[Culturechat] Rick Steves Op-Ed

[Vance Roy]

OK. Here I am trying to get folks interested in Swiss saffron, and 
someone yanks on my chain.

I read the Steves article. As one who has been accused of "having an 
agenda", I think we all know that Steves has his. I know that his 
outfit has its followers, but after seeing one of his tours go through 
Hallstatt in Austria, I wonder why people praise him so much.

I didn't know that a stance on world affairs had to include a 
popularity contest. I prefer to NOT be the winner in such a contest. 
Look who some of the judges are! I think howls of protest are sometimes 
good indicators of being on the right path. Living in CH, I encounter 
no hostility from the Swiss. Maybe some of them feel sorry for me, I 
don't know. Right now, they are upset with the USA travel restrictions 
for their citizens. A Swiss entering the USA has to have a picture made 
and get fingerprinted. I like that idea and wouldn't object to it in 
any country in the world, I wanted to visit.

If we accept Steves UN numbers (I do), then maybe we aren't going with 
the flow. Is that always bad? It is not always a bad thing to be out 
voted. I know it must scare the bejeebers out of some countries for the 
USA to do what it says it will do. To have a leader that does that must 
be a shock to them. I don't agree with our country's pro-Israel bent, 
but which of our past presidents of either party has gone against that 
current? I don't like W's stem cell plans. Kerry? Gee Whiz (take that 
to mean what you like), can't the Democrats come up with something 
better that that? Aren't they just a bit too far to the left? I think 
the Republicans are as too far to the right, as are the Democrats to 
the left. Where do the middle of the road people vote?

Sure, travel is an enriching experience if one has the right attitude, 
but you should see some of our fellow country "persons" and their 
behavior when on foreign soil. The Ugly American is alive and well. On 
the other side of the coin, a USA citizen can spread goodwill and 
foster good feelings. This is an individual thing. Just because you act 
as a guest in a foreign country doesn't make the natives like everyone 
who comes from your native land. In fairness, I have to say that 
Idyllers, almost to a "person", are great ambassadors for the USA. That 
doesn't mean that they are in the majority of US tourists.

I think that the US has forgotten how to fight a war, the military 
maneuver more to keep CNN and Danny Boy Rather happy than to win an 
objective, and the politicians will literally say any thing and hop 
over the fence multiple times to win their election. The role of travel 
is relatively unimportant when it comes to living in a world where one 
is dealing with suicidal people who will do anything to get to paradise 
and their seventy virgins (ever wonder where the Imans came up with 
that figure?).

Now. That's enough for me. I have already voted. I had to do this in 
order to cancel my spouse's vote. We are the James Carville and Mary 
Matlin of Sachseln but with the genders reversed.  No matter the 
outcome, don't anyone out there think that the Limousine Liberals or 
the Radical Right is going to give up. Both those groups travel a lot. 
Congrats to Brian on his unobtrusive attempt to promote an idea.


Vance Roy--Who has traveled a fair amount but is not nomadic.
gigli.saw@dplanet.ch
http://homepage.mac.com/fredch

“Never under estimate the ingenuity of the stupid.”
Anon.