"Pipe Down", Your Ass! A bunch of home-grown anti-Americans, "Business for Diplomatic Action, a nonprofit group dedicated to boosting our nation's reputation abroad", has issued a guide to Americans as to how we should behave when traveling abroad. It recommends, in essence, massive self-censorship and self-effacement. We are to be quiet — both literally (speak less loudly among ourselves) and figuratively (not talk about religion or politics; and if we dare to express a view, to give more than equal weight to the views of locals. To all that, I say, to Business for Diplomatic Action and everyone else who says there is something so wrong with us that we cannot be ourselves abroad, "Go f*ck yourselves!"
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Fox News summarized the recommendations on its website in part like this:

The "World Citizen's Guide" ... says the stereotype of the "Ugly American" is at an all-time high.

"Anti-Americanism is a growing trend that, unless checked, is certain to have wide-ranging and long-term negative effects," Keith Reinhard, president of BDA, said on the group's Web site.

"[There is] the perception that we are arrogant and insensitive as a people."

The group, funded by leading U.S. corporations, compiled a list of do's and don'ts with the help of the U.S. State Department. It recommends:

— Think as big as you like, but talk and act smaller. In many countries, any form of boasting is considered very rude. [And who determines what is boasting and what is mere statement of fact?]

— Speak lower and slower. A loud voice is often perceived as bragging.

— If you talk politics, talk — don't argue.

Doesn't sound too bad, does it? But Fox put the heading "PIPE DOWN" to that story when it appeared on air, and the woman they interviewed from BDA went along with that. I think she may even have uttered those very words in her appearance. Isn't that rude of her? Is it okay to be rude to Americans in their own country but not okay to be yourself with foreigners in their countries for fear that you might seem rude? Why would it be right actually to be rude to Americans but be wrong to seem rude to foreigners?
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I don't know which countries she was talking about, but there are lots of countries where people are loud in public and argue passionately about politics. They blare their choice of music to the entire vicinity, regardless of whether anyone wants to hear it or not, and people have to go along to get along.
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There is a simple curative if people don't like American tourists. They can refuse to take our money. Then we'll go home, with our money in our pockets, to spend at home where we fit in and don't have to worry about hypersensitivity on the part of resentful members of various loser nations who resent us not because there's anything wrong with us but because we have power and they don't.
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We are, in short, resented not for what we do but who we are. And we're not about to change that.
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(The current U.S. military death toll in Iraq, according to the website "Iraq Coalition Casualties", is 2,386.)
- posted by L. Craig Schoonmaker @ 11:56 PM