Posted 5:21 PM by Paul
Back from Birmingham - 1.00 a.m.

On the train home to London from Birmingham I got to thinking about American friends who I am due to meet in two and a half weeks time in Pamplona - yes I am one of those sad old soaks who goes every year the the fiesta popularised by Hemmingway. 28th time this year for me. Never missed since 1976.

Contrary to popular myth most Americans do give a f***k what Europeans think about them. Often they are seeking afirmation that they are not a bunch of loud mouthed rich ingrates who rule the world.

So what would I say to my many American friends post Iraq war? - most but not all of them being against Bush's stage managed war to get re-elected. It occured to me that the country club had taken over the asylum. All the thin lipped bitternes of US culture had prevailed (for now) against the spirit of genorosity and creativity that we had learned to love over the years. It was now the America of Nixon and McCarthy and not the America of Whitman and Dylan. The America of the nuclear bunker and not the America of the Chrysler building. Heaven preserve us.

But of course most Americans are neither rich nor powerful. Just a few of them are. It never ceases to amaze me how many US citizens are flabergasted by the prices in Paris and Madrid. "They just put the prices up when they know Amercians are in town" is the myth that is propogated from American tourist to tourist. Nothing could be further form the truth. When I first visited Spain I overheard one 19 year old veteran of travelling to foreign parts telling his female compatriots " In Spain you have to barter for everything. Even in supermarkets" The myth survives to this day that the impoverished Europeans still desperately need US dollars.

But most Americans are not that rich and manage on the kind of vacation entitlement that would get a company sued in France. A flat mate went around the Southern States. She was amazed at just how poor the people were and how badly stocked the shops were. "Just chewing tobacco, guns and beans." was her assesment. She is from Newcastle, one of the poorer parts of the UK. We used to be in awe of Americans and now we feel a bit sorry for them. Europe has grown up.

About 8 years ago I was in Pamplona for fiesta and a young man from Chicago was killed in the bull run. I read about in the newspapers - I had given up running bulls years earlier due to fear and approaching obesity. The striking thing about the news coverage was how reporters focussed upon the nature of growing up in America. Spanish writers explained to their readers that the young man had just graduated from college and was on 3 months vacation before taking up a post with an investment bank. Obviously, they explained, he wanted to cram in as many experiences as possible because Americans had to survive on 2 weeks vacation per year until they retired at 65 and came back to Europe to see the sights and experience our culture as senior citizens. There was no mockery in the reporting - just a sense of bemusement and sympathy. "How can they live like that?" was the subtext.

The boys parents (who were no more that 50) came to claim his body and were looked after by the town council of Pamplona. Reporters and photographers were kept away. It was all apparently very dignified. But the fiesta continued, the bulls were let loose in the streets and people got drunk as they have been doing for 500 years.

Across town revellers asked the question "Who are these masters of the universe who cannot afford to give their people more than 10 days holiday?"

There is a Great America out there still - but for now who would want to be carrying the Stars and Stripes? Far from giving them back their pride Bush and co. have made taken the shine off being an American.