Posted On: Tuesday - February 7th 2017 9:00PM MST
In Topics: Music Websites Pundits Global Financial Stupidity
Fred Reed is a writer/pundit who writes weekly or so columns on his Fred on Everything site. He is also featured on Unz.com in this"space".
This guy has been around a long time and seen a lot as a reporter, and he writes great columns, most of the time, about all sorts of things: race, the American police-state, American politics, etc. Especially good are his columns that refer to his past as a Southern boy/young man somewhere in Tidewater Virginia, I believe. He makes great contrasts between the relatively free and confident country this was in his youth and today's 'Murica. I could put a long, mostly positive, review on PeakStupidity, but that's not the point of this post.
Mr. Reed is what you call an expatriate. He moved down to Mexico a good while back and is married to a senorita down there. His experience living there and the contrast to what this country has become also makes for good writing, as he still has business or maybe just family in this country, so he sees the differences when he visits back. Now, I don't fault him at all for his appreciation for what is better down there (at this point in our history). Yeah, people are more relaxed (well, when there's no kidnapping or narcoterrorism going on), it could be a better quality of life is some other ways I can imagine.
Here's the thing: Mr. Reed defends Mexico and everything Mexican a bit much for this writer and many commenters on his blog (at Unz.com) also. This is especially important in this critical time when Americans are getting serious about our immigration problems, and not a year too soon either. I would like to write some of this reply to him there, but he may not read his commenters at all (in contrast to Steve Sailer, who, amazingly, replies to many of the people.) So, I don't intend for this to be pundit-to-pundit gossip, as I'd discuss this directly with the guy if I could. There will be a point when the American money runs out. Seriously, it's coming later, and it's what puts the Topic Key "Global Financial Stupidity" on this post also.
OK, off of Fred Reed for a while, but I will connect this expatriate thing back to this pundit shortly.
The idea of leaving it all behind and heading south to a more relaxing climate, and more relaxed way of life, and additionally, to a place where you don't need to use much of your money (or don't need to have much to begin with) to live a nice quiet life is especially tempting to single older guys. Just the girls that probably do treat men better, maybe wishful thinking, is enough to cause one to sell it all and get a passport and one-way plane ticket. The thought of getting out of "the rat race" and being in a place where the money goes far is another thing. It's much easier for a single guy, as, for families, safety is a worry, but also, the single man is not so demanding and really only needs a few things. Next, some music from 40 years back to better describe the concept of an expatriated American.
PeakStupidity tries to post a music video most nights, but this will be one most connected with a post with a real point to make. Jimmy Buffett sang this song, written by Steve Goodman, in the LATE 70's, we're talking right at 40 years ago! It's an obscure "album cut" too. This is one that, with a decent tune, is still an exception to the PeakStupidity rule that melody and sound rule over lyrics. These lyrics evoke partly the romantic part of this single expatriate lifestyle, but also gives the "grass is not always greener" side too. It's such a great song, and the lyrics could apply today, with a caveat that brings us back to Fred Reed's point of view - after the video:
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(From "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes, from Jimmy Buffett's prime - more Buffet coming - got to please the Parrot- and Dead- heads, both, but there's probably a lot of overlap.)
Please, listen to the song first, before this last part, as the lyrics are so descriptive.
Now, it's gotta be great to live the good life, probably by the beach in Costa Rica, Belize, or maybe even on a different continent, in, say, Thailand - the song still rings true. You've got a guy that you pay $2 weekly to do the laundry, the girlfriend doesn't take much to support, or you could rent them on the cheap and have change left over for tequila, the rent is $300 and it's $10 more for a girl to clean the place each week. Yeah, your small pension or SS check, or small remote business profits go a long way.
OK, getting to my point now, whewwwww, yeah this is a good plan for some guys, or so it seems. Jimmy Buffet (or really Steve Goodman, the songwriter) has some caveats, but here is one that wasn't a factor in the 1970's. Everything that makes life good down there is dependent on a STRONG DOLLAR. This is neither the time (late at night) nor the place (not zerohedge or Ron Paul's blog) to give the details, but the dollar will not for long be the powerful currency it is today. The good life of an expatriate will go bad quickly when the dollar turns into mostly just scrap paper, as is typical of most currencies around the world, and especially the 3rd world. It won't take too much inflation and decline of the mighty dollar before the girls aren't too interested anymore, expenses become a worry - turning the whole rum and sunsets on the beach deal into "rat-race 2.0" and YOU end up being the guy that is doing laundry for $2 a week.
Lastly, back to Mr. Reed. Does he not live on American money? I realize his wife is educated and all that, but I don't know if he is truly living like a Mexican - I mean one that does not get paid in dollars and cannot un-bail back to the US if absolutely necessary. I think his view of Mexican life is a bit shaded by his living as an ex-pat, not a true Mexican who is stuck there living on the peso with no out.
This is by far PeakStupidity's longest post so far - I hope the reader can make sense out of it. Good night all.
Comments:
Moderator
Thursday - March 9th 2017 8:55PM MST
I've never been there (Thailand), Buck. I wish I had when I was single. Most women in the Far East, and I imagine everywhere BUT the Western world, don't go in for the feminism crap too much.
Buck Turgidson
Tuesday - March 7th 2017 2:33AM MST
Good post, PS. Very nice song by Jimmy Buffet, I'm not a culture vulture and had never heard it. I have spent some time in Thailand. I enjoyed it immensely and could envision time there in retirement if alive and healthy in later years. Part of the allure surely is that your $$$ goes a long way. Part of the allure also is that woman do not march in pussy hats with purple hair and bullhorns in your face -- they actually like white guys in Thailand.