Posted on 03/24/2025 2:21:35 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
…The United States and its center of gravity occupy a unique space in the international conversation. People the world over talk about America — its policies, its proclivities, its place in the world. They have for generations. They did it during the Iraq War. They did it during the first Trump administration.
And two months into Trump 2.0, at least in many European and English-speaking countries, it’s happening again — sometimes even more intensely.
Answering for America under the new Trump administration is becoming a delicate experience for some of the estimated 5 million U.S. citizens living in other countries.
From Santos in Scotland to others in New Zealand, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Canada, Republican and Democratic expats alike told The Associated Press in recent weeks that the moment they are revealed to be American changes virtually every conversation to, in essence, “What about Trump?”
Not smoothing the American experience overseas is the backlash developing against Trump’s association with Elon Musk and Tesla, which has fueled growing boycott movements. People are joining Facebook groups to exchange ideas about how to avoid U.S. products. Feelings are especially strong across the Nordic region — particularly Denmark, where Trump’s moves have set “the Danish Viking blood boiling,” one man told The Associated Press.
So far, the interactions are less hostile than wary, Americans overseas say. But anti-U.S. sentiment is emerging as a concern on the cusp of what’s expected to be a record-setting international travel season for Americans.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
Wait until we take Greenland from the Danes. They might even send us a stern letter!
I was an exchange student in Germany in 1983 when Reagan was deploying Pershing missiles to Europe and Jesse Jackson was starting his run for the presidency. There was a lot of “explaining America” back then to Germans who couldn’t fathom how America wouldn’t nominate Jackson and have him win in a landslide. It was a lot of fun, as a teenager, arguing with incredibly dense adults.
Or you can just prepare to tell people to blow it out their ass when they start to pry on things that they have no understanding of because they watch CNN International and read the Guardian UK
“You’re an American in another land? Prepare to talk about the why and how of Trump 2.0”
good ol’ AP, always trying to provoke dissension and fighting ...
i always avoid politics when i’m in a foreign land, both ours and theirs, esp. if visiting a dictatorship! ...
if asked, best to just say you don’t pay much attention to politics UNLESS someone is GENUINELY interested and GENUINELY open-minded, which is more rare than hen’s teeth ...
actually, the above is my rule in my own country, as well!
I spoke with a few people from Ireland when I was in Spain after the election but before the inauguration. . They were worried.
My advice it to not waste your breath.
There is a reason our ancestors immigrated here: most of the rest of the world sucks azz.
I live in Mexico. I move around in Mexico. This is how it works for me. I get a flat tire..the guy charges e $2.00 US to take off the tire, fix the flat. I tell the guy, HEY, here is $20..don’t believe half of what you hear about Trump, he is a good guy. He wants to help people like here.. They smile, take the money, and think kindly of me and Trump.
That’s funny. Jackson couldn’t get any primary wins.
Mondale? LOL
“They might even send us a stern letter!”
that’s about all they could do: Denmark’s military is unionized and could very well go on strike if ordered to Greenland to engage the U.S. Military [F*** that, Sarge, we’re going on strike!] ...
A few observations. This shows just how much the US taxpayer are being bilked to fund left wing Euroweenie garbage. I guarantee not a single one of these smug Euroweenies have ZERO idea what is going on in the US federal government and the amount of fraud going on. They get all their news from government owned propaganda outlets. When I travel I enjoy talking about where I’m from. The second some euroweenie brings up politics you can just read the usual script. “Trump bad. Obama good. Americans don’t travel. Americans are dumb. Americans don’t get “free” health care. Americans don’t get “free” paid vacations.” blah blah blah.
“It was a lot of fun, as a teenager, arguing with incredibly dense adults.”
not my idea of fun: i figured out some time ago that my job isn’t to cure ignorance or stupidity, and even it was, there’s not enough time in the world to make even a little dip, no more than the impact a single raindrop makes when it falls into the sea.
i’m mostly a Serenity Prayer man, myself ...
“They were worried.”
about?
Happily to. From what I'm reading online there are people who want their Trump.
You just say “he’s putting Americans first. Don’t you wish the head of YOUR country put you first?”
:: Germans who couldn’t fathom how America wouldn’t nominate Jackson and have him win in a landslide ::
Kinda gives some light as to who actually directed that Obama ...nominate; and have him win in a landslide
I am currently lin China for family stuff. It isn’t really a problem
I remember being in a remote village in Northern Spain in the summer before Trump 1.0. I was asked by an Australian at a table full of local’s and foreigners why people in the US when comparing Clinton to Trump would ever vote for Trump.
I looked the Australian in the eye and related that there had been a recent national poll on likely voters. They asked the voters what was the one word they most associated with each candidate. The word most commonly associated with Hillary Clinton was “liar.” If I remember correctly the number was something close to 70 percent.
The Aussie was stunned. I then asked if the Aussie would vote for an absolute known liar to be the heard of their government. The response I got back was that all politicians are liars, some more than others, some less than others. I told the Aussie that is where some Americans differ in their voting habits.
That’s a very wise attitude.
I’m in Brazil. The son of the former President of Brazil (Bolsonaro) just gave up his Brazilian citizenship to move to the US . If the Europeans want to invade Russia for the fourth time they can do it without the help of the US. Sorry FIFTH time , Napoleon, Britain and Turkey in Crimea, Kaiser Wilhelm in 1914 and Hitler in 1941.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.