Now it seems to be that the world is currently flying high with a lot of anti American sentiment – myself - I have no cross to bear – they are the biggest energy consumer, they are also an enormous powerhouse to the entrepreneurial spirit. If you have a dream there is no where else in the world that has such true cultural belief that anything is in your power – if you can dream it, you can make it happen. As I was told by a shop assistant in Macy’s ‘this is America honey – anything is possible’ Ah huh. Girlfriend.
So why am I blogging on my recent trip to New York – well it was the customs experience that I have to declare I was appalled about! My first touch of the American continent was a rather un-charming man demanding my fingerprints and a photograph. What the devil will they do with this – I don’t live in the US, I’m not a citizen, and I certainly haven’t done anything wrong – or intend to. I’m a visitor who wants to spend my hard earned money going there to visit them, and buy their goods from their every struggling economy.
It wasn’t till after I had begrudgingly given over my fingerprints and photograph that I realised that I was truly offended – what next – I’ll find myself in Guantanamo Bay – or they will want to place a DNA chip under my skin to track my movements – what is the rest of the world doing about this!! Is this not the invasion of our civil liberties that now famous Americans like Mr King were fighting 50 years ago – I think so!
What also resonated loudly was that since living in the UK, we have become more and more relaxed around Europe with the breakdown of borders to one giant European family. Beauty and the Beast me thinks.