The Passport Pill- 5 Uncomfortable Truths For Men
Tucker Carlson is getting passport pilled right before our eyes. As any expat knows, life abroad is fun, dynamic, and often more affordable then when compared to good ole America.
When I lived in Vietnam I was working from lovely cafes, going out with friends, drinking great beer from all the local micro breweries and driving a motorbike around Saigon with some cute Vietnamese girl on the back.
What? They have cars, music, internet, food, malls, clubs and bars in Vietnam? I thought it was supposed to be a war torn hell scape and girls are only interested in guys for a green card to escape this awful place - No idiot, no.
If you're not aware, Tucker has been posting videos showing super markets in Russia, the beautifully designed subways system that has no vagrants, drugs or graffiti and how well the city of Moscow is maintained overall.
People actually take care of their city and have respect.
You also don't have to spend $400 a week on groceries.
Aren't we supposed to be the best country in the world?
I think this is his point because the United States I grew up in was safe, affordable, forward thinking and leading in technology. We're now running on fumes so to speak, living off a reputation built by greater men from the past.
We're a country in obvious decay (hopefully temporary) unless we have competent leadership and move to a Bitcoin standard asap.
Critics say Tucker is promoting Putin, he's a pawn of the regime and perhaps even a borderline traitor for daring to say Russia is not some 3rd world hell hole. I've never been to Russia (yet), I have no idea what it's like. But I've heard the same criticisms of other countries as well.
I think Tuckers goal is more out of sadness and disappointment at the trajectory the USA seems to be on.
If Russia can do it, so can we!
Really?
That's where things have gotten to?
Welcome to the passport pill
For anyone who's been an expat for any length of time knows, they're just rolling their eyes at both Tucker Carlson and his uninformed critics.
Yes, Mexico City is quite lovely, so is Vietnam, Thailand, Cebu in the Philippines as well as eastern Europe.
Places outside of western Europe and and the United States are again, not some 3rd world place where everyone is living in mud huts.
Do they even have internet in Bangkok?
I heard a kid working at a grocery store say this to his colleagues while stacking shelves (no idea why they were talking about Thailand) when I was visiting family in beautiful Rhode Island (underrated state, I call it boomer Rhode Island because there are a lack of jobs there, just old retired people living off a pension there).
Yea kid, because Wakefield Rhode Island is the place to be.
Bangkok has internet, beautiful girls, world class malls and night clubs, luxury high rise condos and an affordable living standard. It's not perfect, no place is, but don't assume Thailand is poor.
Awful, don't come to Bangkok.
For the life of me, for the last 10+ years, this has easily been the most annoying commentary about other countries outside of the United States.
Let's get to five uncomfortable truths people who don't travel need to realize.
1 - Sorry guys, girls are not easy abroad
Girls are not "easy" here in both Thailand and Vietnam. I mention these countries because this is where I actually lived long term and did not just visit for a week.
You have to be good looking, in shape and have something to offer. Otherwise you're going to be a Pattaya/Nana bro paying for attention and sex from some below average looking, past her prime woman working in a bar.
So don't expect to roll up to Thailand with you beer gut, scruffy beard and faded arm tattoo and expect to get with some attractive 20 year old girl because you're American.
The burden of performance is not suspended for men because you go abroad.
Now is it easier to date abroad than in the USA?
Of course because you have the exotic element working for you. I know American culture is obsessed with race and identity, but if you're white and abroad you're a minority.
Just like if you take a cute Asian girl and drop her off in Connecticut, she is going to get a ton of attention just because she's different from your typical chubby white girl with short brown hair who dyes it blonde.
In college I had a Lebanese friend Bobby.
Bobby had olive skin, was good looking, athletic and fun. To be honest, he was running through girls left and right at UConn because he had that exotic element, that look girls in New England like.
He was your typical tall, dark and handsome. A different girl every week was the norm for him. I personally, finally experienced something similar a decade later as a good looking 30+ year old white guy in Asia.
My whole point is that you still need to maintain yourself and actually be attractive. If Bobby was an out of shape bum, no way would he had the same experience.
Same for me as a white guy in Asia. Does it help? Sure but you still have to be physically fit and attractive.
2 - No, girls don't want a green card to move to the USA
No, young attractive girls who come from good families here in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and so forth don't want to move to America.
To visit?
Sure, but those days are gone of women wanting a green card to "escape" their country.
Vietnam, Thai, Indonesian girls etc like their country and want to live there as it's their language and culture and it's where their family is. Not to mention that all women in general like to be close to their parents and extended family.
It's men who typically go off into the world to make something of themselves. This "all foreign women are poor and stupid" is more of a cope from modern women who don't like men leaving to find better women abroad.
3 - No, they are not all poor, stupid and can't speak English.
I feel that guys just go to Thailand and Vietnam to find young girls who are less educated and are easily controlled and manipulated because they can barely speak English.
-Some random 20 year old Only Fans model from Failafornia *cough California
Let me be clear, Thailand is not a poor country.
Thai people are not all poor as well nor are they stupid. Same with Vietnam and other countries you think are lesser than the USA for some reason.
Yes, the minimum wage in a place like Thailand is low and there are people struggling to live (just like the United States). But stop assuming that all Thai people are poor.
It is just a dumb take and you sound uneducated.
Also, people speak English abroad. Not everyone obviously, but it's not rare to meet someone who has a good command of English. Also, it's usually their 2nd or 3rd language.
You as an American speak only English.
So who's the stupid one?
4 - The cost of living is lower and you get more for your money
Like I talked about in my Bangkok cost of living post, yes you really only need $1,500 USD a month coming in to live comfortably in Bangkok (a major city and travel destination) as a single, debt free person.
This amount covers all your living expenses like rent, food, and going out once a week. You obviously want to make more that $1500 a month, but that's the amount you need to pay for everything without worrying.
Getting more for your money
In general, you'll be surprised as to the quality you can get for your money. You can rent a lovely apartment for $400, spend $20 a day on food, and go to a fantastic rooftop bar where you can spend hundreds of dollars or $30.
The thing that I love is that with places abroad you'll have a lot more flexibility. If you want to "ball out" proverbially you totally can, or if you want to keep things low cost you can do that too.
Tucker was shocked at how affordable food was at the grocery store for example. That's pretty normal actually, but I understand Tuckers surprise considering a Big Mac meal in my home state of Connecticut made the news because the price point was $20 for a fast food meal.
Caitlin O’Kane
For reference, here are the prices of McDonalds in Thailand (where I am writing this from):
Tucker should checkout other countries and he will be shocked to see something as American as the modern mall being done better abroad, vastly superior to the sketchy malls we now have in America now that are all stuck in 1994.
Phone service is also surprisingly cheaper, my data plan here in Thailand cost me $1500 Baht ($40) for a 1 year plan.
Not one month.
One year.
I get 15 MBS upload and download speeds and 100 GB of data each month and 20 minutes of air time for phone calls.
All for $40!
Unlike America where a data plan would set you back $100 a month.
Sidenote, if you're an American and are thinking of becoming an expat, then get Google FI, read the following write-up I made to learn more:
Edge of David
5 - All problems go away once you leave
Our cultural problems simply melt away once you leave. David Bond has a good take on this:
Walking more, the food is better, no obsession on politics, the women are fitter and nicer, things are cheaper. You don't need to own a car and all the crazy expenses that go with that. Things are just better.
Final words
I'll leave it there for now, as someone who's been living abroad since I was in my late 20's, I have quite a few well informed opinions about living abroad, dating and living life as an expat.
No place is perfect, every country has their issues. I am hopeful for America though and do view this current decline as a transitional period to something better.