So I've been doing much thinking these past few weeks mainly because I'm begining to hate this country and my seemingly more and more mundane life
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To begin with, be careful dealing with Eurail sales agents. I don't know who quoted you $1300, but you should consider buying the "youth" pass to save some money. The restriction is that you have to be under 26 on the first day of validity of the pass and travel second-class instead of first-class. A two-month unlimited youth pass costs only $938. Even cheaper is the youth "flexi" pass which, for $642 or $488, allows travel on any 15 days or 10 days, respectively, within a two-month period.
I will say flatly that I don't share your view about not liking this country. That's not to suggest that we don't do some pretty stupid if not insane things at times, nor that this country does not deserve some harsh criticism, but I cannot bring myself to criticize the ideals upon which this country was founded. In fact, for the most part, most of my crticisms of this country would be for abandoning those ideals. Europe has spent two centuries looking westward for inspiration and there are good reasons for that, no matter how much we may disappoint them.
I do suggest that you try to give the emerging Europe a priority, especially the parts of Eastern Europe that have just escaped the Iron Curtain, such as the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, and Rumania. It's nice to visit London, Paris, and Rome, but you can buy McDonald's hamburgers there! Understanding Europe requires venturing out to the places where McDonald's has not yet infiltrated. Most of the emerging Europe is not part of the Eurail network (although Hungary is, and really has to be given the georgaphy).
Re: TraveljchrisquintOctober 13 2004, 19:24:34 UTC
I wasn't trying to sound unpatriotic... I still believe in what the flag stands for. Its just that I have no confidence in the leaders attempting to uphold ideals by lining their pockets, and their friend's pockets... I honestly fear that this country is in the beginning stages of a civil war that will lead us open to be conquered.. We are stepping on too many toes, and are blind to the fact that most of the modern world HATES Americans...
May it be that they envy us, or that they fear us, but being an American is becoming dangerous whilst not in this country...
I still wish to live in the states.. But I think I need to decenter my cocky American viewpoint, if only for a few months...
I certainly don't think you have a "cocky American viewpoint," and travel in Europe would be beneficial regardless if you can afford to do it. Hell, I wish I could go with you, but my work situation makes it impossible. I haven't actually taken a vacation since 2001! Actually, NY Rocky Con this July was something of a vacation, I guess, and I enjoyed it even more than I expected, but it was really just a long weekend.
I don't share your view that we are approaching civil war. Politics will necessarily become more vicious as the electorate polarizes roughly evenly, since fighting over very small stakes can be worthwhile. Nevertheless, this country has survived far worse stresses than those to which it is being subjected now, including a full-blown civil war with about 600,000 casualties in the 1860s and the Great Depression of the 1930s that led to openly Communist candidates drawing millions of votes in presidential elections. A good friend of mine says that he thinks George W. Bush is the worst and most dangerous president in his memory, which is saying quite a lot because he has written books on John F. Kennedy and on Henry A. Wallace, and covered international affairs as a journalist from the 1950s to the 1970s. He has chosen to throw his lot in with the Green Party, which I don't personally see as viable, but I can understand his reasoning. Your thinking is more apocalyptic than his, but there are similarities. He still has been finding a month or so to travel in Europe every year lately, which he is able to do because is in now in academia.
To begin with, be careful dealing with Eurail sales agents. I don't know who quoted you $1300, but you should consider buying the "youth" pass to save some money. The restriction is that you have to be under 26 on the first day of validity of the pass and travel second-class instead of first-class. A two-month unlimited youth pass costs only $938. Even cheaper is the youth "flexi" pass which, for $642 or $488, allows travel on any 15 days or 10 days, respectively, within a two-month period.
I will say flatly that I don't share your view about not liking this country. That's not to suggest that we don't do some pretty stupid if not insane things at times, nor that this country does not deserve some harsh criticism, but I cannot bring myself to criticize the ideals upon which this country was founded. In fact, for the most part, most of my crticisms of this country would be for abandoning those ideals. Europe has spent two centuries looking westward for inspiration and there are good reasons for that, no matter how much we may disappoint them.
I do suggest that you try to give the emerging Europe a priority, especially the parts of Eastern Europe that have just escaped the Iron Curtain, such as the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, and Rumania. It's nice to visit London, Paris, and Rome, but you can buy McDonald's hamburgers there! Understanding Europe requires venturing out to the places where McDonald's has not yet infiltrated. Most of the emerging Europe is not part of the Eurail network (although Hungary is, and really has to be given the georgaphy).
Reply
May it be that they envy us, or that they fear us, but being an American is becoming dangerous whilst not in this country...
I still wish to live in the states.. But I think I need to decenter my cocky American viewpoint, if only for a few months...
Reply
I certainly don't think you have a "cocky American viewpoint," and travel in Europe would be beneficial regardless if you can afford to do it. Hell, I wish I could go with you, but my work situation makes it impossible.
I haven't actually taken a vacation since 2001! Actually, NY Rocky Con this July was something of a vacation, I guess, and I enjoyed it even more than I expected, but it was really just a long weekend.
I don't share your view that we are approaching civil war. Politics will necessarily become more vicious as the electorate polarizes roughly evenly, since fighting over very small stakes can be worthwhile. Nevertheless, this country has survived far worse stresses than those to which it is being subjected now, including a full-blown civil war with about 600,000 casualties in the 1860s and the Great Depression of the 1930s that led to openly Communist candidates drawing millions of votes in presidential elections.
A good friend of mine says that he thinks George W. Bush is the worst and most dangerous president in his memory, which is saying quite a lot because he has written books on John F. Kennedy and on Henry A. Wallace, and covered international affairs as a journalist from the 1950s to the 1970s. He has chosen to throw his lot in with the Green Party, which I don't personally see as viable, but I can understand his reasoning. Your thinking is more apocalyptic than his, but there are similarities.
He still has been finding a month or so to travel in Europe every year lately, which he is able to do because is in now in academia.
Reply
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