Of all of the constant drumbeats we hear from the Left in this country the one that sets my teeth on edge the fastest is the incessant moaning about the loss of America's "moral authority" and our diminished standing in the eyes of the world.

I call Bull****.

If there was ever a global program created that essentially offered citizenship and free boat rides from any country to any country the United States would take in about 80% of the world's population exactly as quickly as passenger transport space allowed.

To many, the election of Barack Obama means that only now can they say, "Yes, we can!" Only now are the limitations gone. Only now is America a place where they can pursue their dreams unencumbered by [insert personal encumbrance or injustice here].

At the risk of sounding harsh....if you were waiting on Barack Obama to tell you, "Yes, you can!", then I have some bad news:

You still won't.

You still won't because the limitation is within you.

Take it from a guy who knows.

I was born into the Lebanese civil war, both chronologically and geographically. My earliest memories are those of hiding in a makeshift bunker, huddling to pray with my family and neighbors, while a barrage of fire rained down outside. My other memories are those of constantly hearing gunfire while in school, and of speeding on more than one occasion toward a ship that would take refugees to the nearby island of Cyprus when the burden became just too much to bear.

I lived in a country ruled by neighboring Syria, with an unstable society and an economy in tatters, until my parents made the best decision of their lives - bringing my sisters and me to America. I began learning my third language, English, in eighth grade, and I had far from mastered it through much of high school. I was mocked by some in high school for not being American enough, and by many in college for not being anti-American enough. Two days after the 9/11 attacks, and only a few miles from the Pentagon, one of my teachers told me that I bore an uncanny resemblance to Mohammed Atta.

Let's just say that I didn't start life with a big advantage. Far from it.

Yet not for one second did I believe that I faced limitations other than my own initiative. Had I stayed in Lebanon, or gone to Africa, South America or even Europe, I probably would have had overwhelming obstacles beyond my control. But not in America. Not in the one country that provides you with equality of opportunity. And I didn't need some politician to give me self-esteem or hope. I already knew I could.

When you hear about America's diminished standing in the world it always...always...comes from those who must bear the awful brunt of less enjoyable cocktail parties in cushy salons abroad because they have to listen to people who don't share our interests criticize our policies and actions.

You never hear about it from people like Paul Ibrahim.