Secondly, how do they stay? You need a visa. That’s not easy, especially if you lack higher education.
Thirdly, what about language?
Fourthly, what about support network? All of your knowledge of how law, politics, social customs, and more is now irrelevant. Whom do you ask for help with things? How do you make sure you don’t get scammed when buying an apartment? Or that you take the right bus? Or that your company is handling taxes properly?
Fifth, what about a job? Especially if you lack higher education, why would a company hire a foreigner? Unless they can pay you dirt, of course.
So yeah, this “just leave” thinking is absolute bullshit. You’re not actually thinking through things. It’s not that easy. Life improvement is not guaranteed.
On an opposing note, I keep thinking I should go back. Why? Because shit isn’t gonna get better if all the people who want change are gone. My life is pretty fucking rad here, but… seeing this happen to the US without me doing anything about it makes me feel like I’m abdicating my responsibilities as a citizen
you have pretty broad questions, so I’m going to give you relatively broad answers, that i am happy to expand upon further.
“Where?”
wherever you want that fits your circumstances.
“how do they stay?”
Americans travel visa-free or visa-on-arrival to over 180 countries and can stay in those countries for weeks, months or years.
“You need a visa. That’s not easy”
It’s pretty easy. Americans usually don’t need a visa, and when they do, the process these days is usually
online form for 5-15 minutes.
Pay fee.
visa is emailed to you.
“what about language?”
I suggest learning the local language where you’re living for a variety of reasons.
There’s an episode about that coming up!
Actually, there are episodes about all of this coming up, haha.
“what about support network? Whom do you ask for help…?”
There are huge expat and local support networks in every country that will answer every question you’ve asked, as well as embassies, consulates, and help lines.
If you’re teaching ESL, you’ll have a cultural liaison from your school or less formal support staff.
“All of your knowledge of how law, politics, social customs, and more is now irrelevant”
is that knowledge particularly relevant to your day to day life in your home country?
Abroad, you may reflect upon that information being about as useful and temporary as…paper cranes in a flood.
“Fifth, what about a job?”
If you have a remote job that pays $500 USD a month, you can live in most countries comfortably.
If you are a native English speaker, you can teach English and make a lot more.
Those are two of any number of work options.
“why would a company hire a foreigner?”
For the same reasons all companies hire foreigners: that foreigner has a skill the company requires.
“they can pay you dirt”
Starting pay for ESL in china is $2500 usd a month in china without a degree or tefl certificate. With both, it’s closer to $3500 a month.
Cost of living in China is about $300-$600 usd a month depending on where you are.
“…it makes me feel like I’m abdicating my responsibilities as a citizen”
Participating in and paying into the US system that is exploiting entire generations and stripping their rights bears more social guilt than protesting against the system and withholding funding, but:
nobody is making you take these available opportunities.
My point is and has been that most Americans can escape the system and stop supporting it if they want to.
Nobody is going to make anyone start traveling, learn things, make friends, and save money, but you can if you want to.
So, I left. It’s not nearly as easy as you claim.
First off, where? Where do they go?
Secondly, how do they stay? You need a visa. That’s not easy, especially if you lack higher education.
Thirdly, what about language?
Fourthly, what about support network? All of your knowledge of how law, politics, social customs, and more is now irrelevant. Whom do you ask for help with things? How do you make sure you don’t get scammed when buying an apartment? Or that you take the right bus? Or that your company is handling taxes properly?
Fifth, what about a job? Especially if you lack higher education, why would a company hire a foreigner? Unless they can pay you dirt, of course.
So yeah, this “just leave” thinking is absolute bullshit. You’re not actually thinking through things. It’s not that easy. Life improvement is not guaranteed.
On an opposing note, I keep thinking I should go back. Why? Because shit isn’t gonna get better if all the people who want change are gone. My life is pretty fucking rad here, but… seeing this happen to the US without me doing anything about it makes me feel like I’m abdicating my responsibilities as a citizen
you have pretty broad questions, so I’m going to give you relatively broad answers, that i am happy to expand upon further.
“Where?”
wherever you want that fits your circumstances.
“how do they stay?”
Americans travel visa-free or visa-on-arrival to over 180 countries and can stay in those countries for weeks, months or years.
“You need a visa. That’s not easy”
It’s pretty easy. Americans usually don’t need a visa, and when they do, the process these days is usually
online form for 5-15 minutes.
Pay fee.
visa is emailed to you.
“what about language?”
I suggest learning the local language where you’re living for a variety of reasons.
There’s an episode about that coming up!
Actually, there are episodes about all of this coming up, haha.
“what about support network? Whom do you ask for help…?”
There are huge expat and local support networks in every country that will answer every question you’ve asked, as well as embassies, consulates, and help lines.
If you’re teaching ESL, you’ll have a cultural liaison from your school or less formal support staff.
“All of your knowledge of how law, politics, social customs, and more is now irrelevant”
is that knowledge particularly relevant to your day to day life in your home country?
Abroad, you may reflect upon that information being about as useful and temporary as…paper cranes in a flood.
“Fifth, what about a job?”
If you have a remote job that pays $500 USD a month, you can live in most countries comfortably.
If you are a native English speaker, you can teach English and make a lot more.
Those are two of any number of work options.
“why would a company hire a foreigner?”
For the same reasons all companies hire foreigners: that foreigner has a skill the company requires.
“they can pay you dirt”
Starting pay for ESL in china is $2500 usd a month in china without a degree or tefl certificate. With both, it’s closer to $3500 a month.
Cost of living in China is about $300-$600 usd a month depending on where you are.
“…it makes me feel like I’m abdicating my responsibilities as a citizen”
Participating in and paying into the US system that is exploiting entire generations and stripping their rights bears more social guilt than protesting against the system and withholding funding, but:
nobody is making you take these available opportunities.
My point is and has been that most Americans can escape the system and stop supporting it if they want to.
Nobody is going to make anyone start traveling, learn things, make friends, and save money, but you can if you want to.