Visiting the US in October

I try to visit the United States at least once a year. It is something I do regularly to recharge my batteries. From time to time one needs to breathe the air of freedom before submerging again in the stifling atmosphere of Europe. I have never regarded America and Europe as two opposing entities. To me America is more European than Europe, while Europe needs to find its roots, which have remained intact in America, in order to become fully European again.

The attempts by terrorist to blow up planes heading for the US will make Transatlantic travel harder but that is not going to deter us. I look forward to being out of Europe, and especially Brussels, where the authorities are harassing us with investigations into our homeschooling as well as our writing.

I am planning to visit the US in the second half of October and will be in NY and DC before flying to the West Coast. My schedule includes a number of lectures and interviews, but is not completely filled up yet. Feel free to contact me and make recommendations.

Note: messages to and from aol.com addresses often fail to arrive. We do not know the reason. Correspondents with aol.com addresses can try to contact me here.

Go west young man ... but not too far west

Paul,

If you make it to Idaho, contact me and let's have lunch and chat. Perhaps we could go hunting, or at least shooting. Bring posters of your foulest Euro-weenie politicians and we can set them up at the target range for a little fun.

I just learned of your blog today from the Wall Street Journal. It's well done and an informative breath of fresh air.

Wherever you go, have a good time in the USA. You're welcome anytime.

Stuart

rental car

I suggest you rent a car for at least one week. You get yourself a room in a motel. In the morning, while eating eggs and hashbrowns, you think: 'what am I going to do with my freedom today? where should I go?' Answer the question then go.

A very good region to practice this type of applied freedom is the north east, certainly in October: the turning of the leaves. Ever heard of Bretton Woods? Check it out!

Drive from DC over Gettysburg, visit Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Vermont, upstate New York and somehow end up in Boston. Then continue your journey.

Worthwhile visit will be..?

Mr Belien, May I suggest that a better trip will be to INDIA AND NEPAL!!...!!! You know why? Because, the leftists there are in evil nexus with the savage islamists and you can gain first hand knwoledge on how the ruin of an ancient civilization is in process now, history being made, day after day, century after century..etc.

They made the King of Nepal stripped of powers, though he has been striving for democracy. Even crowd control in the savage mobocracy was not allowed. Police action was indeed milder than during any anti-gloabalization rally of Europe where I saw many bloodied faces, blood streaming down the head..etc.

Even leftist BBC did its part in this ruin and blighting. Unacceptable and unpardonable, you think? Yes, you are right!

I suggest you enjoy these places and get wisdom too!!!..!!

I hope your trip is

I hope your trip is enjoyable and you are able to drop by Philadelphia in your travels between NYC and DC.  Philly is a delightful city that has the honor of being the birthplace of the United States. You can still walk into the buildings where the foundations of this nation were hammered out. Of course a visit to Philly is not complete without stop by Geno's to sample the world's best Cheesesteak sandwich.

 
 

While in New York

Dear Paul:

Being relatively new to The Brussels Journal, I don't know if your interests include traditional jazz. But if so, may I enthusiastically recommend Birdland on 44th between 8th & 9th Avenues. Each Wednesday, from 5:30 - 7:30 David Oswald leads the Louis Armstrong Centennial Jazz Band. For the paltry sum of $10.00 you can immerse yourself in Louis' music, performed by some of the best names in NYC jazz. George Avekian - the legendary record producer - calls it the best value in jazz in the city. David hosts differnt artists each week. I have been 12+ times and have always walked away "on the sunny side of the street"!

In any case I hope you enjoy your visit.

 

Freedom

Ah, the freedom to attend the intelligent interviews we Brazilians are submitted to everytime we travel to the States; the liberating feeling of arriving in Boston late in the evening and not passing immigrations because you can't recall the exact address where your sister lives, and how I miss the refreshing experience of having to do a stopover in Miami flying from A'dam to Costa Rica because planes are not allowed to fly directly into CR (I you spare the details on the 'immigration' check)...

But then again: it is liberating to see how the '(US) Mikes in Brazil' enjoy the freedom walking around in Ipanema -I was so naive to believe that Americans only considered Costa Rica to be their child porn Disneylan-; ah, how liberating to see 'Zuzu Angel' and be recalled how much America cared for freedom during the Brazilian dictatorship; ah, how much Americans care for the truth in Mexico these days (http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2006/8/12/1375/54892), ah, what a liberating effect the US had on the psyche of my Chilean friends in the 80s; ah how freely the US infiltrates into the Venezuelan army forces; ah what an act of freedom of the US to sell arms to the Colombian paramilitairs these days.

But oh, were in Latin America were so glad reading in the Financial Times how the US is loosing it's influence on Latin America. 

Take those plugs out of your nose before you imply that the United States smells freshly free (or remind us of your wicked definition of freedom) !

must do's

hi paul,

when in ny you must definitely pick up a good show on broadway, so much easier and comforting than all that Wagner and Mozart, it really is the choice of free people; and also try out some of the great restaurants, also specially tailored to free people who finally don't have to listen to their parents anymore and can eat whatever they want; none of that French-Italian dominated difficult food you'd find in Brussels; and be sure to check out Fox-news on your hotel TV; did you think the news was boring when you were a kid ? Forget it, here's news for free people, like a poster of a cute little kitten, it'll instantly please; none of that BBC newsnight crap that's so hard to understand and makes you feel stupid. And last but not least you must follow USAntigoon's advice and visit the heartland; tell them you're from Belgium and you'll be in for all kinds of funny responses you can tell the folks back home! Free people don't want to learn anymore, they did that at school when they were obliged to!

@aphilion

Ignorance cannot stay hidden for long. There is more Mozart and Wagner in New York than in the whole Benelux, there are more french and 100 times more italian restaurants than in Brussels and much better. There are more news channels than in the whole of Europe and the U.S. heartland has the quality that they don't care where you come from as long as you are a good person and have a good relationship with your neighbors, something which doesn't exist anymore in Belgium.

Another Antigoon

I would like to 'second' the motion of USAntigoon, and have similar experiences to his.  

A visit to NY + DC + the 'left coast' could not give a very representative image of the continent-wide  USA.   But, all travel has to be limited.  And, chances are that Mr Belien will meet a selected sample of people that is not exactly representative of "NY+DC+left coast".  

There are of course some interesting conservative thinktanks in NY and DC, and also the Hoover Institution at Stanford University (just south of San Francisco) is an 'oasis' in a political naive-left desert.

@ Paul Belien

Enjoy your trip and be sure you make stops in the heartland USA. As a ex - Flemish Belgium I am very impressed to see individuals like you standing up for the truth. Each time I visit Belgium I see more and more decay of the old fabric and hope that sooner or later they will understand that "freedom" doesn't come free. The anti Bush obsession has blinded their view of what Americans are..I always have a hard time talking to my Belgium family ... no wonder if you read their newspapers and watch state sponsored TV..