I've now been "on the ground" here in the Land of Lafayette for 48 hours [I'm here for the semi annual meetings of the Military Knighthood Order of Knights Templar  www.osmth.org], and as both a retired military officer and an American proud of our country, I have been very much amazed and, I must admit, stunned and very much surprised at the warmth of the greetings and hospitality that I have seen in the local French. And yes, we're in Paris.

Perhaps it may be that the Templar military background and conservative religious nature of the Order are part of the cause, but I've been both pleased and astounded with the number of French men and women that have come up to me and told me, some "whispering in confidence", that "we're going to be changing our government here and it's going to be much more pro—American and much more friendly to America than this current bunch". 

Now, the meetings I'm at are NOT political — rather they are humanitarian and military and chivalric and "knighthood order" in basis, yet the French are coming up to me unsolicited with these comments and I can see in their eyes that they are serious.  Like I said, I'm both stunned and amazed and pleasantly surprised.

Perhaps I'm being overly hopeful, but I thought I'd share this with you because it has been such a surprise to me.  I'm astounded, after all the news media feeds us about how the whole world hates us, to find that, at least here in Paris on this trip and with these people, and in Paris of all places, I'm hearing just the opposite, and it's been darn nice to hear.

Now if you could see the anti—American drivel and out and out "blame America first" crap that CNN International and the BBC channels over here spew out, that's a whole different story.  It is so bad and so duplicitous and so false and so one—sided that I'm amazed that everyone over here doesn't think we're the absolute scourge of the world.  What the news media, and the Hollywood idiots they quote, and the talking heads they use, spew out is a constant stream of not one, but story after story after story that is negative to the very core, about our country.  And knowing firsthand the truth about our country, it is almost criminal what these news media channels are putting out to the people over here as "news" and "facts".

Truly outrageous and totally disgusting.

Well, thanks for listening.  Just had to share all this with you, and particularly the unsolicited comments of the French that have approached me to express their friendship for us and their disdain for their own current anti—American government.  Truly an eye—opener.  And while I realize that "all elections are fickle", hope springs eternal.  Look to France.  There may be a change coming.  Or at least let us hope so, based on what I'm being told in Paris in mid—October.

James Carey is a retired U. S. Navy Rear Admiral and served in both the Reagan and George Bush Sr. Administrations as Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission.  He is currently the Chairman of the National Defense Committee