What’s going on behind the scenes of our government? I haven’t seen any coverage of other leaders in Washington say much other than the usual BS. The Democratic Party moved like a turtle, while the Republican Party went to war, bought a few countries and islands and still has money in the bank. It sucks so bad. She lost so bad that it shows how out of touch the DINOs are, how many boomers there are in the party that have non public facing power. It also shows how the media was completely wrong and proved their only concern is ratings. Their only concern about that is because of their CEOs that wanted Trump to win, their investors, and the mergers and acquisitions that have been allowed to happen. As a former Republican that’s now a Democrat. Financially not well off, not the healthiest family I can tell you while the Democrat party THOUGHT they had it in the bag.. they didn’t. They sounded like they had as many votes as Trump got. W T F.. why is the Republican Party allowed to go far right and win. But we can’t move too far from center. Gone are the days of legacy Democratic Party. Posts like yours do nothing.
We’ve been saying the last four years why isn’t Trump locked up? We’ve been saying that eight years! And now look where we’re at. The focus should not be on him anymore than it has been in the same context. I have not heard a single ounce of good information on how the Democrats plan to take anything back besides complaining about how he shouldn’t be in office.
This is what happens when entertainment is so good and so plentiful we no longer pay attention to other things. You and I read a daily newspaper. You and I watch the evening news. The vast majority of Americans do neither. Free TV no longer exists. We watch our own little curated shows on our cell phone screens or laptops or social media feeds. A huge number of voters were blissfully unaware Biden had even dropped out, and reflexively voted for his opponent. No need to seek out the boring news when we can just vote for the most entertaining candidate. The charisma of sociopaths is longstanding. And that's the way it is.
I have never felt so lost and confused in my life. This is not the country I signed up to serve when I joined the Air Force. This is not a country I am still proud to be from. It doesn’t feel like home anymore. And hopefully, sooner rather than later, it no longer will be. We’re done.
After he “won” the first time my husband and I moved to Prague. Thanks to the nightmare that is Czech bureaucracy getting a work visa for me was practically impossible (my husband received his through his employer). So we were only able to stay from 2017 to 2018. We both liked it very much, but even though I’ve always had a good ear for different languages, the Czech language is insanely difficult. I want to be somewhere I don’t have to struggle just to put together a single sentence.
I’m semi-fluent in Spanish so this time we were initially thinking of going to Mexico. (I had that as a “just in case things go horribly wrong” backup before the election.) Because it would be relatively quick to do so, but honestly after seeing how many Latin and Hispanic people in this country voted for him we’ve kind of soured on that idea.
Our retirement goal has always been Europe with a home base in Italy. We really just want to travel from country to country as often as we can, but have a permanent home we can return to when we want. Italian and Spanish share a lot of similarities so the language barrier shouldn’t be too terribly hard. So right now we’re trying to figure out how to speed up the retirement process and make it happen.
But if this shitstorm gets even worse than we already know it will- like if Putin starts trying to take over the rest of Europe- I guess we’ll just go off the grid somewhere near the US/Canadian border. Can’t say as I’m excited by the prospect of milking a cow, or cleaning out a chicken coop, but I’d rather do that than end up living in a dictatorship.
Thank you! Realistically I know in my heart we won’t move, but I want a fail safe. I work remote and could move, it’s the pain in the ass of liquidating all the years of accumulated stuff and the house. I’m only 55, so I can’t pull out of my 401k yet…I don’t even know how to begin with the financial stuff. It’s that I have a 13 yr old with Down syndrome that I fear for, I know it sounds extreme but you know what they did in Germany. People still are saying it won’t happen here, but it’s starting. Since you’ve done this before, where/ what do you suggest I begin with? I mean in the planning aspect, I know selling my house is obvious and will be the final huge step.
When we moved to Prague I was 54 and my husband was 59. Now we’re 61 and 66. If he were on his own he never would have attempted anything like this. But I was in the Air Force, so I’m far more used to moving (over 40 times in my life so far) both within the US and abroad. Prior to our marriage he had never lived anywhere except his hometown in Virginia (I grew up in Atlanta), and the only time he had ever been out of the country was some college ski trips in Canada. It can be scary to think about, especially if you have a child, but it’s never as scary as you think it will be imo. He was nervous about our move, but now he’s chomping at the bit to get back to Europe.
I think the first step is to figure out where you want to go. There aren’t many places in the world that don’t have American expats living there and they all seem to have Facebook groups. They are a great resource and can give you on the ground practical advice and tips about your potential destination. Everything from differences from one city to the next in the country you’re considering, (cost of living, job market, housing, safety, weather, public transportation, etc.); what things from home you should definitely bring with you and what you won’t need, or can easily replace once you arrive; documentation needed before and after arrival, etc. If you have questions they will probably have answers. And if they don’t they can point you in the right direction.
Working remotely gives you almost unlimited flexibility. You just need to make sure the area you choose has reliable internet coverage. Most major cities and the surrounding areas should be fine.
There are some countries that you can even get citizenship in if you have family connections there. For example, in Ireland you can become a citizen if one of your parents or grandparents was born there. Any countries you’re interested in, and have family roots with, it can’t hurt to check into the possibility.
Thanks for this piece, MIB. Also, Savannah is a wonderful place. First time I went they had to drag me kicking and screaming out. The pineapple jalapeno margarita at Dub’s is one of the best drinks I have ever had.
I’m in mourning for the country I served. For the children who will grow up never knowing the lofty ideals we developed in our childhoods for the “land of the free and the home of the brave.” The long dead Presidents who presided over a whole nation of people who shared those ideals, through good and bad. For those who believed the words on the Statue of Liberty when arriving on our shores looking for a better life.
I can’t really envision what the next 4 (or more) years will look like or feel like, (worse than his first 4 I’m sure) I just know that while we might’ve been wrong about what 1/2 the country wanted, we weren’t wrong to believe that what was instilled in us about America The Beautiful was intrinsically right. And good. And moral.
I appreciate what you wrote, but with all due respect, I would like to make one important correction:
Half the country did not vote for Trump.
America has a population of close to 335 million people, about 73 million voted for Trump, that does not equal half, it equals about 22%.
We both know how important facts and reality are, especially in this current environment.
And given the fact that half of all Americans don’t vote at all, I think this particular fact of of 22% is very important to mention, this is significantly different from speaking as if it was 50%.
The facts and reality, as you put it, is that the nation elected Trump. Whether it was 22% of the population or 80% doesn't really matter. Those who didn't vote also chose to elect Trump. Their abstention was a de facto vote. So that's where we are.
Don’t do their work for them, we can’t afford to cudgel ourselves by leaving out the specifics of what percentage of the population voted for him. Facts matter. Nuances matter.
As for the folks who don’t vote, I know some who don’t like trump one bit. Again, it matters that we know exactly how many people didn’t vote, and to have conversations with them to find out why, and what it would take to get them to vote, if we are in this battle for the long-haul.
I am trying to take a big picture, long-view with these specifics. The radical right is very much able to play the long game. As progressives, we are not. We don’t think of inching the ball down the field over days, years, decades.
Instead, we say things like “the nation elected trump,” when that’s not a full, accurate picture. We do their work for them by deflating ourselves.
The GOP constituency is no further misled nor body politic dynamic ignorant than the average Democratic Party constituent. That is the crux of the matter. The illusion of choice. Sadly, Ralph Nader was correct. These are not legitimate opposing political parties they are co-conspiring participants in global crimes syndicate. The losers are the proletariat. Kamala and the rest of the Democratic office holders along with the entirety of the multi billion dollar constant campaign complex of both parties executive are big winners, every single time. The electorates complete ignorance of the process and dereliction of duty is the only reason we reside in a Third World shit hole.
Maybe America was wrong
What’s going on behind the scenes of our government? I haven’t seen any coverage of other leaders in Washington say much other than the usual BS. The Democratic Party moved like a turtle, while the Republican Party went to war, bought a few countries and islands and still has money in the bank. It sucks so bad. She lost so bad that it shows how out of touch the DINOs are, how many boomers there are in the party that have non public facing power. It also shows how the media was completely wrong and proved their only concern is ratings. Their only concern about that is because of their CEOs that wanted Trump to win, their investors, and the mergers and acquisitions that have been allowed to happen. As a former Republican that’s now a Democrat. Financially not well off, not the healthiest family I can tell you while the Democrat party THOUGHT they had it in the bag.. they didn’t. They sounded like they had as many votes as Trump got. W T F.. why is the Republican Party allowed to go far right and win. But we can’t move too far from center. Gone are the days of legacy Democratic Party. Posts like yours do nothing.
We’ve been saying the last four years why isn’t Trump locked up? We’ve been saying that eight years! And now look where we’re at. The focus should not be on him anymore than it has been in the same context. I have not heard a single ounce of good information on how the Democrats plan to take anything back besides complaining about how he shouldn’t be in office.
Yes. This.
I hate it here.
Something’s fishy! How could 15 mill fewer Dems vote?
The fight ain’t over. Stand for #democracy and share #ResistAndPersist
Close to that amount are seeing less in their checking account after each bill is paid.
Gone are the days of any other thinking.
Thank you for writing this I needed to read it and reflect.
Thank you for putting into words what I’m feeling.
This is what happens when entertainment is so good and so plentiful we no longer pay attention to other things. You and I read a daily newspaper. You and I watch the evening news. The vast majority of Americans do neither. Free TV no longer exists. We watch our own little curated shows on our cell phone screens or laptops or social media feeds. A huge number of voters were blissfully unaware Biden had even dropped out, and reflexively voted for his opponent. No need to seek out the boring news when we can just vote for the most entertaining candidate. The charisma of sociopaths is longstanding. And that's the way it is.
This.
I have never felt so lost and confused in my life. This is not the country I signed up to serve when I joined the Air Force. This is not a country I am still proud to be from. It doesn’t feel like home anymore. And hopefully, sooner rather than later, it no longer will be. We’re done.
I’m just curious…where will you go? Asking for a friend. 😞
After he “won” the first time my husband and I moved to Prague. Thanks to the nightmare that is Czech bureaucracy getting a work visa for me was practically impossible (my husband received his through his employer). So we were only able to stay from 2017 to 2018. We both liked it very much, but even though I’ve always had a good ear for different languages, the Czech language is insanely difficult. I want to be somewhere I don’t have to struggle just to put together a single sentence.
I’m semi-fluent in Spanish so this time we were initially thinking of going to Mexico. (I had that as a “just in case things go horribly wrong” backup before the election.) Because it would be relatively quick to do so, but honestly after seeing how many Latin and Hispanic people in this country voted for him we’ve kind of soured on that idea.
Our retirement goal has always been Europe with a home base in Italy. We really just want to travel from country to country as often as we can, but have a permanent home we can return to when we want. Italian and Spanish share a lot of similarities so the language barrier shouldn’t be too terribly hard. So right now we’re trying to figure out how to speed up the retirement process and make it happen.
But if this shitstorm gets even worse than we already know it will- like if Putin starts trying to take over the rest of Europe- I guess we’ll just go off the grid somewhere near the US/Canadian border. Can’t say as I’m excited by the prospect of milking a cow, or cleaning out a chicken coop, but I’d rather do that than end up living in a dictatorship.
Thank you! Realistically I know in my heart we won’t move, but I want a fail safe. I work remote and could move, it’s the pain in the ass of liquidating all the years of accumulated stuff and the house. I’m only 55, so I can’t pull out of my 401k yet…I don’t even know how to begin with the financial stuff. It’s that I have a 13 yr old with Down syndrome that I fear for, I know it sounds extreme but you know what they did in Germany. People still are saying it won’t happen here, but it’s starting. Since you’ve done this before, where/ what do you suggest I begin with? I mean in the planning aspect, I know selling my house is obvious and will be the final huge step.
When we moved to Prague I was 54 and my husband was 59. Now we’re 61 and 66. If he were on his own he never would have attempted anything like this. But I was in the Air Force, so I’m far more used to moving (over 40 times in my life so far) both within the US and abroad. Prior to our marriage he had never lived anywhere except his hometown in Virginia (I grew up in Atlanta), and the only time he had ever been out of the country was some college ski trips in Canada. It can be scary to think about, especially if you have a child, but it’s never as scary as you think it will be imo. He was nervous about our move, but now he’s chomping at the bit to get back to Europe.
I think the first step is to figure out where you want to go. There aren’t many places in the world that don’t have American expats living there and they all seem to have Facebook groups. They are a great resource and can give you on the ground practical advice and tips about your potential destination. Everything from differences from one city to the next in the country you’re considering, (cost of living, job market, housing, safety, weather, public transportation, etc.); what things from home you should definitely bring with you and what you won’t need, or can easily replace once you arrive; documentation needed before and after arrival, etc. If you have questions they will probably have answers. And if they don’t they can point you in the right direction.
Working remotely gives you almost unlimited flexibility. You just need to make sure the area you choose has reliable internet coverage. Most major cities and the surrounding areas should be fine.
There are some countries that you can even get citizenship in if you have family connections there. For example, in Ireland you can become a citizen if one of your parents or grandparents was born there. Any countries you’re interested in, and have family roots with, it can’t hurt to check into the possibility.
If you have any other questions feel free to ask.
I have reached stage 2 of the 5.
Thanks for this piece, MIB. Also, Savannah is a wonderful place. First time I went they had to drag me kicking and screaming out. The pineapple jalapeno margarita at Dub’s is one of the best drinks I have ever had.
We have looked directly in the face of more than one-half of the voting electorate and we have seen the hate and disdain that has always been there.
Kind of a theme for you, isn’t it?
I’m in mourning for the country I served. For the children who will grow up never knowing the lofty ideals we developed in our childhoods for the “land of the free and the home of the brave.” The long dead Presidents who presided over a whole nation of people who shared those ideals, through good and bad. For those who believed the words on the Statue of Liberty when arriving on our shores looking for a better life.
I can’t really envision what the next 4 (or more) years will look like or feel like, (worse than his first 4 I’m sure) I just know that while we might’ve been wrong about what 1/2 the country wanted, we weren’t wrong to believe that what was instilled in us about America The Beautiful was intrinsically right. And good. And moral.
I appreciate what you wrote, but with all due respect, I would like to make one important correction:
Half the country did not vote for Trump.
America has a population of close to 335 million people, about 73 million voted for Trump, that does not equal half, it equals about 22%.
We both know how important facts and reality are, especially in this current environment.
And given the fact that half of all Americans don’t vote at all, I think this particular fact of of 22% is very important to mention, this is significantly different from speaking as if it was 50%.
The facts and reality, as you put it, is that the nation elected Trump. Whether it was 22% of the population or 80% doesn't really matter. Those who didn't vote also chose to elect Trump. Their abstention was a de facto vote. So that's where we are.
Don’t do their work for them, we can’t afford to cudgel ourselves by leaving out the specifics of what percentage of the population voted for him. Facts matter. Nuances matter.
As for the folks who don’t vote, I know some who don’t like trump one bit. Again, it matters that we know exactly how many people didn’t vote, and to have conversations with them to find out why, and what it would take to get them to vote, if we are in this battle for the long-haul.
I am trying to take a big picture, long-view with these specifics. The radical right is very much able to play the long game. As progressives, we are not. We don’t think of inching the ball down the field over days, years, decades.
Instead, we say things like “the nation elected trump,” when that’s not a full, accurate picture. We do their work for them by deflating ourselves.
The GOP constituency is no further misled nor body politic dynamic ignorant than the average Democratic Party constituent. That is the crux of the matter. The illusion of choice. Sadly, Ralph Nader was correct. These are not legitimate opposing political parties they are co-conspiring participants in global crimes syndicate. The losers are the proletariat. Kamala and the rest of the Democratic office holders along with the entirety of the multi billion dollar constant campaign complex of both parties executive are big winners, every single time. The electorates complete ignorance of the process and dereliction of duty is the only reason we reside in a Third World shit hole.