The End of American Freedom?

Freedom to travel abroad without too much red tape, that is. Ever since the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, when a bunch of murderous thugs assaulted a bunch of innocent civilians for no reason at all, ever since the masterminds of that attack were traced back to Pakistan, ever since one of the star players turned out to be a man of American origin, looking of European descent, polygamous, a triple agent, drug runner, carrying an American passport, that unstated right of Americans to travel freely is under threat. Jihad Jane didn't help, either, the American case for unhindered international travel for American citizens. And, what was once whispered, is now being spoken loudly. The British for example are now questioning American security checks for incoming flights. And while most of this article focuses on the threat to the United States by American-born, or American-raised terrorists, it was this passage that caught my eye:

With their innate knowledge of the country's psyche and the ease with which they can travel the country without being detected, the U.S. passport-carrying terrorists have become a nightmare for counter-intelligence agents (emphases mine)

So, now we have global unease directed at that heretofore unlikely candidate - the American international traveller. Since the end of the nineteenth century, but definitely since the end of the Cold War, the American traveller has been a pampered, fussed-over specimen, roaming freely like the bison of the Great Plains, or like the deer or the antelope of said Plain. Whether outrageously wealthy or just comfortably middle class (poor Americans tend to staycation), the arrival of the American wanderer on foreign shores was greeted with cries of joy by peddlers of counterfeit and luxury brands alike. His or her presence drove up the local prices of taxicabs, household help wages, and brought about the global availability of ketchup. Visa rules were changed or bent for the convenience of this usually genial (although somewhat sartorially challenged) traveller and the non-reciprocity of entry rules for people wishing to enter the United States was seen as understandable (after all, everyone wants to go to the land of milk and honey, right?). American travellers swanned through entry points, checkpoints and sometimes, customs bureaus.

Now, though, international terrorism is changing all that. In the days before 9/11, the bad guys looked, well, brown and Middle Eastern (or Slavic), they couldn't possibly be American, right? And blond-haired, blue-eyed men and women must be on the side of the angels, right? These days, though, innocence no longer looks exclusively European and villainy no longer comes only in darker shades of skin tone. An American passport and a gleaming set of well-tended American teeth are not anymore an automatic guarantee of welcome all over the world. Already, India has put into place stringent new rules about the entry and exit of foreign nationals, global investment opportunities be damned. I mean, when it's a choice between the lives of your own citizens and the ease of entrance for some unknown American, which would you choose? Add to this a suspicion about the real motives of American citizens abroad (for example, are they really taking innocent tourist shots with their expensive cameras, or are they doing a recce of potential targets for terrorist strikes?), throw in a growing perception that the United States is flat broke, deep in debt and in general global decline and then I think, at least in the medium term future, distrust of the American traveller will be a scenario throughout the globe. American globetrotters, don't say you weren't warned: be ready to wait in line at immigration and customs, and prepare to be scrutinized much more closely

Things I Like About My Life

As fall seeps into our lives again, all crusty condensation and crunchy colors, I look back on my life over the last ten years here in southwestern Connecticut. Yes, it's been ten years for us here - a period of change and transformation. A big move from the midwest, pregnancy, motherhood, renovation, writing, reading, worrying about the economy...But overall, I would say that despite all the changes, life here is pleasant in more ways than one can count. "Here are a few of my favorite things":

First, there is the unquestionable prettiness of the place. Despite the McMansions, the overdevelopment, the terrifying roar of I-95 and the shock and awe of consumer prices, the land and its beauty still break through - in the sweep of a tree branch over the Merrit Parkway, all burnt red and orange in October, in the quietness of the little lanes that meander their way around neighborhoods, in the curve of a slope on Redding Road, in the whiteness of a church perched on a hillside, shining against a clear blue sky.

Second, I actually like the reserve of people here. Many revile the coldness and the stiffness of the Connecticut WASP. But a) it's actually far more diverse here than people think, at least in Fairfield County and b) I actually don't mind the famous northeastern reserve. In fact, I am relieved. When I lived in the lower midwest, way back, I felt at times that I would burst with vexation at people's fervent opinionatedness especially on matters that I consider intensely personal - religion. Not that in-your-face intolerance is totally unknown in the northeast but there's a reason why that blasted, hatemongering church is located "there" and not in Fairfield County.

Third, it's just close enough to the big city. I love, love, love city life. But I have accepted that we will be suburban parents and a suburban family. Still, it is so nice to able to pop into New York whenever I really get the urge to pep up my life, dress up a little, and eat something different and well-prepared (and well-presented). And even nicer to know that I can take the train in and out in relative safety and comfort and only have to worry about bringing home a bedbug or three on my person.

Fourth, my family is happy here. And in the final analysis, is there any other reason that matters?