I will admit to being a Europhile. I love all things peninsular - French cuisine, German philosophy, Italian politics, Swedish . . . health care. Don't even get me started with Britain. In fact, as summer turned into fall and the elections approached, I discussed with my wife the serious possibility of emigrating if the Republicans retained control of Congress this election cycle; I hated to think about it, but I wanted to abandon the nuthouse before the lunatics who were running teh asylum put my name on one of their lists. For several months now, I have visited two sites (Contra Capa and Cristy's, linked to the right) from Portugal. I have enjoyed getting to know someone my own age who lives in a very different society, yet with whom there seems to be an abundance of similarities (she like Marillion!).
In my visit today, I came across this post highlighting comments on a survey of gay support for abortion rights (there is a vigorous debate going on right now in Catholic Portugal over both abortion and gay rights). What struck me most was the fact that, here isn Europe, so often portrayed as superior to America in its political sophistication, was something that could have been written by James Dobson. I suppose nutty ideas know no borders, but it was sad to see an American franchise suddenly sprout in what I had thought was the unfriendly soil of the Iberian Peninsula. Next thing you know, they'll have McDonalds and Starbucks . . . oh, wait . . .
Note: The blog is in Portuguese, but at the bottom of the side bar, just click the "Babelfish" icon, and a very rough, semantic translation will open in a separate window. Give Cristina "um beijos" and tell her I sent you.
