From Kolymbari, the island of Crete, Greece
Written Thursday, May 20, 2006

FOUR LETTER WORD

I will not soon forget an evening of intense interrogation by seven young people at a hotel bar in Prague. They were all born in one country, educated in another, worked for inter-European companies, held advanced degrees, read widely, and spoke excellent English in addition to at least two other languages. The new Europeans. World citizens.

In response to being asked if I thought there was anything positive going on between the EU and the United States, I replied that the value of the euro against the dollar meant American products were more readily affordable.

Embarrassed silence. Finally, one man asked, “What do you have that we want? Nothing. I don’t even want to go and visit your country.”
Another said, “Well you do have the world’s most dangerous supply of weapons of mass destruction – and superb means of delivery of those weapons. But nobody in Europe wants any.”
A young woman chimed in: “Nothing I own or want is made in America.”
And simultaneously we all said, “Right. It’s all made in China.”
Laughter. Hollow laughter.

I could have defended myself with an account of my political views, some references to history, economics, and social change. Some facts are allowed. I might have said that others far more informed and articulate than I loudly and forcefully voice outrage against current American policy. And I could have said that half of us did not vote for and do not support what is being done in our name. I’ve no apology for where I stand or what I do or how I vote. I could have at least defended myself.

But I did not. Because I was stunned into silence with how far my country and its best values and ideas are held in contempt by so much of the world. The approval rate in Europe of our president is so low as to defy measurement. Where once we were heroes here, we are now demons. The dollar is worth 71 euro cents and falling. And America has become a four-letter word.