Change comes to America (and travelers abroad?)

Many European people disliked President George W. Bush. But they did not dislike all people who are citizens of the United States of America. People in Europe said to me : we do not approve of some acts of the U.S.A. government, but we know that the American people are not the government.

To listen to the Media Elite, one gets the impression that we are hated by the rest of the world. But while many Europeans didn't like Bush and his policies, most have always liked Americans as a people (well... maybe the French haven't...). America is still a popular destination for foreigners, as is the 'idea' of America and all that she represents. I haven't experienced any rudeness by Germans, Austrians, or the Swiss simply for being an American. On the contrary, when they find out I live in the U.S. they want to know more.

As I posted earlier, we are just back from Spain over New Years and was surprise at how eager everyone was to discuss the Am political situation. After a short dance to make sure you were not a strong Bush support, they were eager to discuss the future hope for Obama and the hope that the US would return to our proper role in world leadership. All very positive.

Only one day after the election, November 5th, is when I went to Milan Italy. When I arrived, and got on the shuttle to get to Milan, I sat by a German man and an Italian. When they saw I was American, they very much wanted to talk to me about my feelings about how the election turned out. I was so happy that Obama won, I was just beaming! They are so happy for us!
In Milan there were bigger than life sized billboards of Obama. I bought a magazine all in Italian about Obama, and with him on the cover. It's always on my coffee table now. It was so much for for me to see all this!

When I went to Italy last year in Oct-Nov I saw posters of Obama in Rome.
While I was sitting on a banch a guy asked me if Busch was bad.

I'm quite happy to say that I was treated exceedingly well all throughout Europe during my trip in 2007. Across 7 countries in over 6 weeks, not one person was even slightly rude to me, nor did anyone bring up politics, and I didn't try to hide my American-ness at all. I'm hoping to go back to Italy this fall and I hope that I experience the same kindness and warmness and welcome I felt two years ago. I would treat any traveler to America the same regardless of where they were from and who their government was, and I would expect the same going abroad. Thankfully I experienced people who could separate me as a person from a President I didn't vote for and I have a strong feeling the vast majority of Europeans are the same. They didn't care that I was from America or who my president was, they card that I was polite and courteous and appreciative of their distinct culture. Thank goodness.

Have you seriously been staying home all these years?

They haven't liked a number of our presidents, and I am sure the love will wear off for Obama soon, too.

Alexander the French people never behaved hatefully as some Americans did when they made fools of themselves pouring French wine down drains and renaming french fries "freedom fries" ( freedom from what?) all on national t.v . All because the government of France did not go along with theirs,,

Americans are not hated by the French(generally speaking, there are always some), I certainly never have felt it,, and I am often mistaken for being American. I often felt they were excited to talk to someone they thought was American,, almost let down when I said I was Canadian( I think they think we are boring, LOL ) but, it is apparent SOME Americans still have an axe to grind with the French. Can you explain why?

We were in France in October and had some interesting political discussions with the French. We even passed out some Obama buttons. They were thrilled to get them, and I'm sure they are proudly wearing them today! We were in Europe many times during the Bush years. The Europeans definitely didn't like Bush but were always kind and polite to us.

Mmm... I thought the axe-grinding was the other way around. My mother (who is German) has said for years that she thinks it has something to do with WWII, when the Americans shot at statues and behaved very badly in and around Paris. Who knows. I personally have experienced some very rude French, but I've also dealt with some rude Germans.

It is interesting how Europe views the Obama coronation, though. Magazine spreads on the family, Michelle's classy style, etc... The EU is really excited about the new President... at least for now.

Alexandra, I dont' think today was Obamas "coronation", I hope not, but the way people are acting, it's up for debate.

The Flemish side of my family is more reserved. "Yes, he's not Bush, but he's not the Messiah either". Comparing our similar economic woes, I think my father-in-law said it best to me the other day: "I'll go to a rock concert on the Grote Markt (Grand Plats in Brussels for you Francophones) AFTER Herman Van Rompuy (the new Belgian PM) solves the banking problem."

Today was a great day for America! However when visiting overseas I never felt the need to answer for the actions or posture of my government. It's always been a natural reflex of mine to resist political conversations with people I don't know very well. That being said I'm looking forward to going back over now. In so many ways "it's the dawn of a new day".

"some rude French" "some rude Germans", hey lets get real folks there are rude people EVERYWHERE and I am tired of people labelling a certain trait as being attributed to nationality..

Alexander, funny, none of my French family has ever mentioned hating Americans, or Americans behaving badly during the war,, in fact I have always felt the Americans were quite welcomed by most French during WWII.. Now, the Germans ,, well they did behave badly,, very badly..

PS, on subject of Obama,, as a Canadian I can say all my friends and family took time out today to catch bits and pieces of the all day celebration/Inaugauration . My daughters school had t.v s in all the classes and the kids all watched and heard Mr Obamas speech..I think that is a first...

I like the way he doesn't say HE can fix everything, but says that WE can fix things( meaning all Americans). I also really liked his line about open hands offered to an unclenched fist,, but he then holds strong to the no terrorism will be tolerated either.. He may not be perfect, and I am sure he will do some things that someone will not like but as another of your presidents once said" you can please some of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time"( Okay I may have slaughtered that quote,, but I think you get my gist.LOL

Congratulations on a new beginning.( we should be so lucky)

Pat: We got your gist. The Lincoln quote is a good one: "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time."

I went to a big party last night at our Communication Museum. Though mainly Americans, there were quite a few Germans there and we even had a Canadian sitting at our table. The whole atmosphere was simply thrilling. We had 2 wall screens up to watch the whole thing. Interestingly, as each of the former presidential couples came out on the stands, everyone broke into applause, except for George W. and then there was silence.

We all toasted after the swearing in and then enjoyed listening to Obamas speech. I swear I had goosebumps through most of it. I grew up in the 60's, was in Civil Rights protest marches and to see this happen in my lifetime is amazing. Watching all the different people in the audiences around America and seeing their faces, went straight to my heart.

Yes, the whole world was watching and will keep watching and you know what, there is nothing wrong with that. Many countries have large immigrant populations and Obama becoming president gives these people hope too.

When people travel overseas, it is a lot different than living here. People may not have discussed politics with you, but they sure will when you live here. I, for one, am extremely happy that the days ahead will be relieved of me having to talk about Bush and his policies. Instead, I can talk about hope and pride and moving forward.

Yesterday was one of the most exciting and emotional days in my life.

Jo,
I am so happy for you :-))
The mood was jubilant in Austria as well, with many celebrations held around the country, the biggest at the America House in Vienna.
I myself had two American friends over and we watched and participated live via CNN & Facebook until the wee hours of the morning.
There is great relief and joy in Europe that the US has rejoined the world after so many years of isolation, that president Obama is not only American but also a citizen of the world, willing to work towards common goals on an international level.

It was utterly touching to watch the joy and hope expressed by the American people during the inauguration.

I will never, ever understand the American myth about 'the French hate us' though! It is a huge mystery to me! I was in France with American friends several times, they were nearly shocked to find a completely different France and French people than they had come to expect. One dear friend of mine, who only a few years ago was still spouting hostile catch-phrases about the French, has since turned into a lover of all things French . . .

I also wonder what people in Europe would have against Bush. During his tenure, we put up virtually all the money and forces to protect [what he decided was] their interests.

Also note that, just after he took office, Bush decided to put anti-missle-missles in eastern European countries. When the Europeans objected he arrogantly told them he would do what he wanted to do.

I also think most of the Europeans know, as do the majority of Americans, that Bush knowingly lied to the world about the WMDs to try to justify an unjustified envasion of another country.

Considering that the Italians had a protest this morning at the Army base the my husband works at...I don't think that much will change here. The protest was against the expansion of our base, and the USA lack of invlovment in the conflict in Gaza. Of course there is a protest every week here.

"What are Americans experiencing as they travel the world with a new administration?"

This happened yesterday. Shall we have this discussion based on the glamor factor of the new first family? Right now, Europeans, like the tabloid news outlets, are talking about their cute kids and the family dog.

If there is some minor connection between our new president's approach and our travel experiences, it will take just a little more time to see how his policies will be greeted by the rest of the world. I'm quite interested in European views on my government, but I'd find those views more interesting if they were informed by what Obama actually does in office rather than the deification process he's undergoing in today's press.

I'm going to guess that we'll still have long security lines at the airport, troops in the Middle East, and an economy in decline for a long, long time.

It's not just Americans who have bad stereotypes about the French. We took our son to France a few years ago, and a German coworker said to my husband "don't take him there! The French eat children!" He's still here, didn't get eaten, actually got to borrow some French picture books while we were there (big plug for Maison Jund in Colmar).

I've always been treated well in Europe. I don't avoid talking politics either. People are more willing to discuss politics without making it an argument. The only real anti-Americanism I've seen is from Americans (it's hard to describe it until you have seen it).

For the most part European news echos what our news says about our leaders so why wouldn't they be enthusiastic. Our press LOVES Obama. Maybe something to do with his political party. Our press HATED Bush (largely for the same reason).

In our media's mind there are only two reasons to be a Republican, you are either mean or stupid. When Bush ran on compassionate conservatism, that sealed it - he had to be stupid (even though he holds degrees from two of the top universities and was a fighter pilot). I've always found it ironic that Bush can both be stupid AND single-handedly destroy the world (kind of Orwellian "double-think").

Oh well, on to the new administration and let's hope things go well for Obama and the country.

The only time I encountered rudeness based on nationality was Germany, and interestingly, I was 'accused' of being American.

I was in Berlin in 2003 and had just met up with a few friends who were living there that I hadn't seen in awhile. We were on a bus somewhere and we talking about Canadian politics (they wanted to know what was going on). We weren't quiet mind you, but neither were we excessively loud or profane, we were just excited to see each other...as we were getting off, a woman also getting off turned to us and said "No wonder the world hates Americans, you are all so f*****g obnoxious" I was stunned and very offended on our neighboUrs' to the south behalf.

Brad, I'm surprised you lump all of our media into one. Afterall, if you want to hear media talk in a loving way about our former President and the Neo-Cons (not true Republicans), all you have to do is turn on Fox News or just about any talk radio show in the country. Talk about a hatred of Democrats. (I'm a moderate who belongs to neither party and who thinks most media has become sensationalistic rather than informative. And there is no way you can compare the Bush/Cheney/Neoconservatives to the Republican party of Barry Goldwater and even Ronald Reagan.)

As for Europe. They are not happy with many of the policies of the previous administration just as many of them are not happy with their governments. But they know that here, not there, if the people aren't happy, they will change leadership.

And we did just that. Yes, it was history making yesterday. But now the election is over, and the inauguration is over, the pomp and circumstance is over, and it is time for the new regime to deliver.

And guess what. If they dont', we'll choose new leaders in 4 years.

And the Europeans know this. Which is why they separate our government from the people. They don't want us to think of them as their government.

I can tell you as an American living abroad _in Calgary, Alberta Canada), the perception of Americans as a whole has shifted. I think Canadians are a little more critical about America (due to proximity to the US) compared to other countries, but I truly think that there has been a worldwide shift in perception.

As well, the amount of flack I get from my friends about being an American has dropped significantly!

"most media has become sensationalistic rather than informative".

I agree with a qualifier. I would say "most US media has become sensationalistic and entertainment oriented rather than informative."

It's been apparent to me for about the past 15 years that if you want to know what's happening in the world, you have to use European news organizations, like the BBC, The Economist, France 24, BVN or VTM. Even CNN World is better than domestic CNN!

Haven't been abroad since yesterday but can comment on our experiences before the election. Any anxieties we may have had about encountering anti-American sentiment proved to be totally baseless. In Holland and France for 3 weeks and 4 months later in Italy for a month we never had a negative experience. People were eager to speak to us and discuss politics. They also immediately made it clear that they regarded Americans and the past administration (read Bush) as 2 separate entities. We were treated with respect and kindness everywhere we went. I strongly believe that it behooves all of us to remember that we are defacto ambassadors of America when we travel, and strive to leave a positive impression. When people asked us where we were from, and we answered " the United States "... Well, if I had a dime for every person whose eyes widened and said, "It is my dream to visit America!" I could afford my third trip tomorrow!

I am wondering what do people in Europe have against President Bush?, and do the Americans forget that our President protected us for the last 8 years? I too watched the inaguaration, and I thought it was exciting! I almost feel that people are not viewing President Obama as a president, but a god! What happens if the economy gets even worse, and we are still fighting in Iraq, will everyone through Obama under the bus, like they have Bush? Just a thought but maybe we shouldn't have such high expectations for our new president, we should just let him do his job, and we do our part by "dusting off our shoulders, and picking ourselves up off the ground". I hope Obama does a good job, we need it.

The President hasn't really protected us in the last 8 years because the terrorists are winning. Why do they need to change?

We keep thinking that the terrorists only want to attack and kill us. That's what we are scared of. The terrorists want to destroy our way of life.

So, let's see. We spend billions of dollars on security measures most of which are strictly for show. We allow our beloved Constitution and our rights of freedom to be taken away from us through an alarming document called the Patriot Act. We allow our leaders to utter the words "Al Queda" so we shake in our boots and let them do what they want. We allow them to start a war in the name of anti-terrorism even though it has never been proven any terrorism was taking place there, so we can destroy a country, then pay American contractors, all of whom are friendly to the sitting government, billions of dollars to rebuild that country.(And they were in such a rush to pay those contractors they sent out brave young men and women who volunteet to service our country, into harms way without being properly supplied). And the one place we do go in to fight that has been proven to be a haven for terrorists (Afghanistan) we neglect and are in the verge of losing.

Good anti-terrorism comes from a mixture of good police work and a people who refuse to be intimidated.

As far as the economy goes....well, there is equal blame here. The administration for not enforcing the securities and banking laws already passed and the American people for wanting to live above their means.

So many people around the world hate Bush because of the Iraq War, his attitude toward the enviroment, his economic policy beliefs which effected the world, and his cowboy mentality of bullying nations to either follow us or be our enemy. Amazingly, he never thought of using diplomacy to work hand in hand with other nations to fight terrorism.

And, yes, I think too many people expect Obama to be the nataion's savior. He has inherited so many problems that I doubt he will come close to fixing many in 4 years.

Our economy will definitely get worse before it gets better. The wars we are in will not come to as quick an end as he hopes.

But it says something when 80% of Americans have high hopes for him and only 13% approved of the job the previous administration did.

Only time will tell.

We were in Florence at the end of December and one of the waitors at the restaurant (local restaurant with the menu in Italian) was wearing an Obama button. When we travelled to Paris during Bush's presidental terms, we had several people tell us that they did not like President Bush but they liked Americans. I go by the rule that most people will treat you the way you treat them.

I also wonder what people in Europe would have against Bush. During his tenure, we put up virtually all the money and forces to protect their interests. We kept all the terrorist prisoners so they wouldn't be targets for having them in their prisons.

Europe was suffering more than their share of attacks but lacked the collective resolve to do anything about it.

I still think it comes down to what they hear from our media. Yes, our media as a block identifies 80% for one party (and there are more than two to choose from). Compare that to the public at large where it's nearly even for the major parties and the rest is spread through an assortment of third parties and independents.

When we were in France in Sept, one night in a restaurant, there was a couple from DC at the table next to us. We got to chatting and ended up talking for about 3 hours about the election. It was a great evening.

I think much of the animosity towards Bush stems from the disagreement with France over the war in Iraq and most of the rest of Europe sided with France.

Plus, Obama is the best looking US president ever :)

Well, watching the German news (in German) and CNN from London on my travels over the last several years, I can say that the news Europeans are watching is not the same as what we watch here in the US. They only see a 'sampling' of what goes on in the US and not the whole picture. It makes CNN in America look conservative.

Mmm... as I recall the rest of the world had the same info on WMDs as Bush. Unless we are re-writing history...

Alexandra.....not rewriting history at all....its just that most of the rest of the world didn't fall for the same sort of dodgy intelligence that the Bush administration did. As he himself notes, it was probably the greatest failure of his administration.

Bush's unpopularity here and abroad has to do much more with his image than his actions.

Under his watch, we eliminated the biggest despot in the Middle East, killed and corralled terrorists around the world, made the skies safe to fly again after 9-11, and headed off domestic terrorism.

Blame Bush for the economy if you like, but Dems have controlled Congress for years and pushed liberal lending policies that crippled the economy.

But Bush's media presence is pathetic; he's inarticulate, comes off as arrogant, has a goofy look on his face most of the time, and he has no idea how to defend himself with words when attacked. When he needed to speak to America, he was silent. When he goes in front of cameras, he sounds like he's 13. Most Europeans speak better English than Bush, and they know it.

Obama has done virtually nothing for most of his life by comparison. But he's smart, good-looking, extremely articulate and communication savvy. He's easy to love.

Today, it's all about image, how you come across. We're a shallow world audience that will go for glamor over achievement every time.

Russ, you need to check your facts. The Republicans controlled Congress for 12 years starting in 1994. The Democrats took over 2 years ago. So, I guess when you say the dems have had control of Congress for years you meant all of two.

In October 2007 we were in Turkey. While being in Kusadasi we were looking in side streets to find some more authentic restaurant without tourists. We succeded. Soon people were asking where we were from. We answered US. They immediately said: "We don't like Bush, we like Clinton. Bush likes war, Clinton likes girls."

Dems have controlled Congress for years???

From the 104th Congress, which convened in 1995, until the start of the 110th Congress in 2007 (12 years), Democrates controlled only one house of Congress (the Senate in the 107th congress). Except for the 2 yrs of the 110 Congress (2007-2008), Republicans controlled both houses of Congress for 10 of the 12 years; control was split for 2 years (107th).

If you consider control of the government as control of both houses of Congress, or one house and the Presidency, then Republicans have controlled the government for 12 of the last 14 years and had complete control (i.e., both houses and the Presidency) for 4 of the last 6.

And, Alexandra, the world had the same info on WMDs as Bush. What Bush knew, but the rest of the world didn't know, was that Bush had no information on WMDs. I think that the rest of the world thought that, with our intelligence gathering ability, we knew more, but we didn't. We did not have sufficient justification to start that war.

Russ....you may recall that Bush had no record of achievement either when he first came to office...in fact, he hadn't had a success in anything he'd tried, other than running for governor of Texas. Perhaps you might want to give Obama more than a day and a half to see if he can finally get the biggest terrorist of them all (bin Laden...whom Bush failed to capture or kill), avoid getting the U-S into a war under false pretences against a tinpot dictator who was no threat to anyone outside his own country (Saddam Hussein), keep domestic terrorism at bay (which was much reduced as a threat long before George Bush came into office), and pull the U-S out of its worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, one brought on by the Bush administration. Oh, and by the way, Bush had Republican control of the House for 6 years....the Senate for 4 years.

The only "change" I would make to Norm's statement is that Sadaam was a threat to Saudi Arabia. The Bush family has made millions in business and consulting dealings with the Saudis. In fact, "W" admitted that one of his best friends is the Saudi Arabian prince who was the former Ambassador to the U.S.

Also interestingly, at the request of the Saudis, members so the Bin Laden family who were living in a high rise in Arlington, Va, were allowed to fly out of the country just days after 9/11 even though all other planes were grounded. A friend of mine lived in the building at the time and remembers seeing it happen. She said it was thte talk of the building. They left from Andrews AFB.

Lee: My (very minor) point was that Democrats have had ample opportunity to make some "positive change" or to impeach Bush and Cheney, whether it was 2 years or four years or whatever. Where's the change?

Norm: Bush had success in the oil business the baseball business, and had governed Texas and the United States before his last election. Glam-champ Obama hadn't run much of anything before winning the presidency; he was almost inexperienced as Senator, especially considering his penchant for voting "present". So he simply did not win on the basis of accomplishment, which was my main point. He won because he understands how to talk to people and how to present himself well.

Hey, the election is over, but we should learn something about ourselves from it. Our decisions are driven in large part by media images, form over substance, hope over accomplishment.

I was not in Europe yesterday, but I did happen to be there during the incredible day that Barack Obama was elected our president. Being out of the country and only sharing this experience with one friend was bittersweet but I can tell you the people in the English countryside were ecstatic for us. They said how proud we must be and how they admired what we did as a country in breaking down racial barriers. They were som interested in what we thought and a few people said the America they loved was back! It was across the full page of every paper and one that I brought home had a beautiful image of Barack kissing Michele with the huge headline "THE EARTH MOVED" and for those cynics who don't believe that Obama can make a change I can only say the Europeans I met up with thought he could. And sometimes the positive energy and hope of millions of people can change the world. We have seen what hate and fear and negative energy can do, so let's move forward with hope and let the rest of the world share in our joy.

Keep it up! I mean this in a POSITIVE way!
Americans are very reluctant to discuss politics, but eventually you will have to.
Do not be offended by Europeans asking you about it! I said it many times before, I'll say it again:
Europeans love to talk about politics. In the beer-gardens, wine taverns, trains, coffee houses - with grandma and baby in tow. Around the dinner table and at the bakery in the morning. Try not to be offended by it. We are NOT singling you out because you are American. We do the same to Syrians or Kenyians. Politics is a past-time over here, a passionate one at that, second to none to soccer or skiing.

I have taken great care to avoid mentioning Bush, and I will continue to do so.
If you are curious as to why he has been so vilified over here:
we did NOT oppose the Iraq war because the French did, (I consider that statement an insult . .), but because Europe has opted to resolve issues via diplomacy, not bombs. If in doubt, look at a map and do a few basic calculations:
we are a bit closer to the happenings than you might guess.
We have our own 'Dreck am Stecken'. Shame, dark past, call it what you may, and plenty, plenty of it.
We adopted/adapted the American ideals of democracy and human rights after WWII, see EU. Under Bush those very ideals were assaulted and ridiculed, leaving Europe nearly speechless.
With Obama we dare to hope that we might all work together once again.

"We have our own 'Dreck am Stecken'. Shame, dark past, call it what you may, and plenty, plenty of it. We adopted/adapted the American ideals of democracy and human rights after WWII, see EU. Under Bush those very ideals were assaulted and ridiculed, leaving Europe nearly speechless. With Obama we dare to hope that we might all work together once again."

Interesting comments. And indicative of the cultural divide.

Germans adopted/adapted with little choice, really. The imposition of American ideals, however, was not accomplished by American ideals, but by the chaos and horror of war. It is understandable that Germans might shun militarism - but they've also seemingly equated militarism with military activity, the only reason they enjoy American ideals today, and shunned both. Believing in diplomacy is terrific, but blind belief in diplomacy is suicide. There are times when diplomacy is ineffective and irrational - WE learned that through Neville Chamberlain. But many Germans and other Europeans who fear slipping back into fascism seem to want to avoid military action at any cost (and that usually ends up costing some English-speaking country a whole lot of $.)

And war of course is the ultimate human rights deprivation. But if you believe too absolutely in human rights, you'll always be "speechless" when it comes to participating in war when it's the only possible alternative.

I think whether the Iraq war was justifiable is a worthy discussion. But Iraq has sorted out our dispositions toward conflict more generally. I fear that when a more formidable force threatens Western existence, Europeans will cling to their fondness for passivity and negotiation.

Russ...I appreciate your response, but Bush's "accomplishments" seemed to cause most Americans to pine for something other than that. If President Bush had any solid accomplishments to point to, then they would have elected his Republican heir. So it's not a triumph of image over accomplishments....maybe it could be described as a triumph of hope over lack of accomplishments. BTW, Bush's oil company collapsed in 1986 and was bought out at fire sale prices by another firm. But yes, he was generally a success at running the Texas Rangers.

I was really proud reading this thread that no one had said anything truly stupid or insulting... right up to where I read that Obama "is the best looking president we've ever had". This matters how? That's even less important than the fact I'm glad we finally have a president who can complete a simple declarative sentence.

Russ...it's interesting you mention your fears that European committments to human rights may not be equal to the task if faced by a major threat, using the Second World War as background. It would be instructive to recall that, in spite of Neville Chamberlain, the British, French, Canadians, Australians, News Zealanders, South Africans, and even the Chinese declared war on Germany before the United States.....and before they were attacked. I'm not sure the U.S. can lead by example when it comes to talking about facing up to world threats....osr judging what those world threats might be.

Europeans hated Bush because his arrogant attitude and go it alone politics. He made the US look more like the old Soviet Union than the land of the free.

Obama is trying to take US back the ideals that it was founded on but has not actually lived up to yet. He is a remarkable man just because of his vision and most Americans are good people and would like the US to attain this real greatness.

Corinna, loved your remarks.

I am very pleased to have a new American leader on the world stage. So glad to see remarks from our new president about the rule of law and diplomacy. So glad. It has been painful to witness all that has happened in the last few years. I am so hopeful.

The first sentence in Kaarinas post is quite accurate .

Corrinas first paragraph ( about how debating and discussing politics is considered very socailly accpetable in Europe, but seems to be almost considered a no no in America) was also quite spot on..

It is nice to see this thread ,, it also is interesting to read a few things that people have posted,, but, one or two statements really and truly made me cringe and think " this is why American politics were hated"..ie " we protected everyone, we saved the world" nonsense , it is very hard to see a few people still believe some of those things.

I think think the best part of what I have heard and read about Obamas stance on the state of the States(sorry couldn't resist) is that he has made it clear it will be work, everyone has to pitch in, and it will take time for things to get better and change,, he does not come across like " well I am now going to solve all the problems" he comes across as " we have problems, I have some ideas and plans to fix them, but we all have to pitch in, but it can be done if we all try" .. waaay less arrogant then some things I have heard..

Oh well, it is only end of day 2,, lets give him a change to unpack..

PS I would never want to be President, the poor man had to be "on" all day yesterday,, right in late night,, then on again in morning,, no more breaks for him,, or his family really.

What a great thread! I've truly enjoyed the intelligent and insightful responses.

Like a few of you I too have hopes for a better world. Bush and his administration did so much harm by way of his trampling on the Constitution not to mention his economic policies and his arrogant demeanor to the world.

Pres. Obama has come onto the scene not only as an articulate orator, but one who absorbs the facts and acts on those facts rather than as a shoot from the hip cowboy. His choosing of intelligent, capable people for his cabinet, and his instructions to see out ideas and input from the scientific, educational and business world belies the Bush adminstration. The Bush administration was one of corrupt, inept and just plain devious people.

I'm so looking forward to my trip in May to witness, first hand, a begining of our positive return to the world stage.

I was with my students on a tour of a water treatment facility in Vienna on Tuesday. The tour guide noticed my accent and commented on what a big day it was for me and that he really hopes for "the dawn of a new era". We then proceeded to discuss the world situation for a bit while the students watched the waste water flow by....

In the 2 years I've lived in Europe (and traveled widely), I have NEVER been treated rudely or had anyone say anything to me about being American (and I don't hide it). Europeans are curious and eager to discuss politics even during a tram ride!

Talking about politics while on vacation? How depressing! For me an essential part of any travel vacation is disconnecting from politics, and most other world events. Sure I've run into locals who want to talk about the US elections and foreign policy, but I just tell them IMO the difference between Democrats and Republicans is like the difference between Coke and Pepsi: not much. Instead I steer the conversation to more meaningful discussion: Will your national soccer team qualify for the World Cup? What's the best local Beer? What's the deal with the smoke monster on "Lost"? Is it true the Dutch Government wants to close all the coffeeshops? And BTW Robert DeNiro, and Paul Sr. from American Chopper live down the road from me. (Yeah I like to name drop). Turns out American Chopper is quite popular in Europe.

I think this discussion has been wonderful. Different viewpoints, but a civil forum. And, best of all, no one has been called unpatriotic! Truly a new era.

What most of us have to realize is that what happens in the U.S. really does affect most of the world--especially economically.

True Story...December 1992....I was leading a rare winter tour of a group of Australians through California, Nevada and Arizona. It was one month after Clinton's first election.

As usual, I said to the group that if they had any questions (meaning about what we're seeing) to feel free to ask.

One woman raised her hand and asked: "How do you think Clinton's agricultural policy will affect Australia?"

Yes, the world is interested in what goes on here....a lot more than we are about what's going on there. Think about it, without looking it up, how many can name the Prime Minister of Australia? (Aussies excluded)

I was in France during the election. My husband and I were wearing Obama pins, and we had many conversations with French people. In particular, French racial minorities wanted to talk to us. Many said we were lucky and that they believed a Black person would never be elected in France.

We also heard many negative comments about Bush and Palin. One man wondered if everyone in our country owns a gun, and why our leaders are required to be so demonstrative about their religious beliefs.

When standing in front of Chartres Cathedral, a French man asked us if we would take a picture of him with his friend. When he realized we were American he said, sarcastically, "You are still welcome here in the OLD Europe."

Matti,, what do you think that man meant,, I'd love to know?

Hi Pat,

I didn't catch the reference, but my husband said there was a speech Bush made when he wanted to act unilaterally in Iraq. Apparently, European leaders disagreed with him, and Bush blew it off as "just the opinions of the old europe."

I don't think the guy was mad at us, just our president...

-Matti

I found the original reference. It was Rumsfeld:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2687403.stm

It was Donald Rumsfeld who coined the term and then the Bush administration used it often, especially Cheney, and mostly in an angry, sarcastic way when referring to the countries, notably France and Germany, which didn't support the Iraq invasion. Implying that Old Europe was of little consequence and significant to the USA any longer.
You're either with me, or against me . .
Here it became a matter of pride and defiance, in Germany it even became the word of the year in 2003.
I use it quite often myself ;-))