Comments on: Students abroad

By: hrw

hrw — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 03:43:11 +0000

The world is impressed with the Obama and does realize that this is something which would not happen in Europe or elsewhere. Only in Latin America where similarly long subjected minorities have achieved power is something comparable. I don’t forsee any non-European minority achieving leadership in an EU country. The current Hungarian/Romanian president of France is held up as a sign of tolerance but he is European.

A first nations PM will probably not happen — not a big enough base but Canada has had an East Indian premier and the natives do control all three territorial legislatures and exert considerable influence on at least two provincial legislatures where they compromise a sizable minority. The current Governor-General (ceremonial head of state) is a black woman of Haitian descent. Various minorities – first nations, metis, blacks, east indian, arabs etc have all been in federal cabinet. However the PM traditionally alternates between French and British.

“like Alberta” just means conservative not stupid unless you want to equate the two. As for being smarter of course we are: sound fiscal policy, a strong resource/manufacturing economy (the only G7 country not service based), moderate in all things, polite, tolerate etc.

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By: Kennethos

Kennethos — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:13:43 +0000

Hmm….the world thinks America is less ugly today? Does this mean, by comparison, that the rest of the world has gotten uglier?

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By: Sawgunner

Sawgunner — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:37:46 +0000

Mac, #6. I’d say France will go that route soon enough. Its a wonder the Europeans dont allow foreign-born to hold elective office in their country. I was discussing Arnold Schwarznegger with some Germans in Frankfurt. I pointed out that the little Austrian immigrant was (at that time at least) wildly popular and that the USA should amend the constitution to let our most favorite Austrian immigrant ascend to higher office if that’s what the avg man on the street wanted.
Some folks just got no sense of humor at all

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By: mac

mac — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:46:57 +0000

I spent 4.5 years in Canada studying. It was from 2004 to 2008. Canadian nationalistic tendencies show up in the common parlance of ‘Canadians are so much smarter than Americans.’ Mix the height of the Bush years with such hubris and it you have a recipe for fun. The dour moods and glum faces upon Bush’s second election were priceless. I remember walking by a pub running the 2004 election night results where one stunned Canadian asked how all the mountain and plain states could go Bush’s way. The response was telling and priceless, “Those states are like Alberta,” meaning backwards and stupid. Basically, everything bad happening was Bush’s fault and if only America would smarten up…like Canadians.

Speaking of this election, in about every conversation, people would question how Obama could be elected in such a racist country like the USA. This was the overarching foreign media template of America. My question now is when will Canada elect a First Nations Prime Minister, how about and Indian PM in Britain, or say an Algerian President of France?

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By: Pauline

Pauline — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:33:28 +0000

I studied in Spain, six months in Valencia in 1981, and nine months in Madrid 1983-1984. I didn’t notice any contempt towards Americans, only toward our government. The Spaniards I knew were very distrustful of Reagan, especially regarding U.S. activities in Nicaragua. To them it was an example of American imperialism. I went to watch a demonstration one time, and for the first time saw an American flag burned – and I was surprised how much it bothered me.

During the time I lived in Valencia, I went on a youth retreat with teens and young adults from the church I was attending (an evangelical church where I was the only American), and when they did a Bible study (I forget on what passage), the application several of them drew from it was the need to oppose U.S. policy in Latin America. I didn’t find that Bible study very helpful (though I suspect I’ve attended Bible studies in the U.S. where people drew out an application that we should support U.S. policy, on no sounder exegetical basis).

While I lived in Madrid, one of the big issues of the day was whether Spain should join NATO. There must have been some people in favor of it, but the only opinions I ever encountered were against it. They had been ruled by a dictator (Francisco Franco) for decades, now they had a constitutional monarchy and they wanted decisions regarding their future to be made by their elected representatives, not an organization dominated by the U.S. Many of them were unhappy at the presence of U.S. military bases in their country.

But no one held any of that against me personally. The fact that I spoke the language well no doubt helped, of course.

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By: llama

llama — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:24:36 +0000

‘the rest of the world doesn’t think Americans are quite so ugly now that we have Barack Obama as president.’

It just shows how shallow, insane ans manipulating the worldwide left is when electing a new President in America all by itself, now makes this country somehow less ugly. Well ‘ I have news f0r them – Barbra Streisand isn’t getting any younger or prettier for that matter

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By: Thomas

Thomas — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:49:31 +0000

“Everybody’s contemptuous of Americans.”

Couldn’t be because many here were contemptuous of nearly everyone else, could it?

Nah.

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By: David L.

David L. — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:09:39 +0000

For 2 1/2 years of my college education I studied at a Christian university in Canada, and for 1 semester I studied French in Paris. We were told to say we were Canadians, not Americans, in France. I got the impression I should be saying that in Canada, too.

Everybody’s contemptuous of Americans.

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By: Sawgunner

Sawgunner — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:56:31 +0000

I think the upside to this is now foreign hostage-takers will be seen as anti-Obama if they capture or terrorize Americans. This may in fact deter acts of terror or kidnapping. Unquestionably there will be a few old European cold war hawks or monarchists who will vent their anti-socialist tirades on unsuspecting Americans in their pubs.
You just watch.

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