When American expatriates boast that Obama's election makes themproud to be Americans again

Sunday, November 21, 2010

When American expatriates boast that Obama's election makes them proud
to be Americans again

posted by Erik @ 19:09

"I really like visiting France, even if the expats get on my
nerves

writes Joe Queenan in a Wall Street Journal article entitled Mon
Dieu ! You Like the New Speaker?! (merci à Gary Zuercher).

If you travel to France, as I did last week, a French dinner
companion will eventually tell you: "We were all so proud of America
when you elected Barack Obama president." It's a condescending thing
to say, but the sentiment springs from an affectionate place, and I
myself am proud that my native land two years ago affirmed its
vigorously multicultural character, repudiating, if only by proxy, its
racist past, something no one is likely to do in France, Italy,
Germany or England anytime soon.

After that brief introduction, regarding foreigners, Joe Queenan turns
to the subject of American expatriates (aka "all those America-hating
left-wing expats"), and that's when he truly lets his anger show.

What I don't like is when American expatriates tell me that Mr.
Obama's election made them proud to be Americans again. This not only
implies that Mr. Obama's predecessors were wicked or incompetent, but
that patriotism is an exclusively partisan activity. It's like only
loving baseball the year your team wins the World Series. My love of
country has nothing to do with who's running the government at any
particular time …

Last week, just for chuckles, I had a couple of Parisian tête-à-
têtes with expats about American politics. As soon as they started in
with their generic Obama-pride spiel, I told them that I had never
been prouder to be an American than when John Boehner got tapped to be
Speaker of the House.

"He smokes, he drinks, he has a tan and I'm pretty sure he golfs,"
I exclaimed. "For me, he's the complete package."

Expats are incredulous when you say things like this. Their idea
of America is derived entirely from YouTube clips of Rachel Maddow.
Expats always repeat the vacuous cliché that they get their news from
"The Daily Show," because the mainstream media cannot be trusted. To
them, it is almost criminal to say anything nice about a public figure
like John Boehner. No, it is criminal.

"John Boehner?" one expat demanded. "John Boehner makes you proud
to be an American?"

"I didn't say Eric Cantor or Jim DeMint," I replied, somewhat
sheepishly. "I didn't say Sarah Palin. But John Boehner really does it
for me. I just love his Midwestern, salt-of-the-earth stolidity."

"How can you say that?" one sneered. "He's the head of the party
of no."

"I've always liked people from the Buckeye State," I replied.
"They've got their finger on the pulse of America. Ohio is the pulse
of America. But I also like Boehner's maverick quality. The smoking.
The drinking. The tan. He reminds me of the guys on 'Mad Men.'"
I usually waited until dinner was over before I expressed my
burgeoning Boehner pride; otherwise I might never have gotten
dessert.

From the comment section, we get these gems:

• I can usually forgive the French. They are a product of their
culture. The expatriate Americans who CHOOSE to embrace that
particular brand of snobbery and condescension have no excuse.

• I am … eternally ashamed of the ugly Americans. You know them.
They’re the ones who frequent Paris. restaurants and are obnoxious
with their loud jokes. They are also the social climbers who take anti-
American positions at foreign dinner parties and portray genuine proud
Americans as traitors. Or they are the ones on short-term contracts
who socialize only with fellow Americans. Then they come home and
speak with authority on their foreign non-experiences. But you should
also know that their gracious hosts are not fooled, They know them for
whom they are.

• I don't have a problem with all those America hating left wing
expats. If we could just get 80 million more of them to move out we
would be well on our way to fixing what is wrong with America."

"PJ Odonovan Himselff" wrote in message
...

What I don't like is when American expatriates tell me that Mr.
Obama's election made them proud to be Americans again. This not only
implies that Mr. Obama's predecessors were wicked or incompetent, but
that patriotism is an exclusively partisan activity.

• I don't have a problem with all those America hating left wing
expats. If we could just get 80 million more of them to move out we
would be well on our way to fixing what is wrong with America."

So, what you actually imply is that patriotism is indeed a partisan
activity. What a ****ing hypocrite you are.

On Nov 24, 1:57*am, "Penfire" wrote:
"PJ Odonovan Himselff" wrote in ...

* *What I don't like is when American expatriates tell me that Mr.

Obama's election made them proud to be Americans again. This not only
implies that Mr. Obama's predecessors were wicked or incompetent, but
that patriotism is an exclusively partisan activity.

* * I don't have a problem with all those America hating left wing

expats. If we could just get 80 million more of them to move out we
would be well on our way to fixing what is wrong with America."

So, what you actually imply is that patriotism is indeed a partisan
activity. What a ****ing hypocrite you are.

A relevant response posted elsewhere on the net:

"I've met quite a few of these socialist cow-pies throughout Europe;
they usually advertise their presence as subtly as a K-Mart blue light
special that announces they will gladly regurgitate the latest rants
from Michael Moore's blog in exchange for the chance at a sloppy
handjob in a dimly-lit, feces encrusted stand-up toilet. The bulk of
their political knowledge seems based around bumper sticker slogans,
and quite frankly, you stand a better chance of engaging in a fruitful
political discussion with the rear end of a beat down pinto covered in
"US out of my uterus" stickers double-parked outside of a vegan bakery
in Berkley. At least the car is more likely to have had a decent
shave. Their alliances shift with the times, depending on what
outrageous outrage has pricked their conscience this week, as do their
self-given titles. Do you seriously expect much intelligence from
someone who describes themselves as an anti-gender ecofeminist whose
grasp of economics is considerably lower than that of a five year old
entrepreneur selling lemonade on a hot day? I expect neither
intelligence nor introspection from this lot. As far as I'm
concerned, Europe can have them."

As subscribers of rte have seen, a disproportionally high number of
mentally disturbed people from the United States project their ill
health in their messages when [cross]posting to the group. Some of them
have been around a decade or so. Pretty hefty portion of their lives
wasted away.


Roughly and clearly more than 50% of all the crazy tirade (about
Lincoln, Osama, Obama, moslems and so worth) originate to news servers
residing inside the borders of the United States.

US Americans constitute a couple of percent of all the usenet
subscribers and yet their share among nut-cases is about 1000% higher.

What makes US Americans so vulnerable to mental illnesses? Is there any
cure for their less balanced behaviour? Is the American healthcare
authority equipped with sufficient resources to rehabilitate these poor
sods? Heal the sick and miserable. Give them some hope to return to
civilisation as robust and independent people capable of standing on
their own two feet.

It looks very peculiar that one relatively restricted (even if large)
area on earth contributes about as many nut-cases as rest of the world.
Quite alarming actually.

I wouldn't be alarmed for them, by them yes, poor ceatures.
Oh hullo greg morrow, evleth's best pal !


"Markku Grönroos" a écrit dans le message de groupe de discussion :
...

As subscribers of rte have seen, a disproportionally high number of
mentally disturbed people from the United States project their ill
health in their messages when [cross]posting to the group. Some of them
have been around a decade or so. Pretty hefty portion of their lives
wasted away.


Roughly and clearly more than 50% of all the crazy tirade (about
Lincoln, Osama, Obama, moslems and so worth) originate to news servers
residing inside the borders of the United States.

US Americans constitute a couple of percent of all the usenet
subscribers and yet their share among nut-cases is about 1000% higher.

What makes US Americans so vulnerable to mental illnesses? Is there any
cure for their less balanced behaviour? Is the American healthcare
authority equipped with sufficient resources to rehabilitate these poor
sods? Heal the sick and miserable. Give them some hope to return to
civilisation as robust and independent people capable of standing on
their own two feet.

It looks very peculiar that one relatively restricted (even if large)
area on earth contributes about as many nut-cases as rest of the world.
Quite alarming actually.