Safety for Americans abroad

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by SouthernPride

Trump will not put up with the USA being walked all over by other countries. I have lived in Europe for a long time and the bottom line with many of me European friends is they won't have wimp to kick around anymore.

Gee. I Traveled all over Europe, from UK to Poland and I was never kicked around by a single person. A long time friend moved to Germany several years ago and has had nothing but great experiences and relationships with her neighbors.

Originally Posted by SouthernPride

O'Bama is an ongoing joke among the Europeans. Would you hate a Trump possibility if you had been dealing with a patsy for 8 years ?

And I have had the exact opposite experience. Across the board, everyone I have spoken to in the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico,Japan,China, Israel, etc have had great respect for O'Bama. I won't even say what they think about Trump.

[Caribbeachbum]

Originally Posted by pcmm

Actually the US doesn't pay more than its fair share in NATO. the US has historically been "behind" in its financial participation in both NATO and the UN. The US also uses this "debt" to twist the arm of both these organizations! Not really playing fair!

ya, "fair share" was agreed upon by treaty as a function of GNP (or something like that) by all the participatory nations, including the USA. If we agreed to the definition of fair share, complaining that paying it means we are paying more than our fair share makes us buffoons. But we are not making that complaint, only a candidate for president is.

[Saleen411]

I've been made aware of ALOT of anti-American **** in my world travels. Not directed at me of course because I'm very sweet

I can cite MANY examples. One being when I was in a bar in Saigon. Three Brits approached a nice older guy and asked if he was an American. This guy was by himself 2 barstools away from me and was very pleasant. When he said yes, he was head butted resulting in a broken nose. Just like that...then they walked out.

When in a drinking establishment overseas i immediately become CANADIEN if there is ANY talk of politics. Things seemed worse when Bush was in office.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by pcmm

Funny, As a Canadian I feel that way now! We just came of 8 fantastic years of federal govt where we were the envy of the world! we weathered the financial crisis better that just about everyone, only to have the population do an about face and plunge us into debt over spending and just plain stupid policy! oh well at least I'll be able to legally smoke and forget about it!

I guess we'll agree to disagree. I will point out that under the Harper gvt we were virtually laughed at when we tried for a seat on the UN security council. That our stances on the international stage, from human rights and refugees to the environment and even some trade conferences, had our friends and allies publicly wondering what had happened to Canada. And as for weathering the 08 economic storm, sure ... we did better than most, but only by relying on the legal and regulatory framework inherited by Harper. And still it took a threat of an opposition coalition to get Harper to even acknowledge there was a looming financial crisis, and to take the stimulus steps necessary that kept us solvent.

So sure, lets agree to disagree.


Why go fast, when you can go slow

[tchavei]

Originally Posted by Saleen411

I've been made aware of ALOT of anti-American **** in my world travels. Not directed at me of course because I'm very sweet

I can cite MANY examples. One being when I was in a bar in Saigon. Three Brits approached a nice older guy and asked if he was an American. This guy was by himself 2 barstools away from me and was very pleasant. When he said yes, he was head butted resulting in a broken nose. Just like that...then they walked out.

When in a drinking establishment overseas i immediately become CANADIEN if there is ANY talk of politics. Things seemed worse when Bush was in office.

I think that says more about those three britts than Saigon?

Personally I have had good experiences dealing with most people all over the world. I do have prejudice about three country's citizen but that probably is due to two or three negative experiences in a row with people from there. Probably coincidence but it leaves a mark. So yeah, I'm conscious of my prejudice.

And no, none of those is the US.

Enviado do meu GT-I9195 através de Tapatalk

[Sea Dreaming]

Originally Posted by Caribbeachbum

ya, "fair share" was agreed upon by treaty as a function of GNP (or something like that) by all the participatory nations, including the USA. If we agreed to the definition of fair share, complaining that paying it means we are paying more than our fair share makes us buffoons. But we are not making that complaint, only a candidate for president is.

True, best to seperate the citizens of any country from its politicians. Ive noticed, mostly, that most of the places Ive been the people are ordinary. The news makers are something else again. Right now politics in the US is like a bad reality show run amok. Heaven help us if others start judging us based on our "reality" shows.

I was going to delete this thread but there are a lot of goid points here, and it's entertaining. Im leaving it for posterity and the CF'ers to duke it out. Play nice now or the mods will lock it.

[Cap Erict3]

I was in the Middle East when our nation elected Obama. The collective sigh of relief was palpable.

Many, many people from the USA are not the heartless, greedy idiots that are so much a part of the persona the media and the right wing show the world.

[pickpaul]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

Will non-Muslim UK citizens suddenly start attacking Americans?

It's happened before, the revolutionary war :-)

[model 10]

It's pretty hard to tell an American from a French person but the French person can probably speak the lingo where the American uses sign language.

[Cap Erict3]

I worked hard at Hangul but my southern drawl didn't help.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Cap Erict3

I worked hard at Hangul but my southern drawl didn't help.

So you write with an accent?

[Stevie B]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

But nobody knows you are a US American before you announce it.

Not wishing to be rude but if you speak quietly people will assume you are Canadian. ;-)

[Cap Erict3]

Originally Posted by skipmac

So you write with an accent?

I sneeze with an accent.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Saleen411

....... One being when I was in a bar in Saigon. Three Brits approached a nice older guy and asked if he was an American. This guy was by himself 2 barstools away from me and was very pleasant. When he said yes, he was head butted resulting in a broken nose. Just like that...then they walked out.........

Most likely Australians that had just been kicked off a Jetstar flight...

Sydney to Phuket Jetstar flight diverted to Bali after wild fight erupts onboard

[jeepbluetj]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

.......
But nobody knows you are a US American before you announce it.
........

Not necessarily. My wife and I have spent much time in south-east Spain (Alicante) She, somehow, can with about a 90% correct ratio identify the nationalities of folks walking by. We'll be hanging out in a bar, watching folks on the street. She'll say "German" -- and sure enough when they get close enough they're speaking german. I can easily identify the brits in that part of the world - they're very very very bright red... (Go to Benidorm, you'll know what I mean)

She says she can tell by the shoes and clothing.