| Online: | |
| Visits: | |
| Stories: |
American Expat Considers Returning Home
(left, in spite of Panama City’s impressive skyline, Panama is very much a third-world country)
Alan Spickard explains why he has soured on
Panama as a refuge from the United States.
‘I
think you would be nearly better off in an American Gulag than here in a
strange land and culture where no one cares and life is much, much
cheaper”.
by Joe Spickard
(henrymakow.com)
(This was grafted from an article by Joe and an email.)
I came to live in Panama about seven years ago.
It was not a closed society or did it contain an exotic culture or a center of spirituality. But it was a refuge at the time.
You see, I was convinced that the United States would undergo
cataclysmic changes. And, indeed, it has. Its economy has never
recovered to its former strength as its economic recession started the
month that I left the States. I believed that it would become a fascist
security state, and that is still becoming very true.
I may return to the United States to live. There appears yet to be
some time left before things go the way of Bible prophecy. The situation
in Panama seems to be more volatile than the United States, as it does
elsewhere in Latin America. In many ways, there is more chance of a
revolution happening here in Panama before any such an event would occur
in the States. Truly from political and social index charts, Panama is
being compared to its not “doing so-great” neighbors such as Mexico,
Columbia, and Venezuela in several aspects.
My
experience may mirror Mike Adams, of Natural News. He spent some time
in Ecuador, before getting disillusioned and returning to the United
States. Basically, he said that he was tired of being a “target,” and
wanted to go back when he blended in as opposed to sticking out. It is
kind of like the proverb–”Birds of a feather
flock together,” to summarize his desire to return to the States.
know many Americans down here. The rule of thumb is, that after about
two, to five years, you see what it is going on here, and you figure it
is no longer for you. For diehards like me, it takes about seven. I have
seen quite a few go back.
The
underlying motive for me, is that I never had children before, and now,
I have two. I cannot see them educated down here. The educational
system is broken here, and the public schools are churning out misfits
in practically every sense of the word… but it
is not all their fault. The parenting here is abysmal.
instance, kids here take English as a mandatory subject for acquiring a
second language skill, which is highly needed here. They take English
classes from Kindergarten to when they graduate, as a senior. This is
thirteen years of English instruction. However, when they get out of
school…hardly any of them can speak one legible, coherent sentence of
English. Who is to blame? Primarily, the parents… many of them tell
their children that English is not important!
far as law enforcement goes… there isn’t any. You can truly get away with murder
here. North Americans are particularly vulnerable unless they are very
conservative or circumspect with their behaviour.
it is the same in nearly all of Latin America, as several Americans I
know, have
checked out other countries down here, and end up, staying in Panama.
However, Panama is a third-world country in practically every category.
think you would be nearly better off in an American Gulag than here in a
strange land and culture where no one cares and life is much, much
cheaper. Panamanians treat each other terribly. As one ex-pat told me,
“the lack of compassion and courtesy (among Panamanians) is of Himalayan
proportions. I have never seen anything this bad–and I have traveled
quite a bit. In general, Panamanians don’t treat each
other very nicely.”
At best, on the Marsh-Maplecroft
2014 Political Risk Map, Panama is regarded as a high medium risk for
societal unrest and political instability. The United States is very low
risk comparatively. Canada appears to be the safest in the world.
CORRUPTION
In
Panama, which is true for much of Latin America, corruption is the
predominant driving force for the widespread disregard for the rule of
law which is pandemic and underlies the ability to govern equitably (BTI
2014, Panama Country Report, p.10). Corruption is a very
serious threat to political stability in Panama. The “rake and
pitchfork” crowd can get going in a hurry down here as seen in their
ability to block major road arteries and bring the country to a virtual
standstill on previous occasions in the few years that I have been here.
It is unnerving at times… and really, unnecessary in a true republic.
When I came here seven years ago, I was no doubt, starry-eyed to an
extent. I had fallen into the trap or belief as Rabbi Meier Kahane
complained about, that most Americans and Western Europeans think that
folks in other countries are just as decent as they are…
Well, Kahane was right… Many folks in foreign nations aren’t as
decent, kind, or have the same integrity or regard for rules or a rule
of law as Americans, Canadians or Western or Northern Europeans.
When I came here seven years ago, I thought that Panama was on the
cusp of a third-world nation rapidly on a different paradigm to become a
second or first-world nation quickly.
I was wrong.
The very same problems that plague this nation then are still the
same today. Nothing has been done of any consequence. The whole
first-world possibility, or even second-world status is illusory.
CONCLUSION
Hence, for now I may stay here, or I may return to the States. Living
in Panama or elsewhere is not for everyone. The United States, despite
the many changes which have made its older and more
traditional citizens feel more insecure, is still one of the
very best countries in the world to live in.
The
water here is polluted and hardly potable, electricity can go out any
moment for hours without warning, computer signals can go down, and the
sight of trash is everywhere as many Panamanians in the urban areas
believe that water availability and refuse disposal ought to be “free”
services. Although the trash problems are shown on the television
news everyday, as to shame its citizens, the culture remains entrenched
in abject ignorance and the trash keeps piling up, even in streams,
rivers, and larger water bodies.
are some indications that the moribund economy in the States is
starting to pick up some and that home prices are increasing to a level
of their former values in some locales. The “word on the street” in
Panama among monied Ex-pats here, who wish to make more profits selling
Panamanian real estate to gullible North Americans, is that they expect
another “wave” of Americans soon who are disenchanted with the situation
in the States, to be able to sell their U.S. real estate, and then
come, invest and live in
Panama.
my experience, along with others, that may be a costly mistake unless
they do their due diligence and research carefully the nation of Panama
and their culture, people, and way of life.
It is certainly not Kansas, and not the Land of Oz, either.
———
Joseph
Spickard is a ‘generational Christian’ (2 Timothy 1:5) as his
family lineage on both sides of his parentage hail
from a long line of ministers and persons of faith who came
to the United States in the mid-18th century and fought in the American
Revolution.He is married and has two children.Mr. Spickard has been an exegete of the Bible for over forty years.He recently published his first volume on Bible prophecy, entitled, “Living in the ‘End Times:’ How ‘End Time’ Prophecy Affects…YOU!” His websites are: spickardontheprophecies and: http://www.spickardssigns.com/
Source: http://henrymakow.com/2014/07/american-expat-considers.html
If I were in your position, I’d wait a few more years before making a decision to return.
You state the “rake and pitchfork” crowd in Panama can get going in a hurry as seen in their
ability to block major road arteries and bring the country to a virtual standstill”. At least those people are alive and possibly awake.
The crowd here is starting to stir but still mostly asleep. This zombie conditioning has allowed the collusion of Washington with the central banks and Wall street to loot foreign lands, the US treasury and most of the US hard assets. It would be my guess that these criminals will not be able to keep the lid on this criminal enterprise much longer.
We just might see the rake-and-pitchfork become fashionable again in the US. It could not happen soon enough.
Good read, thanks for sharing. I know of some folks who have ex-patted to Costa Rica and claim to love it. Beautiful place no doubt, though I wonder if they’re too proud to say anything otherwise. Then again, they’re surfers who are an entirely different breed altogether.
I had another friend, Lisa Artz, who moved there from Cocoa Beach, Florida in 2011 to manage a family owned resort in the beautiful coastal mountains in SW Costa Rica — Tres Palmas Resort.
http://www.trespalmascostarica.com/
Lisa’s family also own and operate one of my personal favorite hangouts — Coconuts on the Beach and Tiki Bar in Cocoa Bch, Florida.
http://coconutsonthebeach.com/
She was a longtime bartender at Coconuts, a busy ocean front restaurant and tiki bar popular with both locals and tourists. I enjoyed her no nonsense approach with the underage Spring Breakers and tourists who often “tried” her with fake I.D.s — her veteran eye always too keen. She was very friendly with us locals, but didn’t put up with any crap from knucklehead drunks — local or not. She didn’t drink, though most other bartenders would hang out and have a few with the locals after their shift — some before ; ). She was too busy — off to surf, dive, fish — always active. I admired her.
Lisa could hardly wait to move to paradise on the Pacific coast of Costa. As the story goes, shortly after she arrived she had to “let go” some of the staff, as she was now the full time caretaker living on the resort property. A short time after she was found strangled to death in her bed, pillow over her head, arms and legs bound — purse missing.
The local authorities offered little to no help, so her father, George, hired an American Private Investigator to sift through what little evidence wasn’t tampered with. From what I understand, the P.I. did good work but the authorities stone-walled furthering the investigation but the case eventually made some headway.
Last I heard in 2013, three men were sentenced to 32 years each, but are appealing their sentences. It’s difficult getting updates as I no longer live in CB, and my buddies there haven’t heard anything new.
I linked a few sites with info and pics of Lisa — she’s not forgotten, and I’m sure she’s riding a perfect wave somewhere. RIP
http://www.top10costarica.com/2011/07/page/3/
http://www.ticotimes.net/2011/07/28/another-osa-murder-victim-mourned
Report: Woman with ties to popular Brevard restaurant found dead in Costa Rica
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-07-22/news/os-brevard-woman-found-dead-costa-ric20110722_1_brevard-restaurant-brevard-county-costa-rica
This article plays another role in why I’ve given up my dreams of living in a Latin country.
Costa Rica has to lead the region in deaths of foreigners.
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/americas-central-america/topics/costa-rica-has-to-lead-the-region-in-deaths-of-foreigners?page=1
This one, too…
Death in Costa Rica’s Rain Forest
Known for ecotourism, Costa Rica may actually be a paradise for poachers—and murderers of expats
http://www.macleans.ca/society/life/death-in-the-rainforest/
Your observations are on-target and appreciated. We’ve been in Peru for 9 years as Christian missionaries and I’m astounded whenever I come across naive Americans who come down here as tourists — especially young women. This is a dangerous country for any person — but particularly if you’re a foreigner and (therefore) a target who stands out. Of course, few Americans would ever consider moving here long-term so the leisure class of retired Americans doesn’t exist here as it does in Central America. Americans are able to survive here if they are practical and live cautiously but as far as Peru ever even coming close to being a place an American could “enjoy” — forget about it!