Tyler London Summer

Only in America

Being out of the country for a significant amount of time and getting an unbiased account of the goings in on the U.S. really makes you think sometimes. For instance, in Britain before they issue police a gun they have to go through weeks of extensive training courses and pyschological testing. In the United States, any idiot can go to a gun show and buy whatever type of gun he wants. And on top of that, no one is allowed to trace it thanks to the NRA. Apparently, library books are more of a threat to national security. Maybe that is why Britian has 5 times as many people as Michigan and only 1/5 of the murders?

And another thing. There was a Swiss muslim professor who just gave a talk here. He was discussing a "third way" and how western society and the Islamic religion could coexist, how western Islamic people should move away from the values of the middle east and embrace those of their own society, how Islam should not divorce itself from intellectual life, and how muslims should become more active in the community to alleviate isolationism and misunderstanding. Do we support this guy? No, the U.S. labels him a terrorist supporter and revokes his visa to come to the U.S. and teach. Apparently, they are more happy with the concept of the clash of civilizations and irreconcileable differences. I hope you realize when Ann Coulter says things like we should forceably invade the entire Middle East and Christianize it that these people actually believe that. And not fringe nut jobs but those making policy decisions.

Also, is there any uproar in the American press how Karl Rove, Bush's principal aid and arguably the person running the country committed a FELONY and is facing a jail sentence? This is a man who got his first job from the elder Bush because he admired his initiative when Rove broke into the Democratic Party office, stole stationary, and printed out flyers advertising free beer and hookers. Only in America.

posted by tyler @ 5:15 PM