simultaneously amusing and sickening

In the Belgian newspaper De Standaard, an article (in Dutch, naturellement) suggests that because American affairs have such a marked influence on world events and the world economy, non-Americans have to somehow pay costs or 'taxes' accrued by American politics.

They therefore compare themselves to early Americans at the Boston Tea Party and have begun to insist that the rest of the world have a vote in the American presidential election.

Taxation without representation, they say, is what this is. So it's unfair. To them.

I wonder if they know how much American taxpayer money flies through the UN and the IMF and various other bloodsucking agents of corruption for which the American voter has NO SAY WHATSOEVER.....?

If anything, there is a net economic gain to the world by the existence of America, not just in stolen American taxpayer funds (another tea party would be good, but I can't figure out what to throw in the harbor) but in the very fact that the world is a more economically vital place because of American leadership and productivity.

And yet some Belgian whiner thinks that he should have a vote in our election because he feels taxed, somehow.

As a longtime resident of Brussels myself, I recommend to this man and any who share his idea that if the Belgians would just ditch the economy-choking socialism and get their butts to WORK, they'd be AMAZED at the problems that would literally solve themselves.