The US and who would want to live there?

The Illusion of the American Dream*

Everything about the US seems so appealing. News, movies, and pop culture have done a phenomenal job of selling the American Dream.

But is it all it’s cracked up to be?

When I arrived in Brazil, I noticed how eager many Brazilians were to embrace anything American—often at the expense of their own fast-growing, richly diverse country.

I’d already seen the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly that the US had become. I had no illusions about where I wanted to be—or avoid.

Now, some might argue that every country has gone through radical changes, and I’d agree. The Brits aren’t all they’re hyped up to be, and we Kiwis—well, we’re not the saints we sometimes think we are either.

But for me, the real issue isn’t just culture—it’s geography.

Seriously, what kind of country comes bundled with tornadoes, hurricanes, flash floods, heatwaves, earthquakes, blizzards, and wildfires?
Living in the US feels like playing a game of survival roulette.

Take Death Valley—one of the hottest places on the planet. Try driving Route 66 and roll the dice on whether you'll make it through a dust storm, flash flood, or heatstroke.

Everyone loves Miami—especially visitors from the south—but it's practically ground zero for hurricanes that form in the Gulf of Mexico (sorry, Gulf of America for those who insist).

California? Earthquakes.
Tornado Alley? Homes shredded in seconds.
Chicago? Wind chills that require mental antifreeze.
Seattle? Heatwaves bending bridges.
New York? A city so sweltering in summer that locals abandon it for a month.

Natural disasters seem to hit the US harder—and more frequently—than most places. But worse than the acts of God are the acts of government. Because these days, natural disasters are being upstaged by elected disasters.

And that, folks, is the real catastrophe.

The problem isn't just the environment—it’s the people perpetuating a system and ideology that is tearing itself apart and dragging the rest of us along for the ride.

So yeah, you make your choices, you sleep in the bed you made—but why the hell do the rest of us have to suffer the consequences?

Rant over and out.

Cheers.

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