I would say this subject will bore most of you so move on unless you can make a point that says something.

Politics and travel (both for pleasure,volunteer work and business) are high on my priority lists. Before children I had volunteered with a medical organization for third world countries. I had worked in Guatamala and Cambodia.(never in a real war torn area just basic health care provider for regions that needed it.) Now at least twice a year for the past ten I have trekked somewhere in the world with my sons. Indonesia, Thailand, Viet Nam,Burma, Cambodia,Japan,Mexico, Brazil,Turkey,England,Germany,France, Italy,Spain.Morrocco,Belgium,Austria, Croatia.etc I think you get the picture I am a political and travel junkie.

I must say to you I have never anywhere experienced any anti americanism. The most negative comment EVER was from a New Zealand 16 year old girl on a beach in Thailand(my son had just met her and was hanging out with her) was she thought America was "pushy" with their objectives and military and values.

I have traveled in Islamic couuntries,Asia and extensively I have spent time in France. I rented an apartment there for 3 weeks in 1994 to take a course and have gone back every summer since. I have never found a country to be more gracious, hospitable ,friendly and seem to genuinely like the American people. I could go on with examples but from a medical symposium to leaving my passport and wallet in a grocery store at mid night and walking home alone and having the owner chase me down to return it this is my experience.

I am a traveler that likes to mingle with the locals in their cafes,strike up conversations on trains or in markets. My last visit to France June 2006 I had a long conversation on a train with a french cardiolosgist. He missed his train and wanted to sit in the car where I was. We were a bit crowded but what luck..we discussed politics,medicine,diet, wine. He commented that generally the French like the americans they meet but do not always apporve of the government, We discussed our puzzlement over Fox news on a daily obsessive basis knocking the French.Later I will post on Healthcare in America and other countires. We have some advantages and they have others.

I think the rhetoric out of our government and right wing media on anything that is not American is going to slowly erode the allies we have. Our media constantly bashes other DEMOCRACIES over issues like their healthcare systems.or life style or any slight cultural difference. I was eating breakfast and my son flipped on Fox to hear some sport score and instead it was Sean Hannitty on a 10 minute tear how French peole have nothing to do but worry about the color of their jeans. That is such slander and misleading the average untraveled American to believe some stupid propaganda campaign.
I know a lot of French people some with successful businesses,many in healthcare and all very family orieneted people.(much more so the the US.)

I am not here to take anything away from the US but why do we constantly need to bash countires (especially Europe and Canada who our allies . France chose not to join us with the invasion bevcause the intelligence showed Iraq to be no threat and they knew they had no WMD. Are they supposed to follow us in every move we make. They bankrupted their country to help us in the revolutionary war. Most recently we have their firm support on Iran.

Politics aside the medical exchange between our country and theirs is valuable. We would not have most of the cardiac technology we have today if not for the French.Now you will really hate me... I love their lifestyle. Real food grown in gardens instead of artificial transfats that make people sick.I like how all levels of people are held in high esteem from the waiter to the surgeon. They are not a perfect people but niether are we. This amazing country has probably been the friendliest and most welcoming. I love the French. I must say though Never have I had any anti americanism anywhere.I am not an imposing looking person I am only 5'3 and a slight build with fair hair. I have traveled freely anywhere I want to go in all the countries listed and into neighborhoods and at night and have never had any negative experience.Before this last trip I actually had people suggest I "lie" and say I was Canadian. This was from a few neo con types at the hospital who never have experienced much in life and watch Fox 5 hours a day and Savage in the car. Why would I want to do that? I am proud to be American and even prouder to travel and enjoy and experience people and make my own opinion. I am acutely aware of the internationsal tensions and disputes but I do not live in fear or listen to propaganda and while roaming the globe the bogeyman has never tried to bother me.

I have a thought that I would like to add. I keep wondering why do neo con hate media try to portray anyone but Americans (even our allies) as bad or wrong in their life. I think it is part of a longterm agenda to control and scare Americans. Xenophobic people then crave more reassurance that their way is the only way and everyone else is dangerous. This cuts them off to outside information,news and ideas. It also builds up the esteem of people who then feel their race or culture or religion is superior to to others.

Everybody bashes other countries, its all part of national pride. It seems like everyone bashes the french, and I recently witnessed the burning of several german flags in Austria (granted it was world cup time). For all the country bashing we do, Americans in general are friendlier to foreign visitors than most Europeans are to foreign visitors.

The real fact of the matter is that most people don't give a rats ass about america in their daily lives. They care about the war in Iraq and Bush, but the anti-americanism in general has gone down sharply in the last few years. The people who claim to have experienced anti-americanism were most likely being loud, obnoxious, and demanding (the ugly american).

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“In my lifetime, we've gone from Eisenhower to George W. Bush. We've gone from John F. Kennedy to Al Gore. If this is evolution, I believe that in twelve years, we'll be voting for plants.�
-Lewis Black

"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both."
-Benjamin Franklin

"A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine. "
-Thomas Jefferson

Thank you Sam for a well thought out and superb post. Through your travels you have become more open minded and understanding of foreign politics, people, etc. I congradulate you on your ability to percieve things before you believe them.

you crazy Yanks, you must realise we Europians would never be rude to your face, much better to sneer behind your backs...

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Remember that you are an Englishman, and have consequently won first prize in the lottery of life.
- Cecil Rhodes

All that's necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.
-Edmund Burke

My sentiments, exactly, even though I'm an American. Geez, we do it within our own US walls, Southerners vs. Yanks, City vs Country folk, East vs. West...ect...

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Ephesians 5:15

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyR41JbpL_g

"I keep wondering why do neo con hate media try to portray anyone but Americans (even our allies) as bad or wrong in their life."

>>>I have a theory on this. Ariel Sharon once said "we control America." I think the rest of the world is too smart to be controlled by the Likud Party, and the neocons resent it. The neocons are riding America like a birthday pony.

Can I quote you on this?! I must say, this is a gem...but is it copyrighted?

"The neocons are riding America like a Birthday Pony" LOL George your posts are getting funnier and there is always some truth in the humor !

I couldnt agree with you more Sam.

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