Three months ago, on a business trip to Sweden with some of my

[KlatooBNikto]

coleagues, I had a chance to go to dinner with them along with some fine Swedish colleagues.During dinner the conversation turned to the conditions in Iraq and our own elections. My boss, a rabid RW Repub, started yakking away about America is a special nation with unique responsibilities that small countries like Sweden cannot fulfill and that when our president says that Iraq had WMD's and was connected to terrorism, we had to act and on and on and on. He also had the audacity to say no country in the west is freer than America and expects Bush to win hands down against any Democrats.

Our hosts, polite as all Swedish people are, did not make any contradictory arguments, and let it pass. But this was too much for me.I got in and told my boss you are in the middle of Stockholm, probably the most civilized of Western capitals where you are likely to see the King pedal his bike during a crowded evening without any bodyguards and the Queen is likely to be found grocery shopping like ordinary housewives.The very thought of seeing George Bush without his army of bodyguards is a mirage.

To me the extraordinary boneheadedness of my boss turned out to be a lesson because I realized this is exactly what ails us.Our arrogance and belief in our uniqueness when the evidence screams all around how peaceful and quiet life in Sweden is was a revelation.

[acmavm]

1. Do you still have a job? If so, you're very lucky. A lot of people are

losing theirs for standing up for what's right.

But good for you! That did take guts to cross your boss like that, especially publically.

[anarchy1999]

4. As I read the testimony it was my question as well, do you still have a

job. Did you really let your "boss" have it? When you did, what was his response to you, if you are still employed?

[KlatooBNikto]

5. Yes, I do. Not because of my boss, but because I have, to put in

simple terms, some clout in the corporation myself.

[anarchy1999]

7. Good for you. I know another DU'er here just like you. Going to a

debate watch party tonight at his house. Congrats and keep on telling the truth, it is appreciated more than you know.

[Francesca]

2. Yikes..

good for you for saying something.. I completely agree that our arrogance is a major factor in what ails us.. Not signing environmental treaties, going to war without any significant support.............. And this message the RNC has been hammering at that terrorists are fighting a war on freedom because they "Hate Freedom".. that is the most arrogant and simplistic nonsense... As a student of Anthropology I find this particularly revolting, insulting and moronic.. How can Americans believe thats all there is to it?????????

[punpirate]

3. Any wonder why so little news of the...

... outside world gets into the U.S. without some coloration by the press?

Can't let the people see the successes of a peaceful social democracy--might want the same here. :)

[demnan]

6. You would have been right to pull your boss aside

Bringing politics into a business discussion like that is not a professional thing to do.

You were also right, but you can't convince a bone-head of something like that.

[liontamer]

8. I wish every american was forced to leave the country

and see one country where conditions were better than in the US and one where things were worse. While the truly thick (like your boss) might not benefit. Enough people would to really make a difference in our politics

[skygazer]

9. Good for you!

One of the most obnoxious talking points as far as I'm concerned is the line, "9/11 changed everything." It didn't. The world has been dealing with terrorism for quite some time, the U.S. has suffered other terrorist attacks (Oklahoma City, the 1st WTC attack). To imply that because our country suffered a large attack and so that somehow changes everything is to deny the many attacks other countries have dealt with as well as the efforts they have made to combat and contain terrorism.

Now suddenly, the U.S. claims some sort of superiority in dealing with terrorism. We're the only ones who know how to do it right, according to * and friends. It's arrogant, myopic and false and it does nothing to win friends and allies.

He kept hammering Kerry for "denigrating" the members of his grand coalition - what about the insult to the world at large when he pretty much tells them that they know nothing and it's our way or the highway?