Where Bridge Leads Us

US Bridge Federation doesn't want to upset the Chinese dictators - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth:

"...As an aside, I can understand why the American team made the point that they didn't vote for Bush. Anyone who travels regularly abroad knows that wearing your anti-Bushism on your sleeve is the next best thing to Kevlar in terms of self-preservation. The world hates George Bush, they hate our government because of George Bush and the Republicans (and the war and Gitmo and more), and they're not very happy with the fact that Americans voted twice for the idiot. (Once, they can understand - mistakes happen - but twice? Second time you own him.) I routinely let people know that I didn't vote for Bush when I'm abroad. Why? Because the conversation routinely goes like this:

Them: You speak great [insert language here]. Me: Thank you. Them: But you're American? Me: Yes. Them: So where are you from in America? Me: Washington, DC. Them: [stone silence accompanied by cocked head and odd stare.] Me: I didn't vote for Bush. Them: [Cold face melts to smile.] Ah... good! [Animated conversation continues, followed by new lifelong friendship.]

The thing is, I'm not kidding. That's quite literally a conversation I've had repeatedly, verbatim, with lots and lots and lots of foreigners. I am sick and tired of getting disparaging silence every time I say I'm from DC. Foreigners just assume that we support this idiot, and they loathe him, and us by extension, if they assume we support him, us. No more. I get that politics stops at the border. I get that we're supposed to rally around the flag when we're abroad. But George Bush isn't the flag. George Bush burns the flag every time he opens his mouth or lifts his pen. George Bush is an embarrassment to everything this country stands for, or stood for. So the notion that we should refrain from criticizing Bush when abroad, especially because it might upset dictators, is, well, something I have a hard time accepting.

So I get why the national team felt the need to speak out. It's high time more of us did."

I feel a cosmic connection between this story and the recent behavior of the US Women's Soccer team.

Update: Anon gives us addreses to which we can send a "bridgy" opinion. Open the comments.