You are so right. My late husband and I lived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Americans have no idea. (Ask me about chop-chop square, the religious police, and above all, the extreme difference between dire poverty and insane riches.
We are also blessed to not have the same sort of tribalism one may see in the 3rd World, where blood feuds & honor killings predominate. So if you can't get to the person who insulted you, killing a 3rd cousin is sufficient.
Where any success by one member is expected to be scaled out to everyone else- so if you have a job, expect to support a lot of lazy relatives. If you have a business, you're expected to just give stuff to family.
And where corruption to a scale we cannot imagine ruins politics, because elections are all about getting family members into office so they can openly shovel government funds to the clan members in a way that Boss Tweed would think was going too far.
Personally, I'd like to see a program where the Trustifarian Oppression Cosplayers of the Left and the Doomer Blackpillers of the Alt-Right are sent to these places for a few years. To live in the shacks out in the outskirts of the towns, getting water from ditches and living on a couple of roasted sweet potatoes they had to plant themselves. Maybe exchange them for those who would gratefully think becoming an American to be a dream beyond imagination.
You are so right. My late husband and I lived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Americans have no idea. (Ask me about chop-chop square, the religious police, and above all, the extreme difference between dire poverty and insane riches.
Right you Are
Happy 4th you guys! Love and hugs
Most people I knew never needed a brass band on the pier to put a smile on their face returning from a deployment. God Bless the U.S.A.
Happy Birthday, America! from an american by choice and God's will!
Amen Ian. Happy 4th to all Americans, wherever they may be today and to you and Rita specifically.
Happy Independence Day to you and Rita!!!
There's some places where witch burnings are sadly common.
We do have it pretty good in the USA.
We are also blessed to not have the same sort of tribalism one may see in the 3rd World, where blood feuds & honor killings predominate. So if you can't get to the person who insulted you, killing a 3rd cousin is sufficient.
Where any success by one member is expected to be scaled out to everyone else- so if you have a job, expect to support a lot of lazy relatives. If you have a business, you're expected to just give stuff to family.
And where corruption to a scale we cannot imagine ruins politics, because elections are all about getting family members into office so they can openly shovel government funds to the clan members in a way that Boss Tweed would think was going too far.
Personally, I'd like to see a program where the Trustifarian Oppression Cosplayers of the Left and the Doomer Blackpillers of the Alt-Right are sent to these places for a few years. To live in the shacks out in the outskirts of the towns, getting water from ditches and living on a couple of roasted sweet potatoes they had to plant themselves. Maybe exchange them for those who would gratefully think becoming an American to be a dream beyond imagination.
Amen, and Amen!
Amen!! And a happy Independence Day to you both.
Happy Independence Day!
Thank you. I needed that.
Amen
Hooray!