HAPPY 250th BIRTHDAY USA! - LET'S MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN

These are difficult days for those of us who love the United States of America. Not the polarised, authoritarian, ignorant, chaotic narcissism of President Donald Trump, but the charming, can-do, freewheeling, adventurous US of jazz, Robert Redford, Yale University, New York Times and Barack Obama.

Your guide Eugene Quinn was powerfully impacted by Jack Kerouac's book On the Road (1957, but written 1946-50), of a certain freedom, soul, joy and beauty. He loves the hippies and rock n roll, the original spirit of Silicon Valley idealism and openness, of networking and a land where people wanted to start again, to improve themselves, to be a part of a bigger project, to enjoy democracy and the humour of Woody Allen, Simpsons and Walt Disney.

Most of all, of Black America, embodied in all that glorious music they have given the world, from gospel and blues, rhythm and blues, soul, funk, disco, hip hop, house and trap. Of the optimism and play we see in so many fine films from the middle of 20th Century, of Levi's and chinos, dancing and group dynamics, witty dialogue and great sporting moments.

On 4th of July, 2026, America will celebrate its 250th birthday, at a very dangerous moment. Are we about to lose this legacy, to hate and post-democratic cynicism? Here we will show you how the US has influenced Vienna, beyond the cliches. Eugene Quinn is a Brit, with Irish roots, but wants to reach out and recognise how important America is to who we are, and how we might live in the future. Please join us for an alternative, progressive party. Or a memorial?

As a quick reminder, Trump has de-funded NPR public radio, separated families from their children on the Mexican frontier, 're-zoned' districts that usually vote Democrat, taken away the vote from so many Black people, left the Paris Climate Agreement, renamed the Defence Ministry as War, closed USAID while funding a huge new ballroom in the East Wing of White House, proposed developing Gaza into a private real estate beachside neighbourhood without Palestinians, waged war on scientific sense and university research, asked border guards to check social media posts of those arriving into the US, and banned so many respected media groups from his press briefings.