Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Europeans are forever thankful for America's role in freeing them from Nazi tyranny.
hint of America out of your promotional material. “California” used to sell
in Europe. But in recent years, it's been the kiss of death.
h e “Brand of America” changes with the attitude of whichever admin-
istration is setting the tone. With each new president, other nations wonder
if there will be unilateralism or multilateralism, respect and collaboration
or threats and hypocrisy. Travelers have the opportunity to take home a
i rsthand understanding of what the rest of the world thinks when it sees
America. And if they don't like what they learn, they can work in their own
communities to help repair that image problem.
We've taken a wide-ranging and (I hope) thought-provoking tour through
the Old World. You probably found some of these ideas appealing, and oth-
ers appalling. Again I'll state the obvious—that Europe doesn't have all the
answers. But I wonder if Europe is “out-innovating” us when it comes to
i nding clever new solutions. When I encourage Americans to take a look at
a European approach to a problem that is befuddling us, some critics accuse
me of “America-bashing”—“If you love Europe so much, why don't you just
move there?” Short answer: I love America more. And because I care about
our society, I challenge us to do better. In dii cult times, we should be open
to considering all the solutions we can.
