Observations
I know it's probably old news but I watched half of the first presidential debate in the Philippines (I missed the other half because the satellite connection dropped). I thought Kerry did an amazing job. He was focused, articulate and believable. Bush was the exact opposite in every way. He stammered, looked pissed-off and was full of his usual lies, except this time he wasn't surrounded by his fawning bunch of sycophants to echo him on every issue. I think that's part of the reason he came off so badly. Bush isn't used to people disagreeing with him, and it shows.
Both my co-worker and I agreed, Kerry won this debate and won it clearly, without a doubt.
Traveling as an American has become vastly more difficult because of this presidency. I personally didn't experience any hostility (other than some bitchy stares and comments from a boat full of nasty, fat South Koreans while I was snorkeling) but everywhere people did want to talk to me about Iraq and Bush. I made clear, as did my co-worker, that we hated Bush and wished for a regime change and were doing everything we could to make this happen.
It becomes tiresome to constantly have to defend your country while overseas. And while I'm an experienced traveler and know this is part of being an American abroad, it bothers me more than ever because this is an administration with which I have nothing in common, yet while overseas I'm seen as the embodiment of its policies and of its lies. I don't want to nor while I defend this administration's complete ineptitude when it comes to Iraq and that's what everyone wants to talk about.
This is the crux of the issue, of why I oppose this administration with the fervor that I do. My country is becoming unrecognizable. America used to be a place of hope and of new beginnings and I still believe this is what we are, a great nation full of amazing, wonderful people who are capable of such tremendous good. Yet we're now seen in much of the world as murdering imperialists who forge ahead with our destructive policies regardless of what our friends and allies say, and regardless of the costs to the planet and to ourselves. This is antithetical to what I believe my country is, and I'll do everything I can to make sure this changes on November 2.
I'll have pictures of the trip soon, I promise.
11:15:46 PM 
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