galiano: It would be quite difficult for US citizens to pretend to be Canadians.

I understand that one of the Queen ships - either the QE2 or the Queen Mary 2 - has had to replace all their deck chairs, as the old ones were broken by US citizens sitting on them!

Maybe if we started eating sensibly, we might just be able to assume the disguise! LOL!

Galiano, When I was walking by FLL beach today, I must have counted more than 20 cars out of 50 that were from Canada, Some of you must still like the US...if only our weather! Sue4, I have never experienced rudeness or anti- Americanism either! I think my DH does't want to put out the cash...therefore his reluctance IMO!

Galiano,

I agree w/ BTIKE.

By all you means if you have moral objections, then don't spend your money in the states that went for Bush. But please don't lump us here in DC (which went went 90% for Kerry) or those in SF, NYC, Seattle or Boston, etc. with the Bush supporting areas like Houston, Cincinatti, Orlando, Tusculoosa, Salt Lake City, etc.

There are actually neighborhoods around here (Mount Rainier, Takoma Park, Dupont Circle, etc.) that feel Canada is way too conservative!!

Judyrem, I live in South Florida, too, and yes, it's filling up with Canadians about now. What a shame Galiano won't be one of them. Isn't this weather wonderful!!

And Judyrem, men tend to be like that - just tell DH you are going without him!

galiano, get your facts straight before you start your emotional pacifist lectures.

The US is killing terrorists in Iraqi. The terrorists are blowing up innocent Iraqi civilians. We are the good guys. The terrorists are the bad guys. The old regime had rape rooms, cut off the hands of people, yanked out people's tongues, tossed people off five story buildings, gassed entire villages and diverted public funds meant for food and medicine. We stopped all that.

We spent a week in Paris in November, post elections, and the people were almost invariably polite and kind to us. Indeed kindness from Air France personnel (lost bag, our fault) who went out of their way to help was more than I expected. The only rude individual we encountered was an equal opportunity a$$, heaping abuse on French and tourists alike.

In general the subject of politics did not come up. The only exceptions was a chat with a young French man in an Irish pub, and since we are from Boston area and voted accordingly, the converstaion was not adversarial ;)

Amusingly enough, we ended up sharing a table in a restaurant with a couple from Alabama (in a non-touristy restaurant at that) and the extent to which we all avoided any mention of politics was quite impressive. We even managed to discuss Iraq to some degree without mentioning elections. Since the opinions are so polarized, none of us was taking any chances and getting into what could have ended up a very uncomfortable topic. We had one of the best evenings of our trip.

And Faina, I am afraid that your MIL political opinions were not that uncommon in USSR... I remember that while discussing the geography of Central Asia, our teacher said that Russian forces in Afganistan are serving in a purely defensive role, protecting us from an imminent American invasion :)

I suspect that a majority of Americans know little of Europe and its many nations. I also will bet that most 'so-called' journalists can't name the 25 members of the EU. I am also sure that many EU citizens have no inkling of anything American. Remember when you mention, Chicago, the response was, "Bang, Bang!". Poland is an exception, Poles love America and Americans! Polish schools are actively teaching students about America. So? Visit Poland!

Wow, has this thread changed.
The commentary was on target when people were questioning the validity of the poll. The sample size. The format of the questions. There's more to it than the results that were "published".

If you're in a room where everyone in that room likes you - somebody is lying. It's just human nature to have some ideological differences with some people. We're all okay with that.

Have a nice week. I'm off to Europe to go patch things up...

Pish Posh! They should welcome you with open arms! Considering the dollar's position at the mo, you might even get special treatment. Have a great trip and as my DH would say, "Don'ta worry about."

Galiano- Agree with your politics, disagree with your travel plans. It's like a Kerry supporter travelling around the US and boycotting states won by Bush. As for Europe, a cold day before I boycott beautiful scenery and interesting cultures because of politics.

Recent exit polls had John Kerry winning the election in a landslide. Suffice it to say, polls mean nothing. Furthermore, who gives a shite what they think. And, if one travels based on opinions of other countries, you are missing something.

So, galiano, you will not be travelling to the U.S. until the current government "changes its ways". I'm sure that it will take note of this boycott and make the necessary changes.

However, I'm intrigued that you will travel "almost anywhere else in the world." I'd be interested to know if you have placed any countries other than the U.S. on your proscripted list.

How about Iran, for starters? Would you boycott those nice mullahs who are developing nuclear weapons and who murdered your fellow citizen Zarah Kazemi for taking a few photographs?

Would you travel, for example to Myanmar, or North Korea, Libya, Sudan or even Cuba and China, to name a few countries with repugnant human rights records? How about France with its continuing unilateral military interventions in its former colonies in Africa? One could go on and on.

The world is a nasty place, and even if one deeply disagrees with the current U.S. administration, I think that there are many countries one could legitimately boycott on ethical grounds (to say nothing of one's personal safety.) I hardly think that the U.S. is in the same league.

I also think that if you wanted to go to the U.S. and express your disagreement, you would be treated somwhat differently than if you tried to do so those countries I have mentioned.