the cancelled checked for the payment of the flight school, or the paying the bills for the the terrorist who boared the flight, would find any of their nationalist guilty-- actually, we think, the accused, would be "hiding out" in plain site, going about unencombered by the law.
it is from this perspective, (right or wrongly held) that the appalling number arises.
One of the truths is, as Cap't Kiwi can tell you, america is a big, and beautiful country. and unfortunately, unlike Kiwi's or Ozzies, we don't have a sense that we need to go out and see the world. the percentage of americans who have travel abroad is very low (look at bush--his idea of world travel was canada and mexico.)
i don't know which comes first, our personal narrow parochial views, or our political isolation. but they do go hand in hand. the rest of the world is a little scary to america, -- and they close their eyes to it-- but are very happy to enjoy the riches corporate america hauls off from where ever. We are a youthful nation, we grew a bit with the WW's, but now, we must come to acting as adults in the world.
