First, this is the kind of thing that had us moving there in the first place ... I'm displeased with the adversarial/entitled tack that my country's government

First, this is the kind of thing that had us moving there in the first place ... I'm displeased with the adversarial/entitled tack that my country's government sometimes takes with its people, and I'm still hopeful that this is different elsewhere. FWIW, my wife and I were in the middle of a move to California to work for Google, and we decided we didn't want to do that and that we'd rather live in NZ instead (I'm a kiwi but had lived overseas for 13 years, she's foreign produce). I've been very disappointed with some of what I've seen from a legal/political point of view since I came back but NZ is still streaks ahead of most other places I've lived from a quality of life standpoint (with some exceptions, primarily cost of living will shock you coming from the States). We're really happy with the decision we made and I feel like we have a much better life here than we would have had there. Where will you be living? I hope that the bad isn't dwarfing the good to the extent where the term "Americanism" becomes synonymous with "McCarthyism." Sadly, between the NSA and the TPP, as a foreigner it's getting harder and harder to see the good of the US. I'm afraid that in my experience your whole government and system of governance, at least, is getting tarred with your foreign policy brush. That said, I don't know any Americans who have experienced any sort of personal issue with the people they meet here because of this, but the country itself is not seen as an agent of good IMO.