As you may have noticed, I've been away for a bit. I am finally home again from a week-long conference in Orlando, Florida. This conference is always packed with folks from all over the globe and is quite often a real blast to attend. This is the first time I've attended since the events of 9-11-01 and the beginnings of our war against Islamo-fascism. Believe it or not, it hadn't even occurred to me that there would be foreign arrogance running amok at the conference.
Every evening of this conference was an exercise in self-control for me as I was subjected to the nonsense of my fellow Americans apologizing for our alleged "bad reputation" around the world to the Germans, English, Canadians, French, and yes (believe it or not) Australians who in attendance. Granted, these were not formal apologies; they were simply casual conversations had at dinner, during breaks, and at the clubs; however, they were very real and very Liberally dispensed (pardon the pun).
I made a field trip with some friends from California and New York to one of those dueling piano bars nearby one night. They were completely embarrassed when I stood up and lit a lighter during the playing of "Proud to Be an American" (the Lee Greenwood hit). After the song, one of them leaned over and said, "You should have seen the looks you were getting from the Germans at the next table!" (*gasp!*)
My Liberal colleagues kept reminding me that we are not well-liked in the world. At one point, I felt compelled to remind that countries who were caught with their grubby hands in the "Oil for Food" cookie jar had good reason to dislike us for helping uncover it. Duh. What kind of schoolyard popularity contest are these folks reliving??
I heard about the arrogance of Americans more often in my own country from my own countrymen than I could even bring myself to believe -- was I hallucinating? Help me with this... Who's arrogant? The foreigners who, with a tilted chin and air of superiority, found a soapbox on which to trash American culture, traditions, politics, and policies while enjoying great American entertainment and rapt attention? or the Americans who were constantly apologizing, agreeing, and wetting themselves in subjugation to the superior foreigner?
I'm sick and tired of hearing other Americans apologize for being a citizen of the greatest, most prosperous, most generous and fair-minded country on Earth! I have some news for my English, German, and Canadian friends: your countries are following suit and becoming more Conservative. Maybe it's time to get a clue from your OWN countries, eh?
Every evening of this conference was an exercise in self-control for me as I was subjected to the nonsense of my fellow Americans apologizing for our alleged "bad reputation" around the world to the Germans, English, Canadians, French, and yes (believe it or not) Australians who in attendance. Granted, these were not formal apologies; they were simply casual conversations had at dinner, during breaks, and at the clubs; however, they were very real and very Liberally dispensed (pardon the pun).
I made a field trip with some friends from California and New York to one of those dueling piano bars nearby one night. They were completely embarrassed when I stood up and lit a lighter during the playing of "Proud to Be an American" (the Lee Greenwood hit). After the song, one of them leaned over and said, "You should have seen the looks you were getting from the Germans at the next table!" (*gasp!*)
My Liberal colleagues kept reminding me that we are not well-liked in the world. At one point, I felt compelled to remind that countries who were caught with their grubby hands in the "Oil for Food" cookie jar had good reason to dislike us for helping uncover it. Duh. What kind of schoolyard popularity contest are these folks reliving??
I heard about the arrogance of Americans more often in my own country from my own countrymen than I could even bring myself to believe -- was I hallucinating? Help me with this... Who's arrogant? The foreigners who, with a tilted chin and air of superiority, found a soapbox on which to trash American culture, traditions, politics, and policies while enjoying great American entertainment and rapt attention? or the Americans who were constantly apologizing, agreeing, and wetting themselves in subjugation to the superior foreigner?
I'm sick and tired of hearing other Americans apologize for being a citizen of the greatest, most prosperous, most generous and fair-minded country on Earth! I have some news for my English, German, and Canadian friends: your countries are following suit and becoming more Conservative. Maybe it's time to get a clue from your OWN countries, eh?
Comments
1. All emotion, very little critical thinking.
2. Does so-and-so like me?
3. I'm ugly!
4. You can't tell me what to do!
And on and on.
Am I right?
GBW