Expat: A Sad View of Homeland Politics

I avoid writing about politics and religion.

Presently, as a USA expat, the question I am asked more than any other: “what about this Trump for President?”

Megalomaniacs making sweeping generalities and ludicrous statements now work their way into my life. The scariest part is not this megalomaniac- we’ve all been to the circus, rubber-necked for a car accident- it’s the enablers, the providers of the platform, the audience that encourages the givers to give the airtime.

I live 6,000 miles from the USA, yet ‘what about what Trump said’ is now a daily question. Imagine the confusion of those in other countries, seeing a US Presidential candidate make sweeping generalizations about people based on their beliefs.

It’s come to that, the attention seeker with the megaphone stereotypes, as a result I am stereotyped until I clarify my view.

The USA became a great country by being a place for everyone, anyone. Trump proves it truly is a place for anyone, even the most challenging.

Tomorrow I will wake and wonder if what I see on the BBC is a parody, or if what I read is a headline from the Onion. It won’t be, and I won’t be able to reconcile the statements heard and read with the country I want to believe in.

About faranginbangkok

I began working in Bangkok during 2008- a time that featured a great deal of political unrest in Thailand and particularly Bangkok. I had lived in San Francisco for 15 years and was working on a project in Thailand. Generally, I spent 2 weeks in Bangkok and then 3-4 weeks in San Francisco. Did Bangkok begin to feel like home? Yes, and No. Bangkok and the Thai culture forced me to feel many things, the change in culture and environment was so dramatic it forced the decision- embrace or ignore. I embraced and made Bangkok my home and base in 2009. I have enjoyed living in Bangkok, experiencing Thailand and the entire ASEAN region. I moved to Singapore in 2016...fallen behind on this blog since.
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