I strive to provide a unique international perspective on American issues. It seems that most Americans who claim to have an international perspective are self-defined liberals; we conservatives can have an international perspective as well.

As an American abroad I’m exposed daily to European opinions of our country. Most US-based bloggers don’t cover, in-depth, the international aspect of American affairs and how as Americans we look to and interact with Europe. At the same time European pundits focusing on America are just that – Europeans; they mean well but they don’t really understand American culture and values. I try to cut through the noise and acknowledge the truths, follies, and foibles on both sides of the Atlantic.

Any subject is fair game, but I try to focus on these topics.

• Iran and the Iranian Nuclear Program: Obviously Iran’s nuclear development program is a Middle-East game changer, with connections around the world. Can they be stopped? How much patience will Europe and Israel have while the US pursues a diplomatic resolution? Will the regime’s domestic opponents make an Iranian revolution inevitable? What about the Human Rights of Iranian dissidents?
• EU and US-EU Relations: It’s been said that the EU has accomplished its political and and economic goals by overcoming the inherently tribal/nationalist tendencies of its member states, thus precluding war. Ironically this success may have created a failure for those who dream of a “greater Europe”, as many pundits state that the lack of a transcendent “euro-nationalism” impedes its ability to project a larger influence worldwide. The commonly-held American view is that EU actions and sanctions mean little in dealing with problems in the real world, despite the contributions of individual countries. Against this backdrop, what’s the impact of President Obama’s decisions and leadership style?
• Health Care Reform: Proposals for a nationalized health care system in the US have been considered since the early 1900s. For the most part these systems, modeled after some romanticized notion of European health care, have proven to be either too expensive or too invasive for most Americans. The latest debate has been vociferous, abounding with outright lies, half-truths, thuggery, and proposals that create unimaginable levels of public debt. What palatable steps can be taken to improve our system, which remains the best in the world?
• 2010 & 2012 Elections:: There’s still time for President Obama to reverse the 2012 trend, but soon it will be too late to save the 2010 elections for the Democrats. How much of a Republican gain will occur in the House and Senate?
• Roma(Gypsies): In Europe one is never too far away from the Roma. Their history is often tragic, but a small minority create image problems for the community as a whole. How can they better integrate into society while maintaining their own unique sense of identity? (Please note that I know many members of the Roma community find Gypsy offensive. Regrettably the word Gypsy is more widely known outside of Europe, so I use it as a category tag only. Also, it eliminates confusion with the Italian name for the city of Rome.)

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