Comment turned into blog post: on improved standing in the world after the election of Obama.

http://www.alan.com/2008/11/07/suddenly-its-cool-to-be-american-again/#comments

Below is the initial comment I left. My view on the matter might surprise you, if it doesn’t just baffle you instead.

I understand the need to be liked, I appreciate and, indeed, want the improved relations Obama’s Presidency will hopefully give us, and there’s a far better chance of that happening with him than would happen with McCain, but there’s a big but here.

Go back 3 years: suppose you were in Germany. While there, based on nothing but the guilt of your association with America by virtue of being an American, you were subjected to harsh, perhaps harrassing, treatment. No one seemed to care if you were liberal, or even apolitical, they wanted a scapegoat for the bad policies of the Bush administration.

Now fast forward: It’s a month from now, and you are in Germany again, and, based on the same association, you are innocent; you are praised. But, as before, no one knows you, they assume what you are, that you agreed with the election of Obama and therefore deserve their praise.

The fact is, the very premise some used to justify bigotry against individual Americans is now used to heap praise upon individual Americans.

I did vote for Obama, and improved foreign relations was a big reason for that, but I want to be thanked, should I ever be abroad, or speaking with a foreign person here, when it is known what I did, not just assumed that I made the choice to vote for Obama.

To me, these so-called positive anecdotes are insulting, and I can’t help but wonder what bigotry lies behind them.

I want stronger allies, and their peoples to support my country when it endevours to do good. I don’t want to be liked for something before they even know if I did it.

Posted by WFG
November 7th, 2008 at 2:30 am