Sometimes, I Pretend I Am Canadian (How Americns living in England cope with the hate)

The Telegraph ^ | November 13, 2004 | Helen Kirwan-Taylor

[quidnunc]

Sneering, insults, condescension – it's not so much fun being an American in London since the election

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.

[politicalmerc]

Sometimes I pretend I'm a Canadian, too. Like when I make a stupid move in traffic. I'll roll down my window and say, "Sorry, eh! I'm a hoser from the Great White North."
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

STOP IT YOURE KILLING ME!!! LOL

[GoLightly]

So where are from (DC), what do you do (I design weapons of mass destructions for a company called TRW), well how about that America's Cup?

LOL Odd sort of pre-emptive strike you have there.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

USA got the biggest set and the rest of the wimps hate us for it

Nicely put, couldn't have said it better myself, :)

[NZerFromHK]

It's often true to a degree, but you can counter them by pointing out at their height of power, even the Poms/Brits were far haughtier than Americans today. (The impeccibly superior Englishman versus scroodge Scots, stupid Irish, backwards Welsh, diorderly Italians, cold Germans, politically extreme French, cowboy Americans) And the French, Belgians, Germans,...? Well, they make British look half-Americans.

I trust there will be "intereting" responses from them. ;-)

[LibertarianInExile]

DEAD ON.

If you are in a country that has issues with Americans, you know it. And generally only drunk Europeans go after Americans for the war. But the better reaction is, instead of cowering and pretending to be Canadian, saying "I won't insult my country in front of people who will never love her like I do."

[BloodScarletMinnesota]

I think it's called cognitive dissonance... while turd-worlders and Europeans and UN types and American Democrats excoriate the United States for its unending catalog of crimes snivel, they always seek to slither back here... I suppose it's in our nature to take back our own, though they despise U.S. ...

[Vicki]

I have a cousin who has been living for the last 15 years in Australia. She said she and her children are treated terribly because they are Americans. The kids are harrassed at school all the time.

They just visited here recently and announced they are moving back to the USA.

[rdcorso]

I guess the Brits and French will be saying the same things about the Dutch pretty soon.It's amazing how fast people will turn on you when they think they have the ultimate security and don't need you to save their asses anymore.In a few years time the same elitist snobs with their noses up in the air and their green teeth will be praying on a rug six times a day and kicking themselves for being such a morons.

[noutopia]

Spot on!

[pillbox_girl]

My reply when I meet jerks in (or from) other, lesser countries:

You're right, I am am an American, and, yes, we are all very brash and rude. We have no culture or sophistication, and are no where near as perfect and angelic as the good people of [insert jerk's country here]. In fact, every bad thing you've heard about Americans is true, including this: we do all carry guns. Think on that...

That usually shuts them up.

[1066AD]

So that woman claims a plumbing revolution in just nine years ? What a joke !
London is about as typical of UK as NYC or Berkeley is of the US.

[hosepipe]

A coward eh!,,,

[noutopia]

Thats a fact,if you live in the real UK they are very nice people,London and the big cities are just as liberal as the US cess pools.

[BloodScarletMinnesota]

You've got to send information as to why having a democratically elected Free Republic is in their best interests... if they can't get it after reading freerepublic.com , then they'll probably be Your Little Democrats... ( if so, make sure to read to them the heartwarming children's tale of Kristallnacht, 1938. It's the tale of where the collectivist anti-smokers marginalized their Jews, who happened to be citizens of Germany. For illustration, send the munchkins to www.democraticunderground.com

[HawaiianGecko]

 

	I caught an British comedian in San Francisco in 1998 named Eddie Izzard.  Whether he's a cross dresser, transvestite, gay or weird I don't know.  I do know that he was incredibly funny and he spoke of Americans being hated in Europe.  (Not news to me at the time) and in fact one of his exact lines from that show is as follows: So if you travel around the world, and, you know, ‘cause your American foreign policy does give you a difficult time to exist around the world, two tricks: one, say you're Canadian, that helps. It works in Europe, it's very good! And the second is just say, "Shaggy and Scooby." And they go "Shaggy and Scooby!" International credit card, I think! So yeah. Basically all this revisionist history about Europeans disliking Americans due to President Bush is really a load of Bull-O-Knee.  I remember my first trip to Europe in '69. I was shocked to find that they weren't keen on us, especially in France.  I did "extensive" business in England, France and Germany in the 80's and I'll guarantee you they were snobs to Americans at that time, except for those businesses that were buying our product and making tons of money from them. Anyway, the point is this; you can go back in time and read articles, or buy foreign made films or talk to people like myself that encountered first hand the "envy" that Europeans have for Americans and know in your heart that it has NOTHING to do with our current president.

 

[Rate_Determining_Step]

> No, in a more liberal country, New Zealand. I thought Aussies are usually pretty good, thought they are usually pro-American.

I have a good Kiwi friend. He's as much of a red meat conservative as any FReeper. And a gun nut. Words can't describe. Of course, probably explains why he's here in America instead of there.

[HawaiianGecko]

AMEN - See post 115

[BloodScarletMinnesota]

What about the Dutch? Do the people of Holland abrogate their own self-defense? If so, why is it incumbent upon anyone to save you from yourselves?

[Reaganwuzthebest]

impeccibly superior Englishman versus scroodge Scots

Is that what they thought of the Scots? Thomas Jefferson then especially must have loved writing the Declaration of Independence.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

I suppose it's in our nature to take back our own, though they despise U.S.

Like the softies we are and always will be.