The foreign reaction to the National Security Agency revelations that I have heard most has been not only how arrogant Washington has been in spying on its allies but, worse than that, how arrogant everyone in Washington and most of the American press and television has been about foreigners.
The all but unanimous American response to critics has been "Everybody does it," or "If you could, you would be doing it, too," or, best of all, "Look, buddy, this is the U.S. and if you don't like it ..."
The old attitude of "We're No. 1, and make something of it," is back. One might think the serial catastrophes of recent American foreign policy would shut a few American mouths, but this hasn't happened, and there is more arrogance on the way if you read the news.