For those who still reside within the United States who may or may not like our current President, you may have heard statements like ‘why does everyone hate us’ and ‘the first thing the next President needs to do is mend our reputation abroad.’ Whether or not you believe it is another matter, but trust me, it’s true.
As an American living in London, England, I have spent the last nearly four years trying to keep the fact that I’m American hidden from most people in public, colleagues and acquaintances obviously exempt. I refrain from talking on my mobile phone on the train (not that I get that many calls anyway) and look sarcastically at American tourists secretly thinking to myself ‘shut up!’ I do all of these things because Bush, and therefore Americans can be lumped into, is so very stupid and cannot speak properly.
I enjoyed reading this article on Guardian today written by a fellow expat. I too am looking forward to when Bush is gone simply because, hopefully, I’ll be able to hold my head up just a bit higher. Thank God for term limits is all I’ll say.
When I’ve been found out as an America I simply avow that I didn’t vote for Bush and attest to how much I despise him and that seems to appease most people. It’s only those true anti-American people who will always be that way no matter who is in the White House that you have to worry about. Thankfully, in my few years in London I haven’t met anyone that blatantly anti-American. On the whole and on the contrary most Brits like Americans and understand that not everyone is as stupid as Bush. Still, I’m counting the days to 4 November 2008.