You could spend a lifetime in another country and still not understand anything

Gary and Carol Spencer are in America for a holiday. Yesterday Gary sent me an e-mail account of their experiences so far. He is very opinionated on American politics, but his impressions are not likely to be very accurate, having only spent two weeks in the country. From a distance American politics seems to be chiefly distinguished by its homogeneity – the choice between Democrats and Republicans seems to be a choice between left-wing conservatives and right-wing conservatives. Whoever wins the election no-one is likely to interfere with the means of production, distribution and exchange (and so nothing fundamental can change – that is assuming change is desired). Perhaps it’s a better system than our model (electing a socialist who turns out not to be a socialist).

But who really knows. You could spend a lifetime in another country and still not understand anything.

Gary Spencer’s e-mail:

My regular visits to America give me an insight to life in the World’s biggest economy and the World Super Power. This time we landed in Miami; a city I have passed through on several occasions, but not a city that I know at all well. Miami is one of the largest cities in America with a long History; it has an Hispanic influence but remains undeniably American.

As we drove from the Airport I was quite amazed at the continued buoyancy of the American economy; construction projects abounded, new roads, new housing, and new retail. I know that Florida is one of the fastest growing States in America. I have either totally misjudged the resilience of the American recovery, however, I still maintain that they need a period of consolidation or the fear of a bubble bursting becomes irresistible and they will have implications for us all. Until that day let the Party continue. Why worry about who is going to buy all the new houses, who is going to shop in yet another retail centre?

Bush will win this year’s Presidential election, he may not deserve to, but he will win. John Kerry is a hugely ineffective candidate and will evaporate before polling day.

Has any one realised that we are now only four years away from the first woman President of The United States? Kerry loses in 2004, Bush can’t stand for a third term, and his Vice President Dick Cheney will not stand and, even if he does will not beat…………… Hillary Clinton, Senator for New York and former First Lady.

We spent our first five days staying at Pompano Beach, a few miles North of Fort Lauderdale. After a hectic start to the year the rest was much needed.
Our days at Palm-Aire, Pompano Beach were punctuated by a daily game of mini golf, catching the Olympics ( with an American slant ! ) , sitting in the sun reading and a few excursions out.

We drove to Miami’s Ocean Drive area, famed for the outstanding art deco architecture. We were not disappointed and enjoyed walking first along the street and as dusk fell along the magnificent beach. The first challenge had been finding a parking space; the second had been finding change for the parking meter. This was resolved by either changing dollars in a machine which would give you three quarters for each Dollar deposited! Can you believe 25% to change up money perhaps this is how the American economy stays afloat!!

We took a cruise of the canals of Fort Lauderdale, seeing the homes of the great and the good. Stephen Spielberg’s was under construction at the cost of many millions, and it seems that any thing that has a water frontage will sell for at least a million Dollars.

We had Dinner at Shula's On The Beach. This Claimed the best steak in Fort Lauderdale. I would go as far to say that this was the best steak I had ever had.

I feel rich at the moment. With a Pound Dollar exchange rate of $1.80 America seems so cheap, but how long will it be possible to buy a bottle of French champagne at a lower price here than in France? The same can be said for a Jaguar car, substantially cheaper in America than in the country of its production! Still, let this American economic miracle continue. The party is in full swing.

We left Pompano Beach around noon and drove through heavy traffic up the coast road before heading in land to join Highway 27. This was a couple of hundred mile journey through the Florida never seen by tourists, This was the (Very) Deep South, mile after mile of fertile farm land producing a wide variety of crops, the soil so rich and black, I expect that anything could grow here.

For all its wealth, poverty is never far away, Scratch the surface and America is a very unforgiving society. Trailer parks abound and low paid work is the norm, long hours serving in a store, waiting tables for low pay and minimal benefits. Still, at least the taxes are low.

For lunch we stopped in Clewiston a small town on the banks of Lake Okeechobee (we never did see this large lake that sits 12 feet above sea level, despite our best efforts).

In the car park outside Subway, a badly dressed black woman with very shiny skin approached our car as soon as it came to a halt. She asked for $2 for drugs, she was showing us what appeared to be an empty container. We were unsure what kind of drugs she referred to.

We had a sandwich lunch in Subway. It was staffed and frequented (apart from us) entirely by black people. A young (large) black girl who served us enquired ‘Where are you from?’ I replied ‘England’. I asked her where she was from ‘from the muck’ was her reply.

The intensity of the damage from Hurricane Charley became apparent as we headed North. At times the devastation was intense. As a rule it was the most vulnerable who were affected, those in poorly built homes who had literally seen their lives blow away.

We visited Blizzard Beach, had a great day but experienced a storm of enormous magnitude. Epcot remains my favourite of the Disney parks; we ate very good meals in China and Norway as well as experiencing GM’s Test Track more than once!

Walking around, and talking to people it became apparent just how much the average American ‘does not get it’, by that I mean their place in the World, their place in World History, on the whole they are very polite, very patriotic and God fearing (many more Americans regularly attend a place of worship than those in Britain), yet they just don’t get it.

They will re-elect George W who will run riot for another four years. It is all made more ridiculous that if I had a vote, I would vote for George W, simply because the alternative would leave America treading water while they wait for salvation from President Hillary, by then the American people will be prepared to make some brave decisions about the leader and the kind of society that they want.

A week today we fly home, time flies when you’re having fun!