Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Part 4 continued: the lengths to which the State will go...
Sometimes I believe the EU and some American politicians
participate in a mutual admiration society. The EU is jealous of our unlimited
ability to destroy our currency and export inflation, and the USA is in love with the progressive
governmental structure dedicated to supplying cradle to grave social benefits
and a bureaucracy without restraint. Both governments want to duplicate the worst behavior of the other. I kept this in mind when Mr. Farage was introduced. Of the 20 or so speakers I would hear over the weekend, Nigel Farage
and one other would be by far the most important. Only those with an interest in
Europe (like someone having a brother and parent who live there), or someone
who reads Zerohedge.com several times a day (also guilty) would have heard of him, so it's
imperative I introduce him properly.
Officially, he a politician from the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) who served in the European Parliament in Brussels. Perfectly true, and so inaccurate at the same time. His serving in the EU Parliament is roughly the equivalent of the Pope serving on the National Board of Planned Parenthood. To paraphrase Mr. Farage, he is not a Euro-skeptic. To say someone is a skeptic is to state he has doubt. Nigel has no doubt; the EU is a totalitarian exercise dedicated to destroying democracy across Europe. This isn't an exaggeration:
His screeds are the stuff of legend, and there is no limit
to his rage. I loved it, and I couldn't agree more. Actually, I doubt you'd find anyone
outside of the halls of power in Brussels who wouldn't say what happened in Cyprus
was nothing short of despicable. Cheering and applause aside, the truth of his
words cut to the quick of why we needed to be here. There is no end to what a government would do to preserve it's power, but not all nations are so dedicated to fleecing the population while destroying freedom and the rule of law.
In this vein, a subtext developed over the weekend.
Invisible lines were being drawn all over the globe, with some nations
hell-bent on their own destruction. Judging by the speakers, you can guess this
list includes the USA, Japan, the EU (save Germany - sort of), the UK (somewhat), Canada (if only
because of its relationship to the USA), and Argentina, which was relevant not
only because of its multiple defaults, repeated debasement of the currency,
price controls, suing newspapers that report true economic statistics, etc.,
but the fact it's next to Chile.
I read our schedule for the rest of the trip to have a sense
of what places Simon was suggesting. Using the presenters a guide, safe havens
included Panama, Brazil, Uruguay, even the Republic of Macedonia, along with
Singapore, which seemed the pinnacle of the list. The only other nation that warranted
mention turned out to be the true belle of our ball, Chile herself.
Finally the opening (!) session was over. I was exhausted
and completely energized at the same time. Back in my hotel room, I used Skype
to call my girlfriend Paula. I thought I'd have roaming cell service, as per
Sprint, but that was wrong. Skype was a better solution anyway, as it was free.
Paula and I spoke for a little while. In the interim of our dating again and my
trip, I really grew to care for her, and was missing her terribly. It was great
to talk to her. Thankfully, she also has an iPhone, which allowed me to text
her over the weekend using only the hotel's Wi-Fi, which I could not use to
text anyone else.
After speaking to my girlfriend, I wanted to share with my
family and friends what I'd experienced, so I hoped on my phone and went to
Facebook, where I posted rambling, oblique exclamations of unbridled joy. I
hoped I would convey my excitement while at the same time hiding my real reason
for being there from those I didn't tell.
While on Facebook, my father's coworker in Jordan, Samah,
popped up in my chat window. Samah is one of the smartest and nicest people
I've ever met, and watched out for my dad like he was family. I should also
mention she knows EVERYONE in Aqaba. I'm not kidding. I love her to pieces, and
my brothers, my dad, and I could never thank her enough. I went back and forth
with her online, and I guess my dad tipped her off as to my plans. Actually,
she probably figured it out on her own. I told her about my feelings concerning
the USA, which she understood, and about my plans to teach ESL. She agreed it
was an excellent idea, but not to teach in Saudi Arabia, which I'd put on a short list. I'd like Qatar more,
and the money would be better. Point blank, if she said it, it's correct - no
arguments. I suddenly wondered if she knew people in Qatar; it would not have
surprised me.
With that it was finally time for bed. I'd seen three of the most influential people in the world that night, all because I took a leap of faith. I was in the right place, but still had so much to learn and do. What else did the
weekend have in store? What would I discover and accomplish? I thought I had some idea, but was dead wrong as usual.
