I keep thinking this - this irritation I've been feeling will pass.
It's not. I'm getting angrier.
I've managed to survive Jimmy Carter, Bush I, Clinton, Bush 2. I had a young family, wasn't all that engaged in politics, people for the most part were prospering. I loved my country but was never a flag waver. In fact, I went out of my way not to be. Not cool to be a flag waver. Most people around me were 'global' thinkers.
I traveled a lot and became dramatically aware of the shift of European feelings toward the American government, though taxi drivers assured me they still liked American people. But as years passed, they didn't like us so much either. I never felt guilty about it, but I did find it curious, since we pumped so many tourism dollars into their various economies.
I think a lot of Europeans are scared. They're losing their identity. They have become global. The last time I was in London, I went to a play and walked perhaps twelve blocks from the theater to my hotel. The streets were crowded with people talking. I must have walked six or seven blocks before I heard English being spoken. Islamic culture, Indian culture, Asian culture and African cultures with all that they entail and people who don't want to integrate, but want to separate - haven't enriched British life, but have dragged it down and made it all but unrecognizable.
France is undergoing the same transformation. Spain. Italy - for some reason Italy seems to stay very Italian.
America has been global since its inception. But we've lived under the same roof with the rules put down by our parents, i.e. the Constitution and our Founding Fathers. We do not need international law to be the deciding factor in what goes on with the citizens of America.
I have watched our President for the past two weeks traveling the globe, apologizing for my country - his country, insulting his predecessor like an old girlfriend at every opportunity, not even inclining his head toward the Queen of England, yet bowing so low to the King of Saudi Arabia that he scraped his nose on the ground - and today, shaking the hand, slapping the shoulder and grinning like a mental patient at Hugo Chavez. This man has absolutely no commonsense.
His administration has declared returning veterans, anti-abortionists - pretty much conservatives in general - threats to the country. But Islamists and his buddy Billy Ayers - well, nevermind.
People - American people - took to the streets to protest what the government is doing and Obama's spokesman says the president "was unaware" of it.
Bush and Obama have officially turned me into a flag waving American. I have traveled enough in Europe to know that I don't want what they have. It's a nice place to visit but I'm always relieved to come home. Get over this being global nonsense. Trading with them is fine. Doing the tourist thing is fine. Other than that, they don't want to approve of America and I'm okay with that. I'm not all that crazy about them either - and I don't think they really care.
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