In Europe people are different than in the USA. Each nation has its particular quirks, but there are some concepts and quirks shared by all.

Being "easy going" is not a compliment. If someone does some work for you, for example, if you just accept the work and praise them just to be easy going - this is very bad.

In Europe if you are easy-going it is akin to being an idiot. One must find something to criticize in order to show that one has a brain. So everyone in Europe is fussy. They complain a lot - just to show that they are sophisticated. More often than not it is about the silliest things and trifles which we just ignore over here.

If a delivery man said he'd arrive before noon and he arrives at 12:30 well he deserves an earful, if after 1 perhaps a complaint call to his supervisor is in order.

Europe, being older than the US, has these ingrained customs. Can you imagine the head of ABC or CBS resigning because his organization slandered George Bush? Yet for the BBC, this fall on your sword bit occurs. This is all part of this very uptight culture where personal honor, your social bearing and ego all cause all sorts of conflicts, turmoils and insecurities.

A true euro intellectual disdains violence, accepts all cultures without reservations, has a fine apartment decorated with either hand picked period furnishings or tasteful nordic modern furniture and they not only believe, they know they are vastly more sophisticated, cultured and intelligent than the bumpkins in America. Being American is like being a well-off idiot. The same way the people in the "blue" zones view the farmer who wins the lottery.

An American is totally lacking in the necessary education to appreciate the nuances of a Jean Bazaine painting hanging in the hall or the Edouard Pignon in the dining area. He or She obviously has no ear for music and their politics are like their tastes - so simple.

In many ways their view of Americans is somewhat cartoonish. Introducing yourself as a Texan is like saying you are from the idiot wastelands. Being a conservative is even worse, because it implies you are even uncultured for an American

Raoul didn't mean to hurt your feelings or mine - I assur you he didn't! He is just really convinced that our view of Arabs as human beings is far lower and that our views are crass and unsophisticated. We are simply unable to appreciate the intricacies of the arab situation. If we were French we would be the viewed as the devorants who consume pot au feu almost daily unable to conceive of eating something more sophisticated and just eager to fill our bellies!

;-)

SDAI-Tech1