On being an expat right now
Watching America from Berlin during Ferguson, and the strange sadness of not missing home as much as expected.
There is no shortage of things to be upset about right now in America. The recent events in Ferguson are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the issues of race and the militarization of police forces. But if those problems don’t bother you so much, you could always choose the abuse of state surveillance powers, the obvious buy-off of politicians by moneyed interests, the plethora of firearms-related problems and incidents, the use of military force in questionable ways around the globe, the unflinching support of some governments that abuse human rights while denouncing others for far less, and so many more.
Take your pick.
I didn’t become an expat for any of those reasons. I simply took an interesting job to work with people I like in an interesting city where I could live with my girlfriend who didn’t want to leave Europe. The fact that all of those things and more are happening, however, makes it really easy to not miss living in the United States right now.
Of course, it’s not a utopia here. There are ugly things going on in Europe right now. Xenophobia and fascism are seeing a rise. There are troubles not far away in Ukraine. And the foundations of the European financial system still need quite a bit of work. But, it’s probably impossible to find the perfect place right now that fits every item on your personal wish list. For me, right now, Berlin is working out pretty well. As noted in a conversation on Twitter between Joe Stump, Alex Payne, and Rabble, it’s a nice progressive international bubble.
On the other hand, sometimes I’m surprised that I don’t miss living in America. At least I haven’t yet missed it, other than a longing for a few favorite restaurants, seeing my family, and hanging out with people who are dear to me. But weeks like this, I’m not surprised at all.
Frankly, that kind of makes me a little bit sad. After all, I agree with Anil Dash when he says that it would be better if people who care would stick around.