Obscurus wrote: Then contradicts himself: You realize they're part of the same country, right? I see your point, but that's the way all life is. Prices are higher at retailers and we're video-monitored when we go to stores because they've had goods stolen before and they assume we're going to steal their goods. Lots of retailers won't take checks b/c they're afraid it will be fraudulent. You can't return video games to stores b/c they think we will pirate their games and then try to return. Everywhere you look, we're seen as criminals. Being upset is fine, but you're bordering on slight paranoia, imo. That aside, was Germany attacked by terrorists recently, killing thousands of civilians? At least have some dignity for what the USA is trying to solve internally and be patient. USA is trying to figure things out, and if it takes time or a different President to figure it out, then so be it. Don't black-list the USA and everyone who lives there just b/c you don't agree at the moment w/ what is happening with the presidency. The Iraq issue is a different story. Berate that all you want, because there are facts you can read about there. But at least back home where USA wants to protect itself, where it is going through uncharted territory right now, try to understand a bit more for a while as they sort things out. Pretend you were in USA's shoes. Would you not want to protect yourself? Is there a chance you would implement policies right away that you later figure out were a little to strict? So don't go to USA if they're fingerprinting now; that's your prerogative. But don't say, "I hate America, will always hate America and will never go there because they think I am a criminal," just because you hate the current presidency and his policies. That's pretty childish. I'd go to Germany, even though their history sucks and my Audi car was crap. Get over it. Sorry to hear this. Hopefully you will heal over time. I think the world respects Germany now, despite its troubled past. I'm sure many people and countries were anti-Germany for a while. I've noticed most every country has gone through a rough time in its past. Times where the rest of the world shunned them. Look what happens on the other side, though. All becomes well. So you you hate the 49% of the people who voted against Bush. Interesting. So what happens if Germany gets a new leader who doesn't stand for anything you believe in and causes the world to dislike him and the country. Yet half your friends like him. Will you like the fact that the world will be anti-Germany? Will you have the power to change the world's perceptions? Will you have the power as one person to make things right? Will you feel unjustly accused of being something or someone you're not? Think outside the box a little. Politics anywhere in the world is filled with smokescreens. Think about it, if you want to be elected, are you going to tell everyone all your faults? No, you'd probably tell all the positive things you've done, skip over the bad stuff, and paint a rosey picture for yourself. Therefore, getting to the truth, the real deal behind any politician in the world is not easy. Is it conceivable to you that Bush maybe did a good job of distracting attention from his faults enough to make Kerry look bad, or played the religion card to gain support from the religious? Are you saying all relgious people are thick as bricks, bone lazy or psychos? During the election, someone might be anti-abortion, against stem cell research and hear the lovely words of "no child left behind" come out of Bush's mouth and that be the reasons they vote for Bush. So in this case, do your moral convictions make you dumb? In voting for any politician, it's a balancing act to figure out if the pros that you like outweigh the cons. And no one can predict with 100% certainty what the elected politician will try to sneak in during his term. Is the moral of your story that the majority of people in America suck b/c of Bush and his paranoia policies implemented in his knee-jerk reactions to a terrorist hit? That's great, open-minded thinking there. Hate Bush, not the individuals. Are some Americans paranoid, too? Sure. But look at what happened.
