This is the second time in the last two years that a major crisis in American international politics has occurred while I was overseas. It gives an interesting, though frustrating prospective.

While stuck in Jamaica during and after September 11th, Alex and I experienced an outpouring of sympathy and support from Jamaicans. One man even started singing to us in a restaurant, “everything’s gonna be alright.“ This was mirrored world wide by the wave of expressions of sorrow from people and their political leaders. Somewhere, that was squandered.

I wonder if our president realizes how much his bad international diplomacy has changed this. You don’t win friends by telling them directly you don’t need them. Some people here think Bush is malicious. I think he’s just unskilled and unaware. He has lived up to the political stereotype of a cowboy, speaking of war and the ‘axis of evil’ as if it were a football game.

Here in South Africa, there is a strong anti-American sentiment. It was there before, just underneath the surface as a frustrated mix of jealousy and awe. Now it’s out in the open. No-one supports the war. On the news they show Mandela scolding Bush, they talk about Powell’s ‘so called evidence,’ they give lots of airtime to France, Germany, Russia and China, and they tally the number of countries that don’t support the US. However, I think this has little to do with South Africa and the world wanting peace. It has more to do with the opportunity to gang up on a bully. No-one is really pro-Iraq. They are just anti-US.

Despite this, people are really nice to me. Since the war has started, when people hear my accent, they perk up, start chatting with me. On my way to Cape Town yesterday, I stopped in small roadside restaurant near Caledon. Everyone there was very nice. They brought me extra things and only charged me for half my meal. Many take the attitude that they hate American, not Americans. And at the same time, it must be cool to talk to one.

On the news yesterday, all they would talk about was the war and the arrogance and insolence of the US. They reported that all the US consulates and the embassy in South Africa were closed to the public, and that there were a swarm of protesters in front of the consulate in Cape Town. I am currently staying with my friend Ted, the Chief Visa Consular for Cape Town. He said they were open, and the swarm of protesters was about 3.

Anyway, that’s my opinion from SA.

Take care,

Shelah