The View of Bush from Abroad

Just returned from my escape to London, where I saw wonderful theatre and avoided the entire Nuremberg Rally--er, I mean Republican Convention here in NY.

The British pity us for being under "a new King George's yoke of tyranny." The Kitty Kelly book comes out soon, and maybe at last the truth will come out about Prescott Bush's Nazi connections, Dubya's AWOL status from the National Guard, and Dubya's untreated and ongoing alcohol and cocaine addictions.

If he wins, in the minds of the British, we deserve whatever we get, which will undoubtedly be the end of America as a superpower, just as that end came to the British, Roman and Greek empires.

Here's a fascinating list from the UK Independent newspaper of everything he's done wrong.
Bush by the Numbers

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Amen, brothas.

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I wonder why alot of the American people can't see what an awful President he has been.....Is is because we are too proud!!!!.....When I was in Canada recently, I talked with alot of people about Americans.....Most of them thought we were spoiled rich cowboys....I was truly shocked....I have always thought that I live in the best country in the world!!!!!

When I was in Canada recently, I talked with alot of people about Americans.....Most of them thought we were spoiled rich cowboys....I was truly shocked....I have always thought that I live in the best country in the world!!!!!

Sorry Kristie, as a Canadian, I can tell you that the United States does NOT have a good reputation here or the rest of the world, and much of this is due to your president. The common opinion is that Americans (as reflected by the American _government_) are power-hungry, self-interested, moralistic puritans. Of course, I know this not to be true of all Americans, but your government seems to be acting that way.

It's much worse in Europe, where many now hate the US with a passion. When the US explicitly goes against the United Nations, you gotta expect some hostility and ill regard. For many, it was another example of how the US doesn't consider itself a part of the international community, but rather acts in its own interests, be damned of everyone else.

I think every country likes to boast that it is the best in the world, but Americans are gonna have to really dig real deep these days if they want to justify it.

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Updated On: 9/4/04 at 06:12 PM

I think that's been a large problem for many decades, that is getting even worse now: many Americans don't know or are deceived in how the world thinks of them. With all the debates and Kerry vs. Bush etc., even on this board, I'm surprised how little has been mentioned about how Bush completely defied the policies of the United Nations, thus spitting in the face of the rest of the world. And I found the whole lynching of the French appalling and very, very disturbing (freedom fries, anyone?).

I think many Americans are blind to everything outside their own country and interests; surely, from what I've seen on American TV, everything gets filtered through a "Americans are the best" mentality. People have to realize that the US isn't always right, that the US foreign policy is extremely hated and vilified by most of the world, and that some American attitudes are looked down upon by other countries (case point: when did the United States change its country name to "America"? America is the name of the entire continent, not of the country. I know it's innocent and unintentional, but to other countries, it has a pompous and even imperial quality to it, and has been used more and more since Bush took office). The international community is very angry at the United States right now, and it doesn't help the US's already-negative image.

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Updated On: 9/4/04 at 07:16 PM

Everytime the United Nations was mentioned, the GOPs booed loudly. I find that to be very disturbing and pretentious.

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So it's ok with you that the French government has the right to ban all symbols of religion and dictate to people how they must dress?

No, but that's not what the lynching of the French by Americans was about, now was it?

People's idea of "freedom" seems to vary from country to country.

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"he was never elected in the first place :oP lol. at least by the american citizens."

No, he wasn't elected by the American citizens, he was elected by the Electoral College who have the right to vote any way they choose.

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If all Americans had been allowed to vote and if all votes had been recounted. No, gotham, this President was appointed by the Supreme Court.

The next four years will be decided by the people when the 44th President is elected November 2.

Then, the healing can begin.

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Updated On: 9/5/04 at 05:19 PM

(sorry for the typo) yeah you're right but still, you can't judge every american by the outcome of this election. if he gets elected, there are still people (like me) who won't vote for him. and if he doesn't get elected, there are still people who did vote for him. that's why i really don't like it when people make judgements on countries because of the government.

GothamPC said: "So it's ok with you that the French government has the right to ban all symbols of religion and dictate to people how they must dress?"

You're misunderstanding what's going on in France. The French ban was only against major representations of religion and only in secular, state-funded schools where the students wear uniforms.

The ban was never against "all symbols of religion," as you said, and it never attempted to to "dictate to people how they must dress." Crosses, crescents and mezzuzahs around the neck were never to be banned from the schools. Nor was any kind of religious attire OUTSIDE the state-funded schools.

The French have taken their separation of Church and State very seriouly since the French Revolution diminished the power of the Catholic Church over the government.

France is far from perfect, but it is also far from fascist or totalitarian. Liberte, egalite, fraternite!

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Updated On: 9/5/04 at 06:12 PM

that's why i really don't like it when people make judgements on countries because of the government.

I completely agree; that's what I was trying (and maybe failing) to say in my original post. But because a country's actions are dictated by their supported government, many perceive the government to be a reflection of the citizens (unless it's a totalitarian state and the citizens are living under oppression).

I don't know if I take what the French, English or Canadians are saying right now about us too seriously. Even before the current administration, they did not speak too highly of the US.

Heheheh, true. But let me assure you that most opinions about Americans are less about Americans as an autonomous people, and more about how they (their government, their businesses or their culture) affect us, the French/English/Canadians/non-Americans. Thus, many of us ("us" used loosely) are not sticking our noses up and going, "Oh look at those Americans and their foolish ways"; rather, we are making statements like, "Look how American businesses are invading our country," "American-izing our culture," etc. Our opinions are less about Americans themselves and more about what Americans are doing to our respective countries. So in this case, we ARE entitled to our opinion about Americans (and, in particular, the Bush administration, which has wreaked havoc on not just the US but many other parts of the world).

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" I personally do not want to hear negative opinions from those countries who don't like us but very much like our travel dollars. . . . I do not like to hear anything said negatively outside my country about him OR his administration OR Americans, in general."

Considering that the US foreign policy can have a huge impact on some of these countries, I think you'd have to accept that they will share their opinions about those policies and the administration behind them. And as for some of these countries very much liking your travel dollars, well, the US have always loved the dollars they can get from other countries' natural resources, no matter how corrupt or oppressive the governments they are dealing with are.