Just Got Back from the US…

I just returned to my adoptive country of Dominican Republic after spending a month in (what used to be) the United States.

Generally speaking, I avoided political discussions with relatives; it’s not productive. However, politics did come up a few times with one relative in particular. She claims to be well-informed, and to get her news from a wide variety of sources, including right-wing sources…

However, the depth of her ignorance became apparent to me when I mentioned “cancel culture.” She had no idea what I was talking about, and had never even heard of it. This was shocking to me. Not only does she not read “right-wing” sources, but she doesn’t even read Conservatism.inc sources.

Not surprisingly, when I tried to bring up the numerous incidents of rape and murder, in Europe, by migrants, she cut me off. She “didn’t want to hear it,” and “it’s all exaggeration.” Yes, leftists have built very robust walls around their minds to protect them from inconvenient truths. It’s so sad.

Back in DR, I visited my bank today, and had to wait for a while; it was a busy day there. I noticed something interesting:

Dominican employees and customers touch each other a lot. They hold each other’s (across both genders), pat each other’s back and rub each other’s backs. They nudge each other playfully and with affection.

I think this is true across much of the world, and it’s something we’ve lost in the US. Touching another employee, or a customer, is a big NO-NO in the US. It can get you fired, even if it seems innocuous – if it can possibly be interpreted in an inappropriate way. People live in fear in the US. In DR, they have far fewer hangups. This is one reason I like it here.