America the extreme

Good question...

Doesnt it seem like America is always putting out fires lately? By the time I was old enough to drink, America seemed to be fighting wars, hurricanes, fighting a second war, combating nuclear proliferation from 2 or 3 countries and… Everything seems so extreme. When I first arrived in Germany, it seemed like the first couple of months people were like “Wow you are American? SO, tell us all about it!” When the expat bunch went out to shop at Walmart, or had a drink, or were even at work, folks would smile and ask us if they could carry our bags and if, in return we could adopt their children. That all ended with a financial crisis in the early oughts and the world hasn’t looked back.

I am not a political person in the least, however I was so glad when Bush finished his term. Why? Mainly because I would not have to answer questions about foreign policy by folks trying to brand me as an imperialist. I must have had a thousand ‘3 beer’ conversations…so I stopped going out for drinks and just started going out to dance. Selfish and simplistic yes, but that’s beside the point. Is it really so extreme I ask myself sometimes, or has it always been that way? Perhaps I just see things the way the rest of the world sees things now .

The latest issue is the oil spill and Obama has to play the role of ‘getting to the bottom’ investigator. Before that there was health care, and before that there was the housing crisis. Jeez! In Germany, the big issue is Greece and the benefits package, but actually everyone is rather calm. There are a few headlines, but they are more concerned about America’s health care it seems. I got here just in time for the decline of America to my detriment. Its gotten to the point where I am sitting in a basement, on a laptop blogging as a way to vent my frustrations. Chuckle…

Typical American extremism or?