Go Democrats!

VICTORY FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY -- GREAT NEWS!

It continues to amaze me how well-informed (many) Europeans are on foreign affairs when compared to (many) Americans. Clearly I'm making a generalization here. However, the hot topic of conversation among my students this week has been the Democratic victory in both houses of Congress. They ask my opinion on the situation; they raise a few eyebrows when I tell them that I'm not a Republican and not a Bush supporter. As if I would ever support a President who is not only bad for the environment, but also wants to amend the American Constitution to include discrimination against minorities.

However, it also goes to show how much the current administration has alienated foreign bureaucracy (and just plain-old common citizens) from the United States. That's not to say that they were ever big fans to begin with. Never has this been more clear to me than during my recent visit to Amsterdam -- though it's certainly not surprising, given the reknowned Dutch liberal mindframe. I saw anti-Bush graffiti on buildings and in restrooms, and propaganda on sale in souvenier shops, even at the airport.

Of course I realize it's impossible to compare the Czech Republic to the United States; you can't compare a country roughly the size of North Carolina to a global superpower whose politics make international headlines. However, do (many) Americans go to any length to be informed about the politics of other global superpowers? And certainly I include myself in that category as well.