Remember when being a citizen of the US actually *meant* something?

[VolcanoJen]

I'm watching this story on CNN, about the Americans stranded in Cancun, and their stories are pretty horrible. They can't even buy their way out.

Flashback... in the mid 1980s, during the "high times" of Reagan's presidency, I was an exchange student in then-West Germany. American students living in West Germany were urged to register with the US Embassy, as well as their nearest consulate, as "American citizens living abroad." I did as requested.

The city I lived in also hosted a relatively large US airbase. One evening, US soldiers showed up at my host family's home, much to the surprise (and horror) of my generous host family.

The soldiers were conducting a drill to evacuate all US citizens from the city in the event of a Cold War emergency. They wanted to verify that I lived there. I was summoned to the door. They checked something off on a piece of paper and left. My host family was stunned. So was I.

Now, I'm not implying this was the greatest thing, but it was certainly an impressive thing. I was surprised that the US government would make an effort to evacuate li'l ol' me.

Watching the Americans in Cancun right now, a city far closer to the US mainland than any in Germany, west or east, I'm stunned their hasn't been a coordinated military response to evacuate them from danger.

Just a personal story from my past to illustrate that the United States has definitely changed. Back in those heady Cold War days, I almost had a swagger bouncing around western Europe as "An American, Dammit."

Is this change good... bad... or indifferent?