Not Looking American, in America (audio: noxsoma.substack.com)

Full Metal Thorsday. Welcome to one more day above ground.
I suppose the carrot and stick image can be called a “trope,” right? Maybe a motif? There are a lot of words that seem to mean the same thought, but still aren’t exactly identical. Knowing the difference can be frustrating when listening to humans talk. Exposing the difference when humans are talking, can be dangerous.

Here’s what they don’t tell you about the future, unless of course you have watched a certain Nicolas Cage movie, and you can’t get the line out of your head. “Every time you look into the future, it changes. Because you looked. And that changes everything.”
The only thing that connects us to our former selves, is what we call memory. If someone chose a random day out of your life catalog, and asked you, “Who were you and how did you feel about yourself on December 12, 2014?” You probably couldn’t remember. Even if your life depended on it.
We have access to artificial memory these days, and I couldn’t help taking advantage of it. I asked the search engine at hand what happened on this date.
“On December 12, 2014, Sony Pictures Entertainment shut down production on several sets due to a massive computer hack affecting employee pay. Additionally, notable events included the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Bush v. Gore, which ended legal challenges to the presidential election results.” Interesting what the bot deemed worthy of revealing. Money and politics. This tells you everything you need to know about America. [Note – I really thought Gore just caved on challenging the election. Retreated to the mountains. Grew a Grizzly Adams beard and re-emerged a Climate Guru and award-winning billionaire charlatan. Kind of a pay-off for playing the game.]

Here’s what nobody tells you about “empathy.”
If empathy really existed, the way empaths imagine it does, they would be able to actually “feel” and not just pretend to sense, or imagine, the way humans of the Global South civilizations perceive Americans, and Occidentals in general. But Americans, in particular, because I’m one of them thar Yanks. I don’t think they, “American empaths,” would like what they sensed.
It’s approaching a decade since my gallivanting days in Asia, and Europe. There are language barriers, customs barriers, protocol barriers and hospitality barriers that “protect” westerners from the “truth” about how locals feel about us. Most of the time, “tourists” never encounter “real” nationals. The Orient has a whole different vibe about it, except where westerners are.
There’s a particular small coastal strip, (not so much a “town”), in Phuket, Thailand, where half of the businesses owned, are at most, 49% owned by westerners. You can tell, because just like the conquerors during the “Age of Discovery,” they plant their national flags on their investments. Restaurants. Bars with pool tables, staffed by sexy Thai girls, (or Lady Boys), who picked up their broken English and broken hearts, (no extra charge), at the same time, compliments of some tourist from Commonwealth derivatives of the British Empire. Plus a bonus-baby being raised by Momma back in their village.
Smiles. Smiles everyone. They smile as they hustle you to buy them drinks, to generate revenue for the bar. Maybe you can reserve a “private Thai massage.” Their pimp is always ready to accommodate. They are happy to participate in America’s religion of commerce. Anything for money.
Your humble vagabond doesn’t “look” American. Not even in America. Mostly it’s helpful. I’ve not encountered any ICE storm-troopers down here, where you’d think they be thick. More than 42% of residents here are “foreign born.” Once again, and as usual, it comes down to ratio. More of “us” than there are of “them.” (Fill in your own blanks.) Certainly this population generates a significant amount of revenue, so you aren’t likely to see many ICE raids in Miami.
(Shut my mouth! “ICE's Miami field office conducted more than 41,300 arrests between 2025 and early March 2026, the highest total of any U.S. field office.” It’s got one of the highest activity rates in the US.) Now, because I wrote this, Universe will have me noticed ICE-troopers.
But getting back to how foreign nationals perceive America and Americans, tourists, ex-pats, economic refugees and homesteaders, I cannot imagine it’s a genuinely favorable perception. Of course it depends on the country too. I’m recounting my experiences in Southeast Asia, a decade ago.
And it also depends on the individual. Your boy traveled alone, on a whim, just checking out the scene. No expectations. No conquests. No economic quest. Just exploration.
So what the heck were we talking about, anyway?
Scrambled brains for breakfast.
Oh yeah. Today’s episode, Human Extinction Protocol. Mind is beginning to fathom that while the genocidal Hapsburg & European diaspora would like to trim the global population by at least 25%, they haven’t found a way to do it. Humans seem to be a very resilient species. And the planet seems to favor the species. Most of us don’t reek havoc on the planet, although most of our habits do. It’s a strange melange. Nonetheless, due to a combination of Curiosity, Paranoia and Entertainment, we are going to keep an eye on the depopulation agenda.
In 1800 the global population was recorded as 1 billion. Today it’s 8 billion plus. Over the next 226 years, the estimate, if growth matches the last 226 years, is 64 billion. That’s about 1,333 humans per square kilo. Compared to 173 humans per square kilo today. Quite a difference. But we don’t have to worry about that. The “Global population will “never” get that large.” [sarcasm detected.]

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PEACE.