January 17th 2025, Pai, Thailand

USA USA USA! It is Friday morning in Pai. It is a little chilly and foggy which makes it a good time for my thought to flow. I feel it is important to comment on a subject which has come up so much in my travels, the United States of America. Before my travels, living in the US my entire life, I was becoming quite pessimistic about America and all its social problems. However now, after talking to many Europeans and Australians while seeing the world, I might be the biggest American patriot out there! Let me tell you why. I was always uninterested in politics, not really understanding the effects or why people were so obsessed with it. I naturally distanced myself because of the fanaticism politics breeds in America. I first realized the huge effects of politics in Africa. Since Africa is so corrupt, and the government steals all of the money from the people, the society is completely fractured and social and economic problems start bubbling. I learned from this how important it is to live in a democracy. As time went on throughout my travels I have talked to a lot of British, Australians, and Western Europeans. It amazed me how they seem to trash America and say how it is a negative place for the world. Let me provide an example. Last night I was talking with a German and a Danish girl. They start with the common complaints I hear all the time. "Oh the US is bad because health care is so expensive" and "a single mother who works so hard can't afford basic goods". I start by explaining the framework of American politics and society which is so foreign to the European society. In Europe the system is quasi-socialist, where people sacrifice personal liberties and money for the wealth of all. This can work for small countries and has benefits and drawbacks. However, the USA was built upon a system where there is the most class mobility in the world. Some people win big, and others can lose big, and you just have to accept that. I explain how it is still the best place in the world to make money, has the best healthcare in the world albeit expensive, and the most free. The Europeans moan about all the social problems and ALWAYS dismiss the economic prosperity of the US which has brought protection to Europe and the whole world. If the US did not have a thriving economy and military Europe could be overrun. So in this conversation I posited that Europe is on a downward trajectory while the US is on an upward trajectory and it almost broke their minds. They said how can that be if Donald Trump is president blah blah blah and we have free health care and social services. I said the EU is in economic decline, Germany's economy shrunk for the second time in 2 years! I said Germany used to be a car manufacturing hub, fueling their economy and prosperity and now it is shrinking with tons of immigrants and social problems. The German girl literally said, we do not need to sell cars, we can sell bicycles it is better for the environment! I laughed in her face and needed to teach her basic economics 101. You must transfer goods in exchange for money or services to grow your economy. If your country is not making money, the people will not be able to live due to the inability to get good paying jobs in a world of growing expenses. But they have free healthcare! I realized from this that I believe social prosperity comes from economic success, while the European mind is willing to sacrifice personal freedoms and the economy for short term social gains. In the long run I think the social problems will accelerate in Europe, as they already are, due to economic decline. Also without a striving economy you can't build a good military. Europe is lucky the US will protect their ass. Now the other thing that surprised me are the Australians. The Australians are super liberal. I talked with an Australian guy about aboriginals and he says "Australia is a very racist country we have done so much wrong…" In Australia there is this song/saying called the "Welcome to Country" which they say when plane lands and at sporting events which thanks the aboriginals and acknowledges them as the custodians of the land! Honestly I have been shocked how little I can connect with the Australians and western europeans. This just comes down to the basic worldview and value system. I am going to continue learning about geopolitics, mostly through the lens of economics. Now a treatise on Pai. Pai is a city made solely for backpackers. It is small with narrow streets and cool cafes. Everyone here is mostly a young backpacker. I think over 50% of the people here are Israeli. It is known for good nature and hippy vibes. There are shrooms shops, ecstatic dance events, breath work and cold plunges. It is a little too hippy for me at the start. I look forward to training more Muay Thai, doing a hike, and enjoying the nature.