The American Dream from Abroad

8/7/2019 The American Dream from Abroad

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Point of Departure: The American Dream from Abroad__________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________ Copyright 2010 William Jamieson All Rights Reserved http://PeoplesVisionUSA.com

Point of Departure:

The American Dream from Abroad

A Personal PerspectiveBy Bill Jamieson

http://peoplesvisionusa.com/


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You DO NOT have the right to sell, repackage, reformat orbreak out any part or section of this document for resale

without prior permission from the author.

Copyright 2010 William Jamieson All Rights Reserved


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Point of Departure: The American Dream from Abroad

This work is not precisely in anyones camp; in writing it I did notmean to either serve or contest any party; I undertook to see notdifferently, but further than the parties; and while they are occupied

with the next day, I wanted to ponder the future.Alex is deTocquev i l le , Democracy in America

Click here to read original post: http:/ / peoplesvisionusa.com/ point-of-departure-at-the-beginning-of-my-journeys/

My political, social and theological views are liberal but not dogmatic. I

believe our democracy functions best when leaders of different political andsocial views think critically together in search of the nations best interests,

rather than the interests of a political party or ideology.

But, like others, I sometimes get caught up in the passion of political battlesand lose sight of the importance of seeking consensus through civilconversation.

As I depart the United States on a journey that will lead me through ninenations, I am leaving behind those battles in the midst of an election season

that comes to a head on a day that I will be in Nairobi, Kenya.

On this journey I hope to see my nations promise and problems moreclearly through the eyes of people from other nations, thoughtful people who

care deeply about the future of the world, but who are detached from thevitriol and distortions of Americas 2010 politics.

I want to hear what people think are the most important issues facing theworld and their opinions about how the USA should respond to those issues.I want to hear their hopes and dreams for their families, their homeland and

the world.

I will do this by asking them and by carefully listening to their responseslistening without passing their words through the filter of my western

mindset.

My interviews are designed to capture the thoughts and feelings of people

rather than facts, because thoughts and feelings drive political responses tofacts and because I am a political/social observer and activist, not a

scholar.


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My fondest desire for this project is that it will help open a channel ofcreative and collaborative conversation about the pressing needs of the USA;

at home and in our relationship to neighbors around the world. I want, asTocqueville wrote, to see further, to ponder the future of my country and the

world, and to move beyond the bitterly divisive politics of America today.

Bills Travel Schedule

October 3-November 22 2010

From Emails: My wife Kennon and I leave tomorrow for Japan and South Koreaon an long-awaited adventure. She will return home on October 17, and I will goon to India, Kenya, South Africa, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium andEngland. You can follow the journey at http://www.peoplesvisionusa.com.

October 3

Depart Asheville at 6:55 a.m., connecting in Atlanta for Tokyo

October 4

Arrive Tokyo Narita at 4:55 p.m. Overnight at International Garden Hotel

Narita

October 5-7

Tokyo Airbnb, Taro Namekawa

October 8

Travel by train to Kobe Airbnb, Rose Tanasugarn

From Emails: Greetings from Kobe, Japan. We have had an extraordinaryweek and I invite you to read about our time in Tokyo athttp://peoplesvisionusa.com/my-journeys/postcard-from-tokyo/

We go to Kyoto tomorrow, Hiroshima on Monday and then South Korea on

Tuesday. I have an interview with a journalist in Hiroshima, and several morescheduled for Seoul. I'll post what I am learning about how others view the USAon the blog site. Peace, Bill

October 9 through 11

Kobe and Kyoto Kyoto walking tour with Toyoko Umeda on October 10


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From Emails: This has been a wonderful journey. The following pictures arefrom Kyoto.

Hiroshima: This was a life-changing day. It is one thing to

intellectually understand the destructive force of nuclear weapons and

to read about Hiroshima in the context of history books.

October 12

Travel to Osaka for 1:35 p.m. flight to Seoul

Arrive Seoul at 3:25 p.m. and transfer to the Royal Hotel

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Seoul

October 17

My wife departs for home at 10:40 a.m.

October 18

Depart Seoul for Mumbai at 8p.m.

From emails:The following pictures are from our days in SeoulClick here to read more posts about Bills journeys:http:/ / peoplesvisionusa.com/ category/ my-journeys/

Arrive Mumbai at 1a.m. on October 19

October 19-22

Mumbai at Ascot Hotel

From emails:Greetings from Mumbai. I've had a great two days ofinterviews... but the highlight is this visit to Mumbai's largest slum. It holds 18,000people in about 15 acres. I was welcomed into homes and treated like a guest ofhonor...Visit http://peoplesvisionusa.com/ to read more.


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October 22

Depart Mumbai for Delhi Crowne Plaza Hotel

From emails: " India has pulled me into her soul. She is truly a

paradox: chaotic but with a rhythm that seems to bring everythingtogether. There is a symmetry that integrates what on the surfaceseems to be mass confusion.

The day I arrived I went for a walk and was a bit intimidated by thecrush of people, constant noise of car horns, street vendors in a solid

row down one side of the sidewalk and small stores on the other with

people walking every which way in between. By day two I was in therhythm.

Click here to read more posts about Bills journeys:http:/ / peoplesvisionusa.com/ my-journeys/postcard-from-india/

October 24

Train to Agra and the Taj Mahal return to Delhi for overnight

October 25

Return to Mumbai

October 27

3:10 a.m. flight to Nairobi arrive Nairobi at 6:35 a.m.

From Emails: Dear family and friends: These images are from myday in Kibera, the most dense slum in Africa. As you can see, there are

no roads... only rocky and wet dirt paths."http:/ / peoplesvisionusa.com/ my-journeys/postcard-from-kenya/

October 29

To Masai Mara

From Emails: Dear friends, The Maasai tribe is one of more than 40

in Kenya, but the only one that holds to traditional dress and ways. Asall of you know, I just can't resist the children


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November 2

Return to Nairobi

November 4

9:10 a.m. flight from Nairobi to Johannesburg, connecting at 3:05p.m. toCape Town. Arrive Cape Town 5:15p.m.

November 7

From Emails: "Dear friends, when I arrived in Cape Town my entire

system was disoriented. After India and Kenya the high-end sparkle ofthis Mediterranean city felt quite strange.http:/ / peoplesvisionusa.com/ my-journeys/ postcard-from-capetown/

Depart for Johannesburg at 7:20a.m. arrive 9:20a.m., connecting toMpumalanga at 11:10a.m.

November 9

Return to Johannesburg, departing 1:35p.m, arriving 2:30p.m. Overnight

Johannesburg

November 10

Depart Johannesburg for Paris at 8:20 p.m.

November 11

Arrive Paris 5:55a.m. Connect to 12:25p.m. flight to Lisbon, Portugal,arriving 1:50p.m.

From Emails: Dear friends, Lisbon is a great city... it reminds me of my belovedSan Francisco in so many ways

November 14

Depart Portugal at 7:50 a.m. and arrive Amsterdam at 11:50a.m.

November 16

Travel by train to Lille, Belgium. Stay with Pieter and Catherine.


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From blog post: At the beginning of this journey I visited Hiroshima andreflected in this blog about war and death.

I close with a similar reflection from my experience in the Tyne Cot Cemetery, thefinal resting place for the tens of thousands of men who were killed in the battle

of Passchendaele in Flanders in 1917.

http://peoplesvisionusa.com/essays-and-reflections-on-the-current-news/a-postcard-fro-belgium-when-will-we-ever-learn/

November 18

Travel by train to London

November 22

Return home, arriving Asheville 5:47 p.m.

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The American Dream from Abroad