Kendall

Your faith in the open mindedness of the average brit is to be applauded, but don't forget that every nation has it's equivalents and there are those here with the same mentality as those who voted for bush in the USA ( ... ie none at all ... ).

Of those, there is a subsection who "hate" America. It is a surprisingly large proportion of the population.
There are of course degrees of "hatred" just as there are degrees of what you might be prepared to tolerate from people in conversation.

The stereotype of the American tourist being mugged in the toilets of a pub in the film "trainspotting" is an exaggeration of how people are, but situations like ruth describes aren't uncommon.

The worst culprits are the "right on's" who spout jingoistic crap and call it liberal and open minded. The asssumption is that if you abhor everything american that therefore you represent everything "right on", like tolerance, respect, understanding, political and cultural intelligence and sensitivity.

These lazy "liberals" are happy and confident that their left wing trendy stance is fully and adequately supported by the proclamation that they "hate america".

However, interrogate people like this for over thirty seconds (ideally by appealing to their better nature) and they recoil and fall over themselves to explain what they "really meant" - "no offence mate - I didn't mean you" etc.

But again, there are degrees.

I used to live in a moslem Ghetto, and frequented a pub where those with lapsed faith would drown their sorrows from time to time. I overheard and took part in various arguments/discussions - and passionate at that - in which "Americans" were slated for their arrogance etc.

But when the day came that a loud spoken American did turn up in there, and please note he probably remains the only one to this day, the same people who slated him were gathered around like eager school kids, bright eyed with curiosity and questions, bursting to hear his perspective.

As the drink flowed the discussion did become more passionate and many people would have been intimidated by it, but to his credit (or was it his naivety - actually a bit of both I think) He held his ground and acquitted himself well.

I think there is anger with ordinary "Americans" in the world. The American president has influence in many countries other than his own, yet he was not chosen democratically by those other countries to have such influence.

The rest of the world relies on Americans to make the right choice of President therefore lest we all suffer the consequences.

We look at internal American cultural and political problems, we look at The current administration and we shake our heads and hope that somebody intelligent will do or say something that isn't reflective of trends that we fear may be dominating US politics.

We see a meat head presiding over a nation of meat heads, where intelligence is fringe and intellectuals are outcast. (sounds like Cambodia in the 70's or China in the 60's when I Put it like that)

Anyway, ... it's tricky ...