America

[norton65ca]

I've travelled down there a fair bit, at least in the west, and I've been around upstate NY, Vermont, NH, RI, Connecticut and Mass. when I was younger and a couple of trips to Florida.

I love the country itself, the scenery is breathtaking in many places, and I live in Canada, which isn't exactly a slouch when it comes to landscapes. The western expanses especially are something else, riding highway 101 down the Oregon coast on my bike, driving my old VW across the deserts and traversing the Cascades years ago, awesome. It just doesn't get a lot better.

I've been treated with great hospitality by Americans and found most to be exceptionally friendly. There is an open simplicity to a lot of the ordinary folk of America which is refreshing. I have enjoyed my travels in the states and have some good memories.

The politics of America and it's government are another matter entirely, as well as it's self perception and arrogance. American foreign policy and it's track record globally when it comes to propping up despots, conducting wars by proxy, destabilizing sovereign states and generally being a total as*hole, I find repulsive. It's obsessive support for the Israelis and its remarkable ability to pick and choose what global human rights violations it will pay attention to and which it will ignore I find loathsome. The sheer hypocrisy of some of its many statements made to condemn others on the global stage defies belief.

The influence of evangelical and fundamentalist lunatics on the direction of the reins of power is frightening. The framing of public policy around doctrines espoused in a book of fairytales written to support a theological belief system is appalling. I am continually shocked by the terms of debate in a so-called civilized society. But that is America for you. You can't ignore that place, that's for sure. You should try living next door.

No. I don't hate Americans, but many times I must confess I despise America.

[Sureshot]

I've lived here for just over 2 years and I really like it. Can't say a bad word about anyone I've met so far - overall, people are happy, friendly and won't hesitate to help you out.

[bose]

I've been to both New York and Washington and both times it was fantastic. The people really are exceptionally friendly (at least compared to us Northern Europeans!). It was a bit weird for me though because where I'm from people rarely talk much to strangers but out there most people were very open and friendly (sometimes a bit over the top though IMO).

[legov]

But if you took Europe as a whole it's probably just as nuts.

:shock: