Scowl, Nu?

Before any of you start thinking that I am one of those self-loathing Americans, let me set the record straight.

Sometimes, I am.

And before you think this is some sort of political statement, this has nothing to do with George Bush, Afghanistan, Iraq or any other political act that the United States has unilaterally acted upon. This is something much more personal.

It’s about Americans and Beer, and specifically, their jack-ass behavior whenever they drink it.

Case in point: tonight at Augustiner Keller. Augustiner Keller is the home to the Augustiner Biergarten, a 5000+ person beer garden which is one of Munich’s favorite places to go for a beer. It’s also home to a small bierstuberl, an indoor hall where locals go to have a beer. Because of its close proximity to the Hauptbahnhof (main train station), it also has a penchant for attracting tourists stopping for a quick beer.

We got to the bräustuberl around 8:00 this evening for a quick snack and a beer before retiring home for the evening. We sat down, ordered our beers and started looking at the Speisekarte (menu) for a quick bite. Then we heard it.

“Beer beer beer, we’re here because we drink beer, beer beer…”

Yep. Three college aged Americans at a table drunkenly shouting the above phrase… shouting it so loud that every person in the beer hall turned around – most of the people in the beer hall being 50 years old or older and most certainly Müncheners. They were so bad, that the manager came over and told them to be quiet.

Twice.

And the third time, he asked them to take their beers outside so they wouldn’t bother the rest of the patrons any more.

My problem? These three assholes just made my life 10 times harder. The next time any of the patrons of the bräustuberl hear English, they’ll think of these assholes, and judge them to be the sort of people who come to Germany, are obnoxious and oblivious of the local culture, and treat it like their playground. As someone who more often than not is speaking American accented German, they just made it harder for me to order my lunch, buy a beer or transact business with the local shop owners.

Here is my open message to all Americans hell-bent on getting drunk and acting like childish little pricks: Go home. Leave Munich. Head back to your local bar and act like an asshole there. Stop making life here for the English-Speaking Ex-Pats just because you think “Hell, I don’t live here, so who cares how I act?” Get some self respect, act like an adult, learn how to behave and handle your liquor.

And remember, you’re one of reasons why they think we’re all ugly Americans.

Contrary to popular belief, Germany is not Anti-American.

Open up most major American newspapers or turn on CNN and you’ll probably be barraged with stories of how Europeans, most specifically Germans and the French are making a national pastime of bashing America.

Well, I can’t speak for my neighbors to the West, but I can tell you first hand about the Anti-American sentiment that is running rampant here in Deutschland.

Specifically, it’s bullshit. Complete, unadulterated bullshit.

Since when did disagreeing with the government suddenly make one “un-American”?

We woke up this morning and checked out CNN – and Janet noticed an article about a TSA (Transportation Safety Authority) baggage checker saw a “No War in Iraq” sign in a passenger’s bag and wrote a note stating that they “didn’t appreciate” the person’s un-American attitude.

It’s sad how people forget about the cornerstone of America – the Constitution – and the rights it provides… most specifically the freedom to assemble and the freedom of speech. In fact, the most American thing any individual can do is to question the government, come up with their own decisions and be vocal if they feel that their government is doing something that doesn’t represent their values or beliefs.

Call me crazy, but sometimes I think the problem with America is all of the so-called “Americans” who think the only way to be patriotic is to fall in line behind the President and follow him blindly like sheep without question or thought to whether his direction is legally or morally right.

Baaaa… Baaaa… Baaaa…