Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!


Christmas Letter 2003/4

 

                                                               

One day I saw a huge queue outside a government building, and asked a man in the queue what it was all about, but his English wasn’t up to it. However somebody else told me that all these people were applying to immigrate to the United States . Perhaps the US welcomes immigrants as much as Canada does, but I don’t think so.

I found the US disappointing in a number of ways. The people I spoke to about the war all agreed that President Bush had done the right thing in ridding the world of a hateful dictator, and the question of the legality of the invasion didn’t worry them, and the problem of acting independently of the United Nations seemed to them to be a cause for rejoicing rather than a reason for regret.

 

 

And somehow the holding of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay without charge and without trial for nearly two years didn’t seems to worry them, and didn’t appear inconsistent with their profound belief that the USA is the chief, perhaps the only, truly democratic country in the world. But then, the newspapers and press had little or no material critical of the government line, whereas in Canada we found the TV programs frequently criticized the US and the Canadian state and provincial governments. Canada seemed a more mature democracy, more certain of its own strengths, and therefore more tolerant of criticism.

 

 

 

Below, a night view of some NY buildings illuminated by the setting sun.

 

Apart from meeting again our very good friends and sharing time with them, two of the highlights of our trip to New York were the visit to the Guggenheim Museum and the boat trip round the harbour. Here is a view of some buildings caught in the evening light.

 

 

Back              Next                 Page 1