I mentioned this about a year ago in this blog, but I have, in my entire time living in Europe, met precisely two Americans living over here who call themselves Republicans. Both of them stated that they hate the current Republican party in the US. So where the hell are the Republicans?
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| Where are the US Republicans in Europe? Photo by DonkeyHotey |
- Came here of their own accord
- Stayed
Interestingly, I've met American expats of many other political stripes over here: Democrats, Libertarians, Socialists, independents (is that a stripe?), far-right wing nuts who refuse to call themselves Republican. You name it, we got. Just not Republicans.
Of course, this might have something to do with the US being the furthest to the right of the major nations. Republicans could be branded a "far-right extremists" over here (even the Libertarians wouldn't earn such a branding because they're socially tolerant).
I suspect that has something to do with why they're pretty thin on the ground over here, but at least one friend of mine suggested that it's because they're convinced that the US must be better than everywhere else, so why leave?
What are your thoughts on this? Do you know any long-term US Republican expats who didn't leave the US just because they were transferred by their company?
Could be that there's a correlation between being a Republican, and the necessary tolerance to different cultures that is necessary to stay abroad of one's own accord?
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure that there's no corresponding trend among europeans expats. You'll find French partisans of Sarkozy abroad with no effort.
You and I clearly had different social circles in London. As I think about the banking community in London, Frankfurt, Geneva, Zurich and the people I know in that realm, a lot of them are Republican. Or at least Republican as someone like Reagan would have defined it.
ReplyDeleteBut perhaps they will not answer if asked, and perhaps they would answer as 'independent' in order to avoid stirring up the pot with you? As expats you do try to pull your punches to not offend, and Bush-43 certainly poisoned the well of good will in Europe over the last 6 years
Now you then ask what's a republican, but that's a huge problem for the GOP today. In some respects I'm Democratic, and in others Republican (in truth I am registered as an independent) - and I've voted for both candidates of both parties
I'm curious to know how many of your Republican friends moved abroad of their own accord or were offered an company transfer abroad. The latter tends to involve big bucks and I'm sure has a completely different demographic.
DeleteI agree with Mark. There are definitely many Republicans (in the broad sense of the term) out there. Democrats in Paris are very vocal, often condescending, and sometimes strident, so some Republicans I know either don't engage or have been ostracized from leadership circles in certain organizations. (Not good for plurality.)
ReplyDeleteBottom line Europe hates a strong american leader, who believes in country first. Many of them shed crocodile tears on 9/11, then snickered at us behind our backs. Abroad European tourists like to lecture Americans too. I almost came to blows with some Swede on a beach in Cartagena, Colombia, demanding I apologize for my country. WTF? I wish I would have knocked the guy out
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