your posting giberous again lew On Jan 19, 8:39 am, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote: > These hugs and kisses from the cowards who won't defend themslves. > > Who will defend them if Obama won't? > > We are in a heck of a "pickle." > > On Jan 19, 8:13 am, "liberal mike532 !" <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > > Americans, Feeling the Lovehttp://www.truthout.org/011809F > > With Obama's election, expatriates say, there's a new attitude > > abroad. Instead of challenges on Iraq and WMDs, they're met Wwith hugs > > and good wishes. > > > London - As Micha Wyatt plans an inaugural bash at the Chicago > > Rib > > Shack in London, she is basking in the new warmth toward Americans > > overseas. > > > It's cool to be an American again, Wyatt said. "Finally! I'm > > tired > > of pretending I'm Canadian." > > > From Jakarta to Johannesburg, Americans who travel or live abroad > > are finding that instead of being scolded about the Iraq war, the > > military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, or U.S. climate change > > policy, they are being hugged when strangers hear their accent. > > > "People would question me: 'Where are the weapons of mass > > destruction? What is America doing?' " said Wyatt, 38, a San > > Francisco > > native who said she does not align herself with any party but comes > > from a Republican family. > > > Since Barack Obama's election, she said, people want to hang out > > at American parties and talk about the latest news from Washington: > > "There is a buzz about America now." > > > Many Americans interviewed in Latin America, Asia, Africa and > > Europe said that for years they have felt "targeted" by critics of > > U.S. policies. They said they often did not volunteer that they were > > American, and several said they even dropped the word "Ottawa" into > > conversations to try to avoid confrontations. > > > Now, even in countries such as Japan and Australia, where > > Americans were generally not taken to task over Bush policies as they > > were in Europe, Americans interviewed said they suddenly have new > > cachet. Some compared the feeling to the heady days after the fall of > > communism. > > > "It was cool to know an American" in the early 1990s, said Tanya > > Pampalone, a Los Angeles native who has long lived abroad and resides > > in Johannesburg. > > > But the Bush era has been tough, she said, as many saw the United > > States playing the "bad guy" role in the world. She, like others > > interviewed, said she hesitated waving the red, white and blue in > > public. > > > But as goodwill toward Americans has returned, she recently > > allowed her 5-year-old daughter to bring a little American flag she > > had been waving in the car to a restaurant. > > > "A week before, I would have said to her, 'Just put the flag in > > the car. Let's not draw attention to ourselves,' " Pampalone said. > > But > > this time, she told her daughter, " 'Great, take the flag,' and when > > she walked around saying, 'Yes, we can!' everyone in the restaurant > > was smiling.' " > > > Organizations of expatriates, including Democrats Abroad, say > > there have never been so many, and such large, celebrations outside > > the United States to mark the swearing-in of an American president. > > > In addition to sold-out balls in capitals around the globe, many > > other Obama bashes are planned. In Cambridge, England, people are > > gathering to listen to Obama's speech at a Hawaiian luau, a nod to > > Obama's roots in that state. In Antigua, Guatemala, Americans have > > hired a disc jockey to play Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan and other tunes > > Obama keeps on his iPod. In Jakarta, Indonesia, where Obama spent > > time > > as a boy, students from his former elementary school will perform a > > traditional dance at a party featuring some of his old classmates. > > > David St. Onge, 57, a John McCain supporter who works in the > > pharmaceutical industry and was in Moscow this week, said he has > > noticed a change in how his Russian clients treat him. > > > "They seemed to think better of Americans because we elected a > > black man as president," he said as he walked through Red Square. > > "They think we're more enlightened now." > > > Andrew Leik, 40, an architect from Michigan living in Cologne, > > Germany, said that along with "it definitely being much easier now to > > be an American" overseas, he has noticed that German friends who had > > refused even to visit the United States are planning vacations there. > > > In France, Rick Parks, 64, a retired New York City public school > > teacher, said he has noticed gestures of friendship and "definitely a > > change in attitude" toward the United States. Gone are the days when > > relations with France were so testy that french fries were briefly > > renamed "freedom fries" in U.S. House cafeterias. > > > Parks said North African souvenir merchants at the landmark Sacre > > Coeur basilica in Paris smiled at him and hailed Obama's election as > > a > > victory for them all, saying: "You are our people." > > > Many people said they have been surprised that a new president in > > the White House would have such a direct impact on their lives > > thousands of miles away. > > > Brandon Luker, 26, a PhD student from the University of North > > Carolina at Chapel Hill who is in India researching Islamic issues, > > said Muslim scholars have given him slightly better access since > > Obama's election. > > > Jennifer Granger, 34, a teacher from New York who lives in > > Prague, > > said she no longer hesitates to say she is American. > > > "Thank God! It feels better," she said. "The people I work with > > give me high-fives and say things like 'You can be proud to be from > > your country again.' " > > > Perhaps as a sign of the eagerness for a new era, a wax figure of > > President Bush with his packed bags was placed on the sidewalk > > outside > > Madame Tussauds wax museum in Amsterdam on Thursday. > > > In London, as part of the promotions related to Obama taking > > office, U.S. citizens can get into Madame Tussauds free on > > Inauguration Day, instead of paying entrance fees that start at $18. > > About 300,000 Americans live in Britain and any of those, along with > > any visitors showing up with their passports, will be waved in. > > > All week, Krispy Kreme doughnut shops in Britain have been > > offering free cafe Americanos to those - American or not - who walk > > up > > to the counter and say Obama's trademark slogan, "Yes, we can!" > > > Kit Maloney, a Boston native who for the past eight years has > > lived on and off in London, said strangers have begun to quiz her on > > all aspects of American life and on how a country could elect a black > > liberal intellectual, something people tell her they can't imagine > > happening in Britain any time soon. > > > "For the first time in a long time, it's cool to be an American," > > she said.- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. 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