because you must've missed the sentence "As a European, you're entitled to your opinion but this is a matter for our President, Congress, and taxpayers."

He's perfectly free to express his opinion just like anyone else. However, Raoul keeps pushing for expensive things like Triana without having to worry about paying for them. In essence, he wants the American taxpayers to subsidize his interests and hobbies. Sorry, but I decline the opportunity. If he wants boondoggles like Triana, let him lobby his government to raise the taxes to pay for them.

Furthermore, while he's is free to express his opinion, I don't believe he or anyone else outside our country has the right to interfere in our political processes. Many Europeans really torqued me off last year with their snotty attitude towards how we run our elections and the laws we pass. I spent two years in Europe and, quite frankly, I fail to see the basis for their air of superiority. After all, it was their incredibly stupid policies that led to two world wars and the deaths of about 100 million people in the last century.

Europeans are quite quick and proper to dismiss any attempt by Americans to influence their political decisions. It's none of our business if European nations want to maintain backwards institutions like royalty. Likewise, it's none of our business how they choose to constitute their governments or run their countries. By the same token, it's none of their business how we Americans choose to run our country.

This brings to mind an earlier thread on a different board about neighborhood covenants. I stand by my comment that my neighbors influence on my family's home decisions (e.g. what color we paint our house) is directly proportional to how much of my mortgage they pay. The same basic principle applied to outside criticism of our space program. Those who want the US taxpayers to pay for bigger and more expensive space projects should be willing to help pay for them. Failing that, then it really isn't any of their business.