Greetings... My name is Chad Thiesen and I am excited to be starting the Australian chapter of EAB. I think that this is a great forum for U.S. citizens living abroad who share some of the same views about the direction of our homeland under the current Bush administration.
I don't think that its a coincidence that I have yet to meet a single American expat who is in favor of the Bush administration. I am sure they are out there, but I think they are very much in a minority. As expats, we have a very unique perspective on both the U.S. and the world at large. When you are brought up in the U.S. which is such an insular culture and society and then get a chance to see it on the outside-looking-in for a period of time, it enables you to see things from a new and important perspective.
Historically, I have not been a politically active person. In fact, I have never even voted. I took an apathetic philosophy at a younger age that my vote or actions simply wouldn't make a difference, so why bother. With everything that has occurred in the last three years, starting from the tainted election to the most recent deaths of soldiers and civilians in Iraq, I can no longer remain inactive in the face of such turmoil, corruption, and incompetence.
The Bush administration has taken the highest level of collective goodwill from the global community since at least WWII, if ever, and completely inversed it to probably the lowest ever in the space of about a year. It is truly remarkable... and truly frightening. There are a multitude of other issues to highlight, but I think seeing some former Repbulican voters getting involved in this site, as well as other related forums, is a true sign that this whole issue goes beyond Republican vs. Democrat and left vs. right arguments.
For all of those getting involved in this movement, I look forward to working with you all collectively over the next year. We can.... and must... make a difference.
