The lens this site looks at the world through is human movement. Other than some healthcare policy this is not a political site, nor are there any aspirations to be one. I as much as anyone do not enjoy when non-political entertainment tries to go that direction. If you pretend to be other people for a living, your thoughts on foreign policy are unlikely relevant.
Having said that, the last year has seen a series of alarming discriminatory events. Orlando, police killings, police getting killed, bathrooms in North Carolina, how San Diego -where I live- had an issue with somebody attacking homeless people while they were sleeping. To the tune of lighting multiple ones on fire.
This has currently culminated with the Mexico wall and travel restrictions on primarily Muslim based countries. Where I feel compelled to address it. I run a business with international customers and work closely with a lot of foreigners. In the remote client process I often get to know people very well. For those who’ve done it, those who are looking to do it, and as a human looking to be civil with other humans, I feel it’s important to give some clarity for where this site is coming from. I don’t want foreign readers to think “Oh, he’s American. He won’t want to help me.” Or “Fuck him. He / they think X about us.”
Per above, this will be done swiftly and as apolitically as possible.
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A quick look says this is the demographic of clients I’ve had:
- Man
- Woman
- White
- Black
- Straight
- Gay
- Hispanic
- United States
- California to Texas to New Jersey to Iowa to New York to Florida and more.
- People with multilevel houses on the coast of Santa Monica to people paying me with their social security money
- Argentina
- Russia
- England
- Middle East
- Croatia
- India
- Native American
- Germany
- A white dude who lived in China
- Someone with the name “Zoltan”
- Brazil
- Australia
- Ireland
- Someone with the name “Jeremiah”
- Multiple people who sent me back video of their workouts from outside their farm
- A buddhist who meditates hours every day
- Canada
- Italy
- Romania
- Greece
- Ecuador
- Belgium
- Many with personality disorders
- 15 years old to 80 years old.
Below is a map of the countries who visited this site in 2016. Gray is the countries who didn’t visit.
List of those countries:
This is my inbox the day this post went live:
It always floors me how many people from other countries start their emails with “I’m sorry if my english isn’t great.” Their english and writing is better than many Americans, and I often reply with “Your english is better than my [spanish / german / you name it]!”
These people have never treated me with anything but respect, have a sense of humor like many, and have the same basic human wants / desires as most. They want to feel good, be in shape, hang out with their family and friends, etc. By far the most hostile readers I’ve come across have been “My Fellow Americans.”
If one gets to know these other groups, at least in my experience, you find you have a lot in common. You might enjoy the interaction like you would someone from your hometown. Empathy grows. How often do we hear parents change their tune on a group of people, like the LGBT or disabled community, once they have a child who is part of it?
-> Many personal trainers make up their mind they only want to work with athletes or celebrities. They don’t even entertain working with everyday people, especially not older ones. They do this without really knowing these groups. These have been my best clients!
I hope the rest of the world, half this site’s readers, knows the majority of the United States is not ok with what’s going on. We did not directly vote for this. There are already articles out there about some of those who did regretting their decision. Even smart people, like Peter Thiel, were categorically wrong. Many thought campaign speech was not literal speech. They made a mistake. In the mean time,
visitors of this site have, and will continue to be, treated like any person from this country.
I will be donating to the ACLU and rescue.org today. The latter was inspired by Albert Einstein and is something Jason Fried turned me on to. While I don’t know Jason personally, he is someone I trust, and just gave $200,000. Perhaps this will sway you to give / do something too. Sometimes it’s hard to know what one can do. Some are giving money, some are protesting, some are making statements, AirBnB is offering housing, lawyers are taking shifts at airports.
AirBnB is an international business. Jason runs one too. Half my income comes from other countries. So ironically, theirs, mine, and many others in America, will be giving worldwide donations. Can’t help but think that’s fitting.
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Please no politically incensing comments, regardless of views. I understand the anger, but yelling at one another is not how persuasion happens.
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Chris H
January 29, 2017
Brian
This is great stuff, agree 100%
I think the world has become a sadder place.
reddyb
January 29, 2017
Thanks Chris. Hopefully we’re only going through some temporary setbacks.
Bastian
January 30, 2017
Im a foreigner and Im happy that Trump won the elections, your “fellow american” can be proud. Every nations need borders, and the “muslims based countries” (who dont get as mush as immigration as us) do have borders also, and by the way they refuse israeli passeports, do we shame for that ? Terrorsm threat is a fact, my country (France) has suffered a lot by letting anyone including terrorists coming in, we know the results : deads by hundreds in Nice, Paris and in Normandie. So good luck trying to sell the multiculturalism ideology, Im not buying it anymore. Multuculturalist societies are multiconflicts societies, thats a fact.
reddyb
January 30, 2017
Hey Bastian,
Appreciate the opinion. I’m not sure the polar opposites of “letting anyone in” vs multiculturalism ideal / terrorism doesn’t exist is a fair interpretation of the post. I’m certainly not going to, nor am I qualified to, go into some nuanced foreign policy discussion. I can say though, since you’re referencing certain cities, my Dad was in NYC, I had friend’s parents in the towers, and it didn’t take much for me to be able to see the smoke from New Jersey. So I don’t think your grasp of where I”m coming from is fair either.
The point was the way the U.S. is currently going about things strikes me as it could be perceived as hostile to other groups. Emphasis on groupS. There is a lot more going on here than Muslims. I tried to highlight that in the opening remarks, but maybe I didn’t do a good enough job.
As an American site, I don’t want people feeling that hostility or worried about it when coming here. I understand how some could be ok with that perception, or even desire it. But I view this site as akin to my living room or the neighborhood bar where we’re going to have a talk. Nobody wants to go into a living room feeling uneasy or like they’re being stared at.
Joe D
January 30, 2017
Well put Brian. Perhaps a blip in the longer-term upward trend. And I’ve often responded the same way when talking to non-native English speakers!
reddyb
January 30, 2017
Thanks Joe.
Larry C
January 30, 2017
Thanks for writing this Brian. When I woke up this morning it’s exactly what I needed to see. (I’m in Texas and the hate & nonsense that’s spewing forth down here, especially yesterday, is intolerable.)
Off to yoga class now for some inner peace.
reddyb
January 30, 2017
Exercise can be one of the best ways to clear the mind :).
Tara Conlon
January 30, 2017
Brian thank you for writing this.
reddyb
January 30, 2017
You’re welcome.
Joseph P. Danna
January 31, 2017
Thanks for a superb article/post. I just wrote a book depicting how and why people, generally speaking, define themselves by their differences rather than by their core unity. It is the perceptual error at the root of all conflict between individuals and among nations.
reddyb
January 31, 2017
Thank you. Interesting book topic. Where are you publishing at?
Luke
February 1, 2017
A good piece and I really enjoyed reading… I assure you everything will be ok. What this is really about in my view is that the time has come for us to take care of America. We’re a great country and have done so much for others around the world for decades that we have neglected ourselves. It’s time to rest, work on us, strengthen our people, our infrastructure, our economics, our government, our education system, our societal divides, etc. if we are weak internally, we can not continue to be a shining light for the world or provide for the need in the world. It’s time to regroup, rebuild, and restart.
reddyb
February 3, 2017
Thanks for sharing this Luke. This is a different way of putting things. A much more amicable way that I can better understand and be empathetic towards.