Posted on 11/12/2004 6:34:35 PM PST by quidnunc
There was a moment when we Americans living in Britain, all 200,000 or so of us, thought we were home free. The years of being mocked and antagonised for our country's leader were coming to an end. "Actually, I'm voting for Kerry" was the simplest way of getting out of a difficult conversation. The truth is that many Americans in Britain probably voted for Bush, but have kept it to themselves. It's about as fashionable as admitting to having the clap.
"Every meeting I go to, every social occasion, even when I'm out shopping, someone hears my accent and challenges me to a debate," says Annie Ouroussof Jordan, an executive headhunter who, though American, spent years in France and the Middle East before moving to Britain 15 years ago. She did not vote.
"There wasn't a proper candidate as far as I'm concerned and I wasn't going to vote for Kerry just not to vote for Bush. The truth is that I would have voted for Bush if I had to make a choice. Many of us Americans feel this way because we don't know what Kerry believes in. He stands for nothing. I have gotten flak for it but part of being an American is speaking up. I am often provoked in social situations and have taken to avoiding the subject altogether." Still, this is nothing compared with French anti-Americanism. "It's pure hatred there," she says.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
One brother here. I'm a naturalized Kiwi and trust me, you are not alone in thinking something's very wrong in NZ. You may also like this weblog - the most conservative blog in NZ:
http://www.nzpundit.com
Is anyone else reminded of the incident when Peter denied the Christ?
Nothing but lies from a coward hoping to demoralize whomever she can.
I think you should have responded with siply "Rudyard Kipling". And remind them which country at one point boasted "We are an empire in which the sun never sets."
There are two groups of anti-Americanism in Britain: the first group hates America because they hate Britain too. The second group hates America because they love their own country.
I suspect that is it, in a nutshell.
This lady lives, works and socializes in the left-wing UK media culture. The attitudes she confronts are no different from the attitude one confronts within the left-wing US media culture.
The views of readers of The Guardian are basically indistinguishable from those of readers of the New York Times.
The socialist left is anti-American by nature.
There is an attitude among some (not all) Poms/Brits to other countries regarding their patriotism "Do as I say, not as I do!"
The Poms/British usually go one step further to the left. If you read The Independent it makes the NY Slimes look like Karl Rove memos.
A friend of mine was recently in London and reported NO problems. People were pleasant, with no rude comments or hassles about politics.
Are you saying the media is the False Prophet? Interesting thought.
I always assumed it would be a person, but that does make sense.
Let them choke if they don't like it.
Ah yes, how to win friends and influence people. Frankly, you sound as ill-mannered and elitist as those British twits who sent letters to Ohio voters. It's people like you who make my job as an American businessman abroad, all that much harder. Do people in other countries have other viewpoints? You betcha! Surprise of the day: not everyone in the world thinks the same way we do... and we don't even all think the same way. I hope that since you are incapable of showing respect to other people in their country, you at least show respect to your fellow citizens at home.<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Well Mr. trying to impress me with your "business oversees." I'm far from an ugly american. I was over there because I purchased a soundtrack to a play that is coming over here, and If any of them think my American Flag and Bush shirt is elitist, they, like you can bite me!
Every day I thank whatever god there is that I was born in the United States of America. I'm very grateful. College students, leftist media people, and their media politicians aren't. They're ignorant of the facts again, and they lost again. I think FReepers instinctively understand and appreciate the wisdom of the people. Unlike Europeans and the rest of the sorry cast off lot of dictators people acquiesced to allow to rule over them...
LOL You're bad.
Americans aren't liked very much around the world period. One thing I have noticed though, everyone seems to want to come here so that should say something.
I realize that.
But this crowd sounds more like The Guardian's demographic...
BTTT
British papers having "a terrible time of it, since we re-elected Bush"......
------Yeah, of course the same thing is happening here, and we're exposed to it in pure form every day. I can see how the snivelling arrogant posture of all Bush-haters everywhere can be REAL problematical, now that they face four more years without any real recourse----where are all their immediate energies going to go---the midterm elections here? People generally tend to do and do again what they're good at, and we know what the Left in this country has gotten good at. They have no choice but to keep it up, and I'm not expecting even a mild transformation of outlook or rhetoric or bearing, let alone a radical one.
Now the stakes are really critical for things to go very wrong in Iraq. The Left will seize on it at an opportune moment. They are ALWAYS crafting and re-crafting ways to get rid of Bush and the Pubbies.
What has any of that to do with the article or my post?
Most tourists don't run into anti-Americanism because American tourists stay pretty much on the beaten track and the it's not in the interests of those catering to tourists to cheese off their bread and butter.
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