Articles from across the pond

There are two recent articles in British papers that you should really read. Both are written by Americans who have lived overseas for extensive periods.

The first is An American scapegoat in London. The writer, Carol Gould, argues that the vitriol we see coming from Europe has much less to do with America and George Bush than it does with a virulent anti-semitism that has been festering for a long time.

I have lived in Europe for all of my adult life, and from the day I arrived I have been aware not only of an oft-blatant anti-semitism but also a resentment of Americans among colleagues, teachers, my social circle and neighbours. What is significant about this rage is that it emanates not from the great unwashed but from the educated and intellectual classes.

We all know about the academic boycotts of Israeli scholars. We all know about poor Philip Lader, the former US ambassador, who was reduced to tears on Question Time as David Dimbleby dispassionately watched a studio audience stomping its feet and shouting anti- American epithets two days after 9/11. I cannot conduct business or even take a taxi ride in Britain without a scathing tirade about the scurrilous Yanks. The day after 9/11, a minicab driver informed me that the "yellow Americans" on the four hijacked planes were typical of the way "the Yanks do battle - they chicken out and let the Brits do the dirty work".

As far as the Guardian-reading classes are concerned, my hunch is that the relentless America-bashing in the European media, combined with the abundance of criticism of Israel, has created an atmosphere of hostility that makes me fearful for my safety in my beloved adopted country.

Europeans should be ashamed of themselves. We fought a World War at the cost of millions and millions of lives to stamp out hatred of Jews. Reading Carol's article makes it easier to understand how WWII could have happened to begin with.

The second is I'm a Democrat for Bush, by Sarah Baxter. (Via Lucianne.) The article is lengthy, but well worth the read. Here's a sample.

When the metrosexual chap standing next to me confides that urban sophisticates prefer Kerry because "you have to have a low IQ to appreciate Bush", I know I am making the right decision.

"The guy is an idiot," he continued snobbishly. "I don't know what the rest of the country is thinking."

Perhaps I can enlighten him. I will be one of the millions voting for Bush because I trust the president's judgment on the war on terror more than Kerry's. In this election, I am a single-issue voter. It is that simple. Even in the New York metropolis, there are more of us out there than he imagines.

I have registered as a Democrat because I want to put the party on notice. Should it lose the election - an open question at present - I want it to look at the numbers of Bush-supporting Democrats and draw the appropriate lesson about its unconvincing foreign policy. Perhaps then I will be able to support the party in 2008.

If I have the energy, I will tackle a despicable article in the Atlantic Monthly magazine that is nothing more than a lengthy Kerry talking points screed.