The View of America from Afar

On our visits to Ireland and Italy, with a brief stop in England, Nina and I had no desire of engaging in any political discussions. This was to be a holiday.

We should have known better. There is no way to avoid politics if the visitor is seen as a representative of the most powerful nation in the world, the one that sets the agenda for everyone else, whether they like it or not.

Of course, it is all about Iraq. Nothing else matters these days in any discussion of America. In pubs, restaurants, hotels, on the street, in gas stations, in airports, in private homes, the subject almost always came up.
The Cincinnati Post