Hey, Lindsay!

For whatever reason (luck?) I have found myself living abroad during times of huge political uproars in America and it has given me a global perspective of America, “Americans”, global politics…war.

The first time I was abroad was during Bush’s second term. When I left the United States, like many others, I didn’t care for Bush, I was just waiting for his term to be over. I really didn’t think it effected me individually.

But it did. By my third day in Europe, I was ashamed. I was too embarassed to pull out my passport and avoided doing so like my life depended on it _ I didn’t want people to know where I was from. I stopped speaking in English. I tried to pass myself off as a Canadian, or Dutch or from Spain — ANYthing but American.

It wasn’t just the general distrust, distaste and disapproving attitude the Europeans seemed to have for Americans then, it was the stereotypes that latched on. A stereotype that I didn’t want attached to me.

“Do you own a gun?” No, I do not. I don’t  have any friends that do either.

“Do you like Bush?” No. and I did not vote for him. Most people I know don’t like him either.

Now I’m abroad again when Bid Laden was killed (murdered?).

When I first heard about it, I wasn’t happy. I didn’t feel the urge to get up and cheer. To raise a glass and celebrate. As my friend Haley wrote on Facebook “All life has value. I’m not comfortable celebrating death, just accepting it. I’m hoping for peace and tolerance to come.”

But then when I heard about Americans cheering in the street, *I* was appalled… and embarrassed. Really, we are a country that celebrates death with dancing in the streets? I recall Americans had a very different opinion of that practice 10 years ago.

My initial response, which I put on Facebook was the following: “I fear revenge and retaliation — for the U.S. and world.”

When I say that I fear revenge and retaliation I don’t only mean more terrorist attacks. I’m talking global image as well. I’m also talking about how the world will react not just to the death of Bid Laden but of America’s reaction.

It is an interesting time to live abroad and watch how other nations view Americans… but let me tell you: it ain’t pretty.

While there is some sympathy (? right word), especially with nations who have dealt with their own terrorist attacks on a large scale (like the UK), there is much more distaste. Distate for how Americans are celebrating in the streets. Distaste that America spent 10 years, a trillion dollars and so many innocent lives to kill ONE man hiding in the mountains. Distate with the American “we kill people to show that killing people is wrong” moral turpitude (or lack thereof).

Less we forget: He was ONE MAN, Al Qaeda still exists. People have lost sight of the forest for the trees.

Overall America is now proving to look like the dumbest nation in the eyes of our worldly neighbors… but hey! the good news is: I’m not sure its possible for he global image of the US to get much worse.

and Obama just got himself reelected.