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Any overseas trip offers the added benefit of a different perspective on the United States. That's true even when you visit a country that's not radically different from ours - such as Ireland, where I had the pleasure of traveling recently.

The U.S. government tends to take a beating overseas, especially in Europe, but from what I saw, it puts on a very good public face. The customs and immigration officials we encountered were particularly efficient and helpful. The Transportation Security Administration's workers make the best of a very difficult situation brought on by the policies they're required to enforce.

Think about this the next time you travel: Who do you have more difficulty with: the federal officials staffing the various checkpoints, or the private sector employees of the airlines? And do the actions of either of those groups begin to compare with the boorish behavior of some of your fellow passengers?

The low point of my trip was the last leg of the return voyage, in the cramped cabin of a small jet-liner flying from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National. After briskly making our way through customs and our second security check of the day, we boarded the aircraft. Immediately, we were treated to the incessant badgering of a fanatical flight attendant, who issued four separate lectures on the need to remain seated during the last 30 minutes of the 40-minute flight into Washington.

Once the plane was finally aloft, its inhabitants - many of them members of a delegation of South Africans headed to America's capital - were treated to a passenger's harangue on the evils of the Bush administration and congressional leaders. The GOP is "drunk with power," the traveler matter-of-factly proclaimed, with little in the way of factual argument to back up his contention that the very future of the country was at risk.

To me, it was a stark example of a phenomenon that becomes apparent on any trip to Europe: The history of the United States is so relatively short that we tend to blow current events - especially in the political realm - out of proportion. This has become particularly acute in the post-Sept. 11 world, when everybody is trying to figure out just who's to blame for that lingering sense of insecurity in the land. To put it more bluntly: We've become a nation of whiners, bent on finger-pointing and eager to put the worst possible face on our current situation. That's the face we present to the world - along with our cultural face, which is a nightmare of a different sort. (There's nothing like seeing an episode of Judge Judy on one of Ireland's small number of TV networks to make one want to bury one's face in one's hands.)

In Ireland, by contrast, they take the long view - the very long view. I had the pleasure of visiting the town of Trim, which is less than an hour outside ever-more-modern Dublin, but rooted in a far earlier age. A castle in the town, erected in 1173, shortly after the Norman invasion of Ireland, remains remarkably intact. (If you've seen the movie Braveheart, you're already familiar with the structure, as it played a prominent role in the film.) The Trim castle serves as a living reminder of the Irish experience of domination by outsiders. So does another of the town's historical landmarks, pointed out by our tour guide as we stood atop the castle's 400-foot wall - a statue honoring Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington.

Wellington was born in Ireland and attended school in Trim. But he gained fame as the British military leader who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815, which makes it something of a surprise that a monument in his honor still stands. Many other statues of British leaders have been destroyed in the course of the seemingly never-ending disputes between Irish republicans and the British. As recently as 1966, a group of ex-Irish Republican Army members blew up a monument in Dublin to famed British admiral Horatio Nelson. Yet the Wellington memorial survives - "so far," our guide archly noted.

In one brief castle tour, we were treated to a theme of Irish history played out over more than eight centuries. Now that'll give you a sense of perspective.

COMMENTS

• Hitler, Caesar, Ike...IKE??? What's wrong with Ike? We like Ike! GovExec.com reader Posted August 8, 2005 4:20 PM
• I am glad you got your trip to Ireland but you seem to miss the point. The Irish have been fighting with Great Britian for decades. In the USA we called it the American Revolution, but I guess Tom needs to ask the IRA what they call it over there! Braveheart's castle has nothing to do with it! The Irish have no long-term outlook similar to the USA. In fact, the Irish in Ireland, for the most part, came here! (thank you grandma and grandpa). The whining of the USA has to do with the loss of freedoms. Giving up freedom for security is a downfall repeated over and over throughout history - Hitler provided security, Ceasar provided security, Ike provided security, etc etc etc and in every case the population gave up its individual freedoms for the sake of the group. People are not whining about small matters! The loss of individual freedoms amounts to the death of democracy. The USA is great because of individual freedom. In particular the balance of individual freedoms and group necessities has been achieved in the USA. Now the balance is moving away from individual freedoms to group decisions. No one in the USA is responsible for themselves anymore! The feds will tell us what our standard of education should be and what the speed limit will be and were you can work and what you will pay for. The power of central government in the USA is far in excess of what it should be and the whiners are simply saying that we need more individual freedoms and less group determination. I will continue to whine on the side of individual freedoms and against group regulations but there has to be a balance and no one really knows when we are in balance. However, when we give up enough individual freedoms, there will be revolution against government as has happened throughout history. I think we have the long-term view Tom. taxpayer Posted July 28, 2005 9:29 AM
• Give 'em hell Shop! Whiny liberals are going to be the end of this nation unless we show them who's the boss! Retired Customs Inspector Posted July 12, 2005 1:17 AM