Back in 2004, I was one of thousands of Americans who posted a picture of myself holding an “I’m sorry!” sign on a website to apologize to the world for allowing GW Bush to get close enough to steal another election. Foreigners were saying, and rightly so, that the American public no longer had an excuse, because we became complicit in his crimes by returning him to office. They did not understand how voters could do such an insane thing. Since they were right then, it’s no surprise that they are right now.
For several weeks before the recent U.S. election, there was much nervous speculation among Europeans as they watched the fluctuations of the poll numbers. Now that the results are in, Europeans are perplexed by this turn back toward the politics of the Bush-Cheney era.
Like the rest of the world, Europe cheered the election of Barack Obama as a change from the economic and foreign policy disasters of his predecessor. Yet just two years later the US government is returning to Bush-lite. How could this be, Europeans are wondering? The American electorate is looking like a coyote with its leg caught in a trap, chewing its own leg off to get out of the trap.
Europeans are puzzled by the success of the populist Tea Party movement, which seemingly wants to roll back the last two years and return to how things were at the end of the Bush-Cheney years. Even conservatives in Europe are scratching their heads over their transatlantic allies — “Americans don’t want health care??? How can these Tea Party people say ‘Get government out of my Medicare — don’t they know Medicare IS a government program???”
While participating in a conference in Budapest in September, where prominent conservative leaders and thinkers were in attendance, including the president of the European Parliament and two prime ministers, some of the most eye-opening comments had to do with new perceptions about America. One speaker, Christian Stoffaes, who is chairman of the Center for International Prospective Studies based in Paris, stated the "United States is in disarray, extremely polarized. It is practically a civil war there, and you can’t count on it."
This theme was echoed by others speakers, who went even further. One said "We need to shift our emphasis eastward (towards Asia) and not wait for the Obama administration." I found these statements to be surprising, and even vaguely alarming, given the importance of the transatlantic relationship in the post-World War II era. But there was a widespread view that the US is being consumed by the severity of the Great Recession, brought on by a broken Wall Street capitalism, as well as by the quagmires of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, and an inability to change course… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Alternet>
How can we explain to them this change from bad to worse, from ineffective Democratic performance, back to corporate plutocracy?
8 Responses to “Foreigners Understand America Better Than US Voters!”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
I’m sure many of them already realize this, and will be awaiting the blossoming of full-blown plutocracy with nervous gazes.
While we’re on the topic of foreigners sometimes understanding the U.S. better than we understand ourselves, I want to share an article I found at the BBC News website this morning. Jonathan Raban explains that the biggest political divide in the U.S. is not between red states and blue states, but between progressive and moderate urban areas and conservative rural areas. As someone who has observed this divide in my own state, I can say that Raban is right on the money.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11746531
Most interesting, Ahab. I have ben having similar thoughts myself. Sadly, power is skewed rurally because they have disproportionate representation in the senate and in the electoral college.
I agree wholeheartedly with “”United States is in disarray, extremely polarized. It is practically a civil war there, and you can’t count on it” and “We need to shift our emphasis eastward (towards Asia) and not wait for the Obama administration.”
For 2 glorious years the U.S. at least appeared to be joining the rest the world (or as the inbreds like to say, “apologizing for America”). Now that the wingnuts have captured the House, the oligarchs are overjoyed about not only repealing “Obamacare” and getting rid of those commie banking regulations, but also “the return of American Exceptionalism.” The rest of the world has every reason to be appalled at this election, and it’s time to all of us to say once again “I’m sorry, World.”
Amen, Tom! Amen!
Like any addict, America is in denial about its power trip. Everything has gone our way since 1945 (we’ll ignore Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan for now) and it always will. NOT!
Looking at the failed G20 conference in this light, and it’s clear why there was stalemate. Our belief in exceptionalism led us to our current state, and the rest of the world is not about to blindly follow us any longer. Unlike the citizens of the US, they are much more likely to remember history. Thanks to the experiences of Nazi occupation, Europeans still have direct memories of where extreme nationalism can lead. Asian nations recall both European colonialism and the excesses of the Japanese Empire. they aren’t about to surr3ender their hard-won independence. So either we get real, or they will inflict serious economic pain upon us. It’s tough love, baby! The choice is ours.
You raise some excellent points. America remains the greatest military power in the world by a wide margin, and largely because of that, we are rapidly sinking economically into the second world
I can say with my full support that I don’t get it either. If they follow us, we’re all doomed. We are no longer a superpower and someone else will take our place. 😡
If we maintain our current course, our military power will be the last to fail, and then, we’re 1930’s Germany.