The victory of President George W Bush in this US election holds valuable lessons to Malaysians. These lessons are important to those, and there are significant number in Malaysia, who call American arrogant, corrupt or morally weak.

Firstly, Americans hold certain values that no one in the world can question. Bush made this campaign about core American values and the American people decided quite clearly. Such values at its core is about individual freedom and traditional American family values - individual responsibilities, hard work, enterprise etc. No one is going to convince them they have corrupt values, or evil, or weak morally.

The US has essentially given a mandate for Bush to spread freedom - political, religious, and social, as far as he can. So those who think there is any negotiation about such rights and freedom, Americans have sent a message that they are more than willing to take the debate to them.

Secondly, Americans believe in the right to defend themselves if attack. They will not entertain any notion that no matter what wrong their system of government or policy of an administration may do, no one outside their country has a right to physically attack them.

This is quite clear given that most voters felt that Bush prematurely attacked Iraq and yet most believe that he essentially can be trusted to deal with terrorists and foreign policy. In part, it's their faith in their open society to provide sufficient checks and balances. In other word, while they thought Bush was wrong in prematurely attacking Iraq, he was not wrong in toppling Saddam Hussein.

Thirdly, while Americans believe that their wealth and consumerism is the core of their strength, they are more than willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to defend themselves and their way of life. Most voters thought that Bush did poorly on economic issues and would continue to do so and yet those same voters voted for him.

In other words, to underestimate American materialism as weakness is to underestimate their core believes and confidence. The Japanese and Germans underestimated the Americans in World War II and was clearly told otherwise. This time, Americans has decided to sent the same message to terrorists and extremists.

Fourth, American has sent a message that there is no negotiation as far as their major interest is concern. Although John Kerry essentially only promised that he would only change the way foreign policy was conducted and not the core purpose or goals, American decided that it is not their responsibility to be exacting when their major interest, which is essentially non-negotiable, is threatened.

In other words, Americans believe in the righteousness of their major interest and no one can tell them otherwise by picking on minor points when the larger more important issues are not dealt with. Those who believe in the Palestinian cause and blame US involvement better note this fact. US' Middle East policy may be far from perfect but Americans do not believe themselves to be mostly at fault and the major responsibility of the Middle East situation does not lie with them.

This election has been one of the most fascinating. It tells a lot about what Americans are and how they behave. Those who do not heed its lesson, only do so at their own loss and futility.