Emails from Americans

Thank you for making this point. I would like to say, as politely as possible, that the US tends to think it is the protagonist of the world. You can see why, because what happens in US politics does often impact the entire world. However, in the UK we are more worried about e.g. sewage in our water or underfunding of our National Health Service. An appreciation by visitors of the fact we have our own domestic issues would go a long way. I am speaking for myself here, and others may disagree, but I feel exactly the same as your hotel manager friend.

We do have things to think about that do not include The Donald and his cult.

Is she from UK? In this case I would not be very surprised - culturally.

One thought was that only voters of this shall apologize if they want to - on the other hand as German I can tell you that parts of the world do not differentiate between supporters and non-supporters - partly even not across generations. You are just guilty by nationality.

I see this a lot in social media from Americans and American expats and it's equally embarrassing.

Most people outside of the US don't want to keep talking about Trump and the American obsession with him seems a bit weird. And I've seen many Americans think if they talk trash about Trump, Europeans will accept them more.

Basically, establishments just want your money. As long as you are polite and pay your bills, you being an American will be just that.
Just pointing out that most Europeans can differentiate between governments and their citizens.

Right you are Frank!

Europe has had plenty of rightwing dictatorships and authoritarians over the years. Hitler in Germany, Mussolini in Italy, Putin in Russia, Franco in Spain and what list would be incomplete without mentioning ABBA from Sweden.

Why should we embarrassed by Trump? Just because of the open corruption, criminality, incompetence, felonious behavior and unforgivable conduct on the golf course where he improves his lie, takes mulligan after mulligan and fails to record all of his strokes? Also his open racism, bigotry and overuse of both orange makeup and lifts is kinda off-putting. Are we forgetting the UK produced the actor who portrayed to perfection Voldemort? Nobody can act that well without being innately evil.

Alas, this fun thread will undoubtedly descend into politics (and hence I shall I post only a few times on it before it is locked!)

Happy travels everyone!

P.S. We all really ought to be students of history when we travel so we can learn and prevent the rise of folks like Abba and Hitler and Ralph Fiennes.

Good topic.

I have never "apologized" to anyone in a foreign country for the actions of the US government. I had friends during the GWB years who apologized when in Europe, and some even pulled the stunt of claiming to be from Canada, down to sporting a maple leaf on their backpack. As the hotelier asks, why bring it up? What are you signaling? I think it is a twisted form of "virtue signaling".

On the other hand, with friends in Europe, when asked about our political situation, I have spoken my mind, freely. But I also learned to never assume what someone in, say, France, thinks about their politics based on any curiosity they have about the US. I have younger friends in France who are on the right of the political spectrum, and after talking to them, I understand why they feel that way.

What were we told growing up in the 60s? Never discuss politics or religion in mixed company? That still works...leave it at home.

For those of you who don’t believe in apologizing, I’ll take the bullet and do it for you!

Sorry EU!

Sorry about the tariffs, wrecking global supply chains, sorry about betraying Ukraine, sorry for destroying Nato. Sorry about state terrorism where we deport folks to torture prisons in El Salvador without due process and most of all sorry about Billy Joel. Sure that guy had some good songs but how many times does one have to hear Piano Man without saying “Man that song is so played!”

And sorry about all the tipping.. I know I know. You guys don't do it and we're messing up your system but we're Americans. We tip everybody! Including Supreme Court justices. They need a little something-something if we want to get good service if you know what I mean.

Happy travels!

Hilarious, but the clock is ticking.

So maybe this is why we travel. Some traumatized visitors arrive over here, but after a few days, they learn to relax. More history lessons and they learn that what's new for them, isn't for most of the world's populations. Apologizing just belies an isolated Ameri-centric vision, and a lack of knowledge about the rest of the world. But that's why we travel. Tick tock, tick tock.

This is why I visit this board less often, which was one of very few escapes from the relentless drumbeat of politics virtually everywhere else. Is there nowhere to go any more to escape this stuff? I already get it 24/7 from print media, TV, online, and the radio. Thank goodness for Smokey Robinson's Motown channel on SiriuxXM. Goodness folks, get a grip.

Anyway, back in 2017 when visiting Ireland I did apologize to a couple people for Trump being elected. Their response was essentially, but politely, "I couldn't care less."

In London, fwiw, this might be less likely, but outside of London there would be a significant chance I would guess that someone would be a supporter of one of the two British parties ( which combined represent about 45% of the British electorate) that are either moderately or strongly supportive of our President.