Dear Sir,

         What does it say about our societal values when we exploit The United States for all that it is worth to us. Our new affluent society appears to have a very relaxed attitude towards what we once thought to be moral. These days it's so easy to criticize America because of our most recent history. Peculiarly though Hiberno-American relations seem to be at an all time high. Leagues of businessmen have swindled both America and Europe in to heavy investment in our Emerald Isle. Its name precedes itself when there is nothing shining about the way we treat our fellow Americans. How many times in the past few years have I heard crass words uttered about American culture, even worse that America doesn't appear to have a culture? I would argue that far from being a fair assessment, in reality there is something more curious going on here.

We are all so wrapped up in what we have recently done for the world. Us Irish we like to brag, we built New York City after all, U2 are the richest band in the world, our language is older than yours. We live on a beautiful island on the most western point of Europe. Empires never conquered us. We are stealing jobs in Europe left right and centre which seems to amaze us all but never seems to amaze our dear employers in the European high society. Now I wouldn't like for you to peg me as a cynic, some of these statements may be true but the truth of the matter is that we are the most Americanized society in Europe. Some of us shed tears when Starbucks sharpened her claws for Dame Street. Yet we don't seem to have noticed that there are very few "˜Irish pubs' left in the city centre. An American friend pointed out to me that what we have going for us is that we adapt and learn. After all I am writing English and we educate ourselves and set up multiple Embassies across the world and called them public houses.

However it worries me when fair ladies like Paris Hilton seem to have our youth culture obsessed, drunk and forgetful. Paris Hilton, God Bless her represents what most of the aforementioned groaners complain about in bars. We like to complain, however we don't complain about the following. We have a nasty growing cocaine addiction, alcoholic tendencies. Gambling is rife. So much so that when I went to get a "˜token' for the toilet in Bewleys on Grafton street it appeared in the form of a gambling chip. Clearly a good example for the children. God's joke seems to be this. Often it is easier to criticize another land, it's politics and mistakes, yet what is it we hate so much about the United States? Is it the fact that she employed and educated our cousins, introduced us to Starbucks customer service and long bars martinis and shooters? Or is it that we are simply incapable of separating ourselves and looking at ourselves critically. A warning should be made in this current election year. This economic boom has served us well, but where is the money going? Perhaps in some of the places I've mentioned and not the health service, provision for better infrastructure than what is currently in place, our environment? Our problem seems to me that we expect so little of ourselves. We expect free money, free business, the American dream, we expect too much and don't give enough, expectocracy? possibly. A few more gifts and less self indulgence might provide better conversations in the public house, the lazy boring America bashing that rings out in my mind. More inward thinking and less outward drinking.