Election

 

It has been a rough week. We've lost sleep. With the time differences between Europe and the United States, we get up in the middle of the night to watch election results.

This morning I slept in until the seven o'clock, actually 7:05 a.m. when the church bells ring. I tried to concentrate on my husband and dog in bed with me, the warmth of the covers, the art work on the walls, the books and magazines next to the bed--all the good things in my life in contrast to what is going on in the U.S.

I also forced myself to remember that my home is a center of peace with a good man who supports me and I support him for all things important to the other, and some that aren't that important.

Then we got up and put on the television to check the various international news stations and CNN. We find all the international stations doubt the veracity of Trump.

It has been hard to have an American accent in Europe since Trump was elected. So many strangers have stopped and asked about him--even the nurse in an emergency room taking my blood pressure. It is more disbelief that American elected him and that so many people support him still.

I have no answer. I listen to my former countrymen and countrywomen sing his praises when I hear lies and lies and lies from his mouth. I am amazed at how people have been led to fear of socialism. 

Having lived for various amounts of time from months to decades in five countries that are far more socialistic than the U.S., I realize that these people don't understand that socialism is not evil, but that just like capitalism can be abused, so can socialism. I would not want to live in Venezuela, although I know part of its problems are what the U.S. done, not socialism in itself. I have no fear of any of the European forms of socialism because it gives me a better quality of life.

I've read too much. Over the decades I realized that much of what I was taught as a child about the U.S. was anywhere from half truths to out and out lies. Granted some were lies of omission.

My husband has done a blog http://lovinglifeineurope.blogspot.com/2020/11/land-that-i-loved.html on his feelings. His saddest line is "I will never live in the States again. I will pay attention because we have loved ones still stuck in the maelstrom. But I no longer consider myself an American."

I had little choice about giving up my nationality because of the attacks against expats by the U.S. Government. It is hard to maintain a nationality if you are not allowed a normal financial life by your birth government.

The values that the U.S. claimed throughout my childhood, I still believe in with all my heart and soul. That they no longer exist, will pain me until the day I die.