“When one man, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life,
he has no right to keep it to himself” ― Jacques Cousteau
A Vanishing Republic: From a 71 Year Perspective.
71-year-old expat reflects on the decline of American democracy and a vanishing republic through rising economic inequality, and why the current system faces a looming breaking point.
FEATUREDLIFESTYLESINSPIRATION
Randy Landis
6/8/20266 min read
A Vanished Perspetive?
Maybe you need to have lived a lifetime to understand this, at least for it to make some sense. For me, in my 71 years of circling the sun, it's becoming more apparent to me each passing day. While a majority of Americans support liberal democracy, what I am able to observe now is that people are miserable under our current system. I support it; I alway have, but the truth is, our system isn't liberal or democratic. It doesn't represent the people, and it doesn't acknowledge fundamental human rights. The honest part? It can't continue because nobody believes it anymore. The system we grew up with and were taught to love is vanishing. The last time that the establishment was this unresponsive to its citizens, George Washington picked up a gun and started shooting people. It is sad to think we as a nation have come full circle and are now witnesses to politics and economics of a forthcoming national suicide.
A Culture of Greed.
It has been thirteen years since my wife and I bailed from the very system that allowed us to thrive and enjoy a good life for many years. Watching from abroad, the U.S. is not currently in a technical recession, but it is feeling like one for many households. The economy might be expanding, but the benefits are concentrated at the top while the bottom half of consumers are increasingly relying on debt to keep up with the structural increases in the cost of living. U.S. Credit card debt is over $1.25 trillion, non-corportate bankruptcies are increasing at a rapid rate, and home foreclosures have increased by 26% year-over-year. It's becoming all too reminiscent of our post-great recession years living in the U.S.
For us, our first real wake-up call came with the Great Recession in 2008, and the snooze alarm rang loud with the rise of the modern Tea Party phenomenon in 2009. The culmination of both of these events was an eye-opener. Then, when the Occupy Wall Street movement happened in 2011, it became completely clear: the cracks in our system weren't just widening from the right, but from the left as well. The Tea Party was an explosion of anger from a betrayed middle class, and Occupy Wall Street was the exact same desperation wearing a different political uniform. Both sides of the aisle knew, even back then, that the American Dream had been commodified and sold out from under them. Today, we are simply watching the inevitable fallout of a house that refused to fix its foundation.
Rat Race to Reality!
For nearly 30 years, we worked hard to reach a level of comfort and success in our lives. But, achieving personal financial success often brings an unexpected paradox: the wealth meant to buy freedom instead creates a prison of high maintenance, anxiety, and fear of loss. The stress of maintaining a peak personal lifestyle often stems from the psychological and structural burdens that wealth introduces. We came to conclude that shifting our focus from wealth maximization to lifestyle optimization was that greener pasture we were really seeking to achieve. In 2012 we mutually agreed on an early retirement to the Philippines, and 18 months later, we were there.
Moving Changed Us Permanently.
My first couple of years in the Philippines really cemented my decision to leave the U.S. which we perceived to be in decline. It was like we took a step back in time... to a better place and, one that was reminiscent of days gone by. Children playing games outdoors, riding their bicycles in the streets, and family unity and sharing. Common courtesies and respect! And while the Philippines has essentially caught up to us with the use modern day technologies, it still offers a highly communal and affordable lifestyle along with a distinct regional cultural diversity. The Philippines embraces a more relaxed, relationship-oriented culture where the USA has become highly individualistic, fast-paced, and devisive. We settled in, built a home there, then circled back to the island of Guam - a U.S. territory - once we were financially able. Today, we experience the best of what both locations have to offer, traveling to and fro.
Contrary to what the news media might portray currently, frustrations in the U.S. continue to mount and it's become all too common to hear people moaning about how “Our grandparents could buy a house on one paycheck, but now we can’t even afford rent on two!" In the Philipines, I'm reminded of this each time I take a hard look around, when I see the masses of Filipino people who live day-to-day... and they are happy. In Guam I see some first world struggles, albeit with real culture. And it causes me to reflect.
Reflections of the Past.
When I grew up in the 50's, either of my grandmothers ever worked outside the home. They weren't dropping half of their income on $14 iced lattes and avocado toast shaped like art projects. Back then, if they wanted coffee, they boiled it at home in a dented pot. It tasted like burnt rubber and regret — but it woke you up and it cleaned your pipes. And Grandma wasn’t “out to brunch.” You think she had time for mimosas and hashtags? She was making something called whatever’s left in the fridge and feeding six people with it. You think Grandpa was out here paying $38 to have a burger delivered with Uper Eats three blocks away? Please. He grilled mystery meat on a rusted barbecue, and everyone called it dinner.
Today in the U.S., people cry about being broke while sitting in a house full of gadgets. Two SUVs in the driveway, six streaming services, three air fryers, and matching tattoos that cost more than their light bill. You think Grandpa had a tattoo? If he did it said something like "USN 1942" or "Korea 1951," and it came with trauma, not Instagram likes.
And the kids—please help us. “We can’t make ends meet, but Brayden needs the new iPhone!” No, he doesn’t. You’re handing an $1,100 device to a child who still eats crayons and forgets to flush. Today everyone walks around with a handheld computer and high resolution camera.
When we were kids, there was one phone. It hung on the wall like a family relic. The cord stretched just far enough for you to whisper secrets before someone yelled, “Get off, I need to make a call!” And guess what? We lived and never went hungry.
The TV? One. In the living room. With three channels and a dial that clicked like a safe. And if my Dad wanted to watch "Gunsmoke," I was sent outside onto the roof to rotate the antenna. We all became fans of Matt Dillon, end of story. Now there’s a flat screen in every room, the baby’s got an iPad, the dog’s got a camera, the kitchen is full of appliances, and everyone’s wondering why they can’t afford rent. Because everyone is living like rock stars on retail salaries, that’s why.
And Grandpa, he wasn’t leasing Teslas or buying $12 smoothies called “Green Zen Awakening.” He drove a truck that coughed smoke, rattled like a storm, and smelled like oil and hard work. He used to think I was stupid for wasting $.29 per gallon gas just to cruise around on a Friday night with friends.
They lived within their means. Whatever Grandpa brought home on Friday - that’s what they had for supper. They weren’t keeping up with the Joneses; they were keeping the lights on. So yeah, Grandpa bought a house on one salary. But he also didn’t have a gym membership, three delivery apps, and emotional support crystals on his nightstand. His only support system was Grandma, who told him to quit whining and mow the yard.
Nowadays, everyone’s broke, anxious, and “manifesting abundance” while ordering tacos on DoorDash for the fourth time this week. It’s not the economy - it’s the lifestyle coupled with runaway inflation.
Living in Another World.
Living abroad doesn't come without challenges and we've learned to adjust. All this is not to say we don't enjoy a modern lifestyle, but it's a lifestyle that we can afford. In Guam, we don't live beyond our means and we live comfortably. In the Philippines, we can splurge. We don't spend frivously, and live on a pay as you play basis. "If you use credit cards, you do not want to be rich" is a common sentiment of financial experts like Mark Cuban, Dave Ramsey, and Warren Buffett. In these trying times when inflation eats away at everything, people should wake up, turn off their subscriptions, make their own coffee, cook at home, hit the beach more often relax. And maybe—just maybe—they will smell the truth. We did.
Yeah, I might just be a dinosaur. And if I am, I'm enjoying the time I have left, before that next big meteor destroys everything else that's good.
