Let me tell you a short story. When I was in elementary school, the school was plagued by a bully. He was the biggest, strongest kid around and would beat up anyone he didn't like. We were all exceedingly polite to his face, but hated his guts behind his back. One day he was chasing some poor kid and he tripped and skidded a considerable distance, scraping his face on the rough asphalt of the playground. He was bleeding and in pain, screaming for help. But nobody came to help him. We all just walked away. George Bush is the world's playground bully. The world sees him--and by inference, America--as arrogant, self-centered, and mean. I spoke to Americans from dozens of countries at the DA caucus. Everyone told the same story--the world hates America. When talking to foreigners, I can tell them about the Bill of Rights or freedom or World War II, or whatever I want, but all they see is this big, stupid, arrogant, playground bully and a stolen election in Florida last time. I think America deserves better. I want America to be respected in the world again, and John Kerry can restore the respect America deserves.
Inneressing... I am indebted to you for passing that site on, by the way. Durn useful, we all use it here in the office. A lot...
As far as this topic goes, I think Kerry can do a lot to fix America's image abroad, but one thing that I think rarely gets mentioned is the way that the overall socio-poloitical trends have gone in opposite directions across the Atlantic. Europeans lean generally to the left these days, while it seems Americans are leaning ever more to the right. Sorry, but look at the vote-getters in this election and it's obvious. Wartime patriotism and shock at 9/11 may have something to do with it, but the "suburbanization" factor that gets dragged out to explain the drift toward the right over the last 30 years may have something to do with it as well. The usual American retreat into isolationism, at least mentally. Born-agains are a sign of the end of empire.
Meanwhile, half the world is just sick of us, as seen through Hollywood and other globalized commercial culture. It's not just France. All the protests against globalization -- for many people America = globalization.
Ramble ramble ramble....
AMEN to that! I voted straight Dem.
Yo, Jeremy - how long are Myra and Murph in town?
Howdy guys!
pistachios turn your fingers red...
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