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John,
I promised to keep you updated while I’m on the road, so here goes.
I touched down in Europe this week – Madrid, to be exact. I’ll admit they have a few things going for them: food, architecture, culture … did I already say food ?!
The prices here are very expensive, but the dollar/Euro conversion rate is strong, and everywhere I go, people are reminding me of that.
What I like to do when I travel is find locals and start conversations – I love to learn, I love to experience different cultures, and I think talking to folks is the best way to do that.
One really nice thing about Europe – and an area where the U.S. unfortunately lags behind – is their public transit system. The trains here are awesome! You can go anywhere, anytime, and it’s easy, convenient, and affordable.
But the locals remind me all the time that they have to rely on public transport because gas is so expensive here. In Europe, it’s sold by the liter, and on average it is almost 40% more expensive than what we pay.
Don’t worry, I’m not going to turn this into a travel blog, but I do want to share some things I find relevant to the political situation back home – for example: Inflation.
Inflation is not just a U.S. problem, it is a global problem, and based on the prices I am seeing here, it looks like Europe has it much worse than we do. In fact, the locals keep telling me they wish European consumers had as much influence over prices as we do in America, where companies know we simply won’t stand for things like $9/gallon gas or a $10 loaf of bread.
The truth of the matter is, we are still dealing with the aftereffects of a worldwide pandemic that shut everything down for an extended period of time, and the global markets are still recovering.
Covid changed everything, and while we hope and pray the worst is behind us, here in Europe they are not taking that for granted – people here are still wearing masks, and vaccine mandates are still being enforced.
I haven’t come across any Ukrainian refugees yet, but I have met other refugees who are rebuilding their lives here in Madrid. The majority of them come from the Middle East and parts of Africa that have been devastated by famine and war. They tell me they are grateful for the opportunity, they are working, their kids are in school, and they are paying taxes back into the economy.
Europe as a whole has hugely benefited from these immigrants being here, and that’s something many Americans would do well to realize and remember when it comes to our own debates over immigration and refugee resettlement. Refugees don't just take public resources – they help replenish them . Europe’s population was once in decline, but has stabilized, there’s no longer a shortage of workers, tax revenues are up … refugees and immigrants have strengthened Europe’s economy across the board.
Of course, it's not all rainbows and sunshine – many of these folks suffered unimaginable torment in their home countries and have faced discrimination here, and in many cases, the journey itself just to get here was difficult and dangerous.
Even so, all I see is gratitude and ambition, and that’s a testament to just how strong these folks have had to be to make it this far.
When it comes to talk about the war, well … Putin is compared to Hitler almost everywhere I go, and this being Europe, they don’t throw that name around lightly!
As Americans, we all know how evil Hitler was, but here in Europe, they lived it . So, for them to be invoking his name now, that means Putin has really earned a monstrous reputation here.
Hitler had some powerful allies, though, in the “Axis of Evil.” Putin has what? Syria and Belarus? Putin has isolated himself from the free world, and even China has left him out in the cold. Sadly, that will only lead to increased alienation and struggle for the Russian people, but maybe that will be the thing that finally gets them to turn on him and remove him from power.
It is still early; I have a lot more people to talk to and adventures to seek. I am walking a ton, too, by the way: 10 miles today! I haven’t done that since I wore the uniform.
Three major religions have holidays this weekend, so for those of you who celebrate: Happy Easter, Happy Passover, and Blessed Ramadan.
I am off to Portugal next – I will stay in touch!
Sappers clear the way, Airborne all the way!
--Richard
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