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FightingIrish

(2,716 posts)
Tue Nov 8, 2016, 01:58 AM Nov 2016

Loved ones in Europe aren't sleeping either

Today I heard from relatives in England and dear friends in Italy who are almost like family. They are as nervous as we are about this election. My British relatives are vacationing in Mexico after a stop in Las Vegas. They are still reeling from Brexit. They reacted to the idiotic trump hats in Las Vegas like they had seen Nazi armbands. They are reluctant to speak up in a Mexican resort where most of the guests are Americans. My Italian friends lived through the Berlusconi years. I was with them in Italy during his first campaign. They know that electing a repugnant, classless, sexual predator billionaire could happen here too. I am really looking forward to sending them and the rest of the world a hearty "You're welcome" tomorrow night.

14 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Loved ones in Europe aren't sleeping either (Original Post) FightingIrish Nov 2016 OP
Family Lotusflower70 Nov 2016 #1
Some of my friends in Italy were children during WWII FightingIrish Nov 2016 #3
Perspective Lotusflower70 Nov 2016 #4
My son and daughte-in-law just came back from England and Scotland, where they used to live. NBachers Nov 2016 #6
This reminds me of the 1965 movie "Ship of Fools" FightingIrish Nov 2016 #9
We were with friends from the UK and the Netherlands Silver Gaia Nov 2016 #10
Tennis parents Jon King Nov 2016 #12
I have forwarded links to BlueMTexpat Nov 2016 #13
Dec 1969 #

Lotusflower70

(3,077 posts)
1. Family
Tue Nov 8, 2016, 02:05 AM
Nov 2016

My grandparents live in Spain and telling me to get on a plane. They are anxious.

Berlusconi was disgusting. I can't imagine living through that.

FightingIrish

(2,716 posts)
3. Some of my friends in Italy were children during WWII
Tue Nov 8, 2016, 02:12 AM
Nov 2016

The stories they have told me about the Nazi occupation and the fascist oppression are chilling and give me reason to take their concerns very seriously.

Lotusflower70

(3,077 posts)
4. Perspective
Tue Nov 8, 2016, 02:17 AM
Nov 2016

Oh I agree. It's nothing to mess with the stories I grew up with gave me perspective and what I call a bit of healthy fear. Nothing is guaranteed, you have to fight for it.

NBachers

(17,122 posts)
6. My son and daughte-in-law just came back from England and Scotland, where they used to live.
Tue Nov 8, 2016, 02:23 AM
Nov 2016

Everywhere they went, people were perplexed and horrified about Trump. He keeps saying the world hates the USA, but really the world hates and fears Donald Trump.

FightingIrish

(2,716 posts)
9. This reminds me of the 1965 movie "Ship of Fools"
Tue Nov 8, 2016, 02:46 AM
Nov 2016

I haven't thought about that very disturbing movie for years. It deals with the passengers aboard a ship traveling from Mexico to 1933 Nazi Germany. We viewers know the horrors that they were steaming toward but the passengers, from several different countries, had different views of a rising Germany. The frightening message is how willing some were to embrace the message of the Third Reich unaware of the nightmare to come. There were only hints of the horror that awaited the world.

Silver Gaia

(4,544 posts)
10. We were with friends from the UK and the Netherlands
Tue Nov 8, 2016, 03:54 AM
Nov 2016

Friday night. They are terrified. Their friends and family back home are terrified.

The world will celebrate with us when Hillary wins tomorrow night!

Jon King

(1,910 posts)
12. Tennis parents
Tue Nov 8, 2016, 04:22 AM
Nov 2016

are from all over the world. We are immersed in junior tennis and attend tournaments where the parents are international. They are completely baffled by the Trump thing. The comments range from a laughing "what is wrong with Americans" to " seems like many Americans have no clue to how good they actually have it". One lady from France was truly interviewing us like a mental health professional, wondering what exactly would motivate a person to vote for Trump, she was truly confused as to how a working person could be so angry that they would roll the dice on a madman.

BlueMTexpat

(15,369 posts)
13. I have forwarded links to
Tue Nov 8, 2016, 04:28 AM
Nov 2016
FiveThirtyEight and the Princeton Election Consortium to all I know here to help reassure them.

The Guardian has also provided excellent information about the US elections. https://www.theguardian.com/international
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