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The United States is experiencing a decline in its standard of living and economic opportunities, leading many Americans to become expats seeking a better quality of life.
The video argues that despite a rising GDP, the United States is becoming economically poorer, prompting many Americans to become expats. This decline is observed through several societal shifts, including the decision by many to remain child-free or opt for pets instead of children due to the high cost of raising a family and concerns about education quality. Some individuals are choosing to raise children abroad in countries with a lower cost of living, while others are replacing the desire for children with pet ownership.
Further evidence of economic decline is seen in the diminishing value of human capital. This includes a decline in personal fitness and well-being, as well as a perceived lowering of educational standards, making individuals less competitive. The video contrasts states that invest more in education and social programs with those that do not, highlighting how people from well-funded states can outcompete others. This trend is exacerbated by a societal shift where those with fewer resources may have more children, potentially impacting the overall human capital of the nation.
The presenter also points to a decline in personal presentation and upkeep as indicators of a poorer economy. This includes people dressing less formally, a decrease in spending on wardrobes, and less investment in maintaining homes and yards. The rise of renters, who may lack the same pride of ownership as homeowners, and the increased presence of dogs as companions, sometimes with less regard for training or public etiquette, are also cited. Finally, the normalization of public misbehavior and a perceived breakdown of the social contract suggest that individuals feel they have less to lose economically, contributing to a more tense and confrontational public environment.
Americans are leaving the US due to a perceived decline in the standard of living and economic opportunities. Factors include the rising cost of living, concerns about education quality, and a general sense that personal and public investments are diminishing. Many seek a better quality of life and more favorable economic conditions elsewhere.
Signs of economic decline include a decrease in personal presentation, less investment in home upkeep, and a rise in renters. The normalization of public misbehavior and a weakened social contract also suggest individuals feel they have less to lose economically. Reduced investment in human capital, seen in educational standards and personal well-being, is another indicator.
Many Americans are choosing not to have children due to the high cost of raising a family and concerns about the quality of public education. Some opt for child-free lifestyles or find that pets serve as substitutes for children. This trend reflects changing societal priorities and economic constraints.
Reduced investment in human capital, such as declining educational standards and personal well-being, makes individuals less competitive in the job market. This can push people to seek opportunities abroad where their skills and education might be more valued or where the cost of living allows for a better return on investment in themselves.
The video suggests that the US standard of living is declining despite a rising GDP. This is evidenced by societal shifts like less personal investment in appearance and property, and a perceived decrease in the value of human capital. Many expats are seeking a better quality of life overseas.
Economic reasons for becoming an expat include seeking a lower cost of living, better career opportunities, and a higher overall quality of life. Some Americans feel that their purchasing power and future prospects are limited in the US, prompting them to look for more stable or prosperous environments abroad.
Expats are leaving the US due to a perceived economic decline and rising costs. Factors include the high expense of raising children, concerns about education quality, and a general decrease in the standard of living. Many feel that the US is becoming a less viable place for the middle class, prompting them to seek better quality of life and affordability elsewhere.
Many viewers feel the middle class in the US is disappearing, with a growing divide between the wealthy and those living paycheck to paycheck. This sentiment is linked to the increasing costs of living and a perception that the economic system benefits only the affluent. The idea is that the economic landscape is shifting towards a two-tier system, leaving fewer opportunities for those in the middle.
Americans are having fewer children due to the high cost of raising a family and concerns about the quality of education. Some individuals are opting for child-free lifestyles or choosing to raise children in countries with a lower cost of living. Pet ownership is also increasing as a substitute for having children, reflecting changing societal priorities and economic constraints.
There's a strong sentiment that the standard of living in the US has been declining for decades. This is evidenced by increased costs for basic necessities, a perceived decrease in personal well-being, and a less competitive human capital due to lower educational standards. Many feel that basic comforts and a good quality of life are no longer easily attainable for the average American.
Yes, many commenters find that living in Southeast Asia offers a significantly better quality of life for less money. They cite affordable housing, inexpensive food and healthcare, and a generally more peaceful environment. This makes it an attractive option for Americans seeking to escape high costs and improve their daily living conditions.
The video suggests that increased public misbehavior is linked to economic precarity and a weakened social contract. When individuals feel they have less to lose economically, they may be more inclined to disregard social norms and engage in confrontational behavior. This is also tied to a general sense of societal decline and reduced investment in public spaces and personal upkeep.
0:02 Hey YouTube, Alex here and in today's video I want to discuss this topic. A lot of people are of the understanding that the United States is a wealthy country, and I generally agree with that. But I'd also assert that even though the GDP number keeps going up due to money printing, the country is not as wealthy as it used to be.
0:22 You might ask, what does this have to do with expat life? Well, I think it's spurring people to become expats. I think that's part of the reason why, in my opinion, it's probably one of the unifying reasons why so many people want to move abroad. I don't think it's the only reason, but if you ask me what most American expats have in common in 2025, I would say that many of us are economic refugees.
0:52 We can't maintain the standard of living in the United States that we grew up with in many cases, or we don't believe the economy has enough opportunity such that in our lifetimes, we're going to be able to achieve those economic milestones, or many of us will not. I think this is partly true for young people. So let's go ahead and get into it.
1:20 This video is not meant to offend people; it's just my observations. If you disagree, let me know what you think down below. So, the first reason is that you hear a lot of people going child-free or getting pets instead of having kids. And there are plenty of reasons to go child-free or to not have kids.
1:44 I know some people, unfortunately, it's due to biological reasons; it's not an economic thing for some people out there. They don't really have one of these alternative reasons like, unfortunately, due to biology, they can't, or they have other personal reasons. It comes down to economics.
2:04 I think you see this a lot on Reddit, for example, when people talk about how expensive it is to have kids. And so, I think an alternative some people are finding is, well, I still want the action of taking care of a living being, so I'll get dogs or cats that will be my kids. You hear about like pet parents or 'pup parents,' you know, that kind of thing.
2:31 And I think that some of that is a result of the economic problems in the United States. You go back, and I'm going to use this example throughout this video. You go back to like a historic time; it would be very atypical for people to not have children or to have pets as a substitute.
2:54 But I think what's changed is that kids, but even pets, can be economic liabilities. And I think pets are less of an economic liability than children. But I remember growing up hearing, 'You're fed and clothed.' People claiming that's a sign of good parenting, that they buy clothes, they shelter and feed their kids.
3:15 Those are required by law. If you are in custody of a child, you're legally required to provide certain things or you can be penalized. I remember when I used to live in Colorado, I used to go thrifting a lot.
3:31 There was a couple that lived in an RV near one of the thrift stores. One thing led to another, the woman got pregnant, had the baby, and then several months in, a friend of mine, who's acquainted with this couple, mentioned, 'You know, they had their kid taken.' I was like, 'Why? What happened?'
3:46 They're not really allowed to do that. Like, what do you mean they're not allowed to do that? Well, you can't really raise a kid in an RV and then commit some kind of crime, and then when CPS gets involved, they see, 'Oh, you're living in an RV that's in Denver, gets really cold.' So, an RV may be sufficient for part of the year, but there's months where it's far too cold to safely live in an RV.
4:17 I know people, some people do it anyway, but when it comes to kids, you've got to meet certain standards. As public schools get worse, a lot of people have concerns about public school systems. Then private schools have to raise tuition, right? You get more demand, you got to charge more money to offset the risk of overcrowding.
4:40 So, I think as kids and raising kids becomes more and more expensive, more people will opt out of them. And you might ask, well, where does becoming an expat come into play here? Well, there are people that have found, 'Hey, look, it's much cheaper to raise a kid in Southeast Asia.' So, that opens up the doors for still engaging in parenting.
5:01 But oh, you know what? We get plenty of support from my significant other's family. We are not having to pay several. I've heard of people paying like $500 a week for daycare. I'm sure it varies by city and by number of kids, neighborhood, that kind of thing. But, you know, having extended family to step in and help out, that's going to reduce the cost.
5:25 They probably have cheaper private schools. Clothes and food are going to be cheaper. It's just all around cheaper to raise a kid overseas. So, some people, when faced with not having kids or having kids in a lower cost of living country, they're going to opt for the latter. They're going to say, 'You know what? I can't do it here, but I can do it over there.'
5:47 In regards to pets, pets can be very endearing. They can be very sweet, loving. I'm not a pet hater. But when I think about passing on genetic material, when I think about continuing a legacy, I don't have kids and I don't have pets. So, let me get that out of the way.
6:08 I just don't think that pets are the same thing. Pets can be wonderful. I'm not discounting their value, but when it comes to the continuation of society, I'm not really sure that we could call them the same.
6:26 The next point is that I personally feel that the value of human capital is not what it used to be. For me, I'm pretty overweight right now. I need to lose weight. I am not as valuable in certain types of jobs as I would be if I were in better condition.
6:48 If you were to want to hire me for, say, a firefighter job, certain law enforcement positions, I simply am not capable of the output of an in-shape or fit person. And this is just kind of the start, but I'm not the only person that struggles with this.
7:05 I think there's a lot of people struggling with their weight. Some people still have their 'COVID gains.' This weight I primarily gained after I came back from overseas and went from walking like 10, 15,000 steps a day to none. Just is what it is. I'm actually working on losing it.
7:24 It's going to be time-consuming. It's going to be slower for me to lose it than it took for me to gain it. But when I think about human capital in the United States, I think that we battle between excellence and equality.
7:36 I guess I'm seeing this specifically with my home state where a lot of people are moving in from states where they invest more in their people. They have higher taxes, and so they spend more money on education, they spend more money on libraries and nonprofits and social clubs.
7:56 And these people who have had this investment from living in wealthier states like California, New York, Massachusetts, they're in many cases dramatically outcompeting the people in my home state. They're often coming with a better education, a larger bank account. They're already plugged into these industries.
8:19 So, if the office moves to my home state, they're transferring with the office. So, they've had these built-in connections prior to arrival. And they're just all around what you might call better capitalized.
8:36 Conversely, people in those states tend to have fewer kids. So, there's often this, well, you look at the movie Idiocracy where it's largely like really not-so-bright people having lots of kids. And I think this is true to some extent in the United States.
8:51 And I'm not one for eugenics. I'm not anti people with less, you know, having kids. But when it comes to human capital, I think it's a fair point that we need to have certain standards for education, for exercise, for many different areas of life, intelligence, being able to produce things.
9:17 And I think that when you take a look around, it's just not what it used to be. I think it's underinvestment. I think it's inequality. I think there's a lot of things that go into that, but you hear it from the older generations a lot: 'Oh, these young people this and these young people that.'
9:32 And there was a time when I took offense to that. To some extent, I think it could be out of touch. But I also think, man, maybe there might be some insight into that. And so, I did more research and I realized, oh yeah, like when everybody goes to college, it's not as valuable, and the standards have to lower because the colleges want the money.
9:51 So, if you're not going to an Ivy League or you're not going to like a state school with a history of quality education, the United States is as competitive as it gets. You need every single advantage working for you if you want to be successful in the United States or hit maximum capability.
10:07 And if you don't, somebody who got that right, got that part of their life right, is going to pass you. I think about specifically, there was the example that came to mind, and it just slipped my mind. But oh yeah, so a relative of mine, when they were going to high school, this was during the George Bush era, they had 'No Child Left Behind.'
10:26 And his school told him and his mom, 'Just come to school and we'll pass you.' He was sleeping the entire day. He was skipping a lot of school. He was just not attending class. And they just told him, 'Look, if you just come to class, we'll graduate you. You just show up. You don't have to do anything. Just show up.'
10:45 Well, showing up at school is just a start. Okay. Of course, you back then especially, you had to be there if you're in the public school system. But you actually have to pay attention. You have to take notes. You have to be learning. You have to be tested.
10:54 It's like if I walk around the library, am I going to learn anything? No, I have to actually sit down, pick out some books. I just have to pick out some books, sit down, open them up, go through them, maybe do some exercises on them.
11:06 Through them, maybe do some exercises on that material. And so that's another example where he was let down by the system. He was let down by the leadership in his family. But that's across a lot of the southern states. There's just not the same appreciation for education in my opinion.
11:23 But that's a whole other debate. But I think that directly translates to human capital being less valuable. When people are not getting quality education, I just don't think they can perform as well as some other places that are more competitive. Korea, China, Japan, Singapore are examples of countries with very competitive education systems.
11:46 People invest a lot into education. They take it really seriously. Where I was taught by some people in my community growing up, oh, the teachers are losers. People become teachers because they're not qualified to do something more important and better paying.
12:02 That's going to vary by state. California, they get paid a lot more than my home state. This next point, it's going to be hypocritical of me, but I think people don't dress as well as they used to. I think another sign America is getting poor is that people dress poorly compared to how they did in the past.
12:19 You can tell I don't really dress that great. I wear sweatpants and sweatshirts when I'm not at work. I think it's a sign the country is getting poor. I mean, if you look at old films and you read old books, people talk about dressing properly.
12:33 And it wasn't just a rich people thing. I know rich people could afford better quality clothing than the working poor, but I remember seeing what you might call period pieces based in places like New York or Chicago, turn of the century vibe, and you see even like kids selling newspapers would be dressed up pretty decent.
12:54 I've seen pictures of San Francisco, for example, Market Street, not what Market Street is today, but what Market Street used to be 100 years ago. And people have got really nice clothes on. And I was watching a video from Analyzing Finance with Nick and he mentioned people used to spend upwards of 10% of their annual income on their wardrobe.
13:17 Nowadays, it's more like 2 or 3%. Do I think people should go back to that? I don't think it's realistic with housing taking up a larger portion of income, but I think it's just worth noting when you're not dressed as well.
13:28 I personally think it causes me to be a little bit sloppier, a little bit less tuned in, a little bit less ready to go. Where when I dress up, I wear nicer clothes. I feel more confident. I feel more like I'm ready to take on the challenges of the day.
13:47 I feel better all around. Now, I think a lot of people wear athleisure. A lot of people you go out, you see people at Walmart, they got the sweatpants on, they got the sweatshirt on. They're not really dressed up like they're going anywhere.
14:05 I think that's another reason people quit going to church. It's like, look, if I'm worried about paying for my rent and I'm worried about putting food on the table, why am I going to keep a church wardrobe? All the expenses associated with going to church, I've got to tithe, I've got to potentially go out to a nice restaurant afterwards.
14:26 These are things that some people are cutting out because they feel that they are too costly. And I think a lot of people are getting more into investing and thinking, wow, you know, I could go spend all this money on dressing up or looking nice, or I could put it away in my 401k, my Roth IRA, an investment account or portfolio where it'll work for me.
14:46 Because, you know, nobody really cares if everybody, if one person dresses like an athleisure. Oh, it's a travesty. If half the people you see in public are wearing athleisure, I think you can no longer really jump on those people as abnormal. I think it just becomes part for the course.
15:07 Not judging anybody. I, as you can tell, I dress this way. But it's certainly worth consideration. The fourth reason is stuff just looks kind of run down when you're driving around.
15:20 I think buildings just don't look as nice as what they used to. I think there's some exceptions, some particularly affluent areas where lawns are well-kept, but I noticed in a lot of places stuff just looks kind of tired.
15:34 Compared especially to places I've been recently in Vietnam or like Seoul, Korea, it just, I don't know what exactly what it is. I think some of it's maintenance costs, but I think as these buildings get more expensive to maintain, as lawns get more expensive to maintain, people are going to opt for cheaper solutions to deal with these things.
15:59 I've noticed, you know, just even in my old neighborhood where my grandma used to put all her free time into the lawn, they put up like a greenhouse and an RV pad and you never would have seen that in that neighborhood. Another thing you see in that neighborhood is it used to be that people would handle their yard work themselves.
16:21 For better or for worse, this isn't a judgment, but you see lots and lots of Hispanic people doing a lot of this type of work. And so I think for those who want it done, they're opting for more people that are willing to work for a more modest wage versus in the past where people, oh no, I'm not going to trust somebody else with my lawn.
16:41 I remember one of my friends' dads growing up, we would make fun of him because of how into his lawn he was. He always had the Kentucky tall fescue long cut, two-inch long cut, very, very specific about his lawn. And I think now 15 odd years later, if you go back to that neighborhood, very few people are doing their own yard work.
17:03 Those who could not afford to pay somebody else to do it, I think they're going to opt for cheaper setups. Maybe they put more rocks, maybe they put in like fake grass. But this is another example where I think the country is getting poorer.
17:18 Oh, you also have a lot more renters now. And I think if you're a renter, you don't really have the pride of ownership. I certainly don't. I don't disrespect rental properties I live at. I treat them with respect and care. If for nothing else, I want to get that deposit back.
17:34 But am I going to go above and beyond to paint everything to do roof repairs? No. No. And so I think that's another factor where people don't seem to have that same pride in their neighborhoods and where they live.
17:47 Speaking of that, one of the things I noticed in the neighborhood I grew up in is you see this proliferation of German shepherds and even some pitbulls. And you know, when I think about those situations, I'm thinking maybe they can't own a firearm because they're a felon. They've committed some serious crime. They're not permitted to have that solution.
18:13 So, they go for what they perceive to be an easier solution than Second Amendment. I'm not pro or anti-second amendment. It's just an observation. I see a lot of dogs out here and just in general compared to what you used to see. You go to any park, you're seeing people.
18:31 I see people with their dogs off leash just about every day. Their dogs come up, they're wanting to jump on you, lick on you. People, they don't want to invest the money or they don't have the money to get proper training, right? They don't want to train their dogs to be respectful of other people's boundaries.
18:54 They may work long hours or odd hours or they can't be consistent about the training. But this is another example of the country getting poorer. I think too, you see this where people, I don't know if it's a lack of education, they don't understand the liability.
19:08 I say this because my grandparents had some guard dogs at one point and they attacked some kids in the neighborhood and they got sued and their homeowners insurance went through the roof and that was very costly. Where today, I don't know, some of these people were so in love with these potentially dangerous dog breeds that they would probably thank you if your dog bit them.
19:35 Oh, I just love dogs so much. Which I love them more than I love having on my fingers. They're just so precious. Yeah, it's it's another sign that the society is getting poorer. Just an observation, not a dog hater, but I don't think they're a substitute for people.
19:55 The fifth point is the normalization of lack behavior. You see this on the news. I don't know exactly if you could pinpoint it to one circumstance or another, but people losing their cool in public. I see it a lot. People seem much more tense and stressed out due to the economy, due to people becoming poorer.
20:18 You just see people more sarcastic, more confrontational, more aggressive. When I was growing up, I always thought of America as this shining beacon on the hill and these people that hold themselves to a higher standard than other countries. And now that I'm an adult and the economy is not what it was when I was a kid, it was very strong when I was a kid, I see people that act in very uncou-
20:51 and this is across the United States. People playing loud music in public. People talking on their phone loudly in public. You see it at the airport. I've seen a lot of funny videos of people getting arrested at airports. I have some friends that work in law enforcement and talking to them is always an enlightening conversation.
21:15 Just disgusting the way some people behave, the way they act totally wacko. And I think some of this might have been spurred on. I mean, I say it's economic, but some of it also, I don't know if it's chicken or the egg, but reality TV, we all have seen people on reality television shows doing all kinds of crazy stuff.
21:40 Like I think of Jersey Shore specifically as an example of a show where people are acting really wild, but there's a lot of shows that display people behaving in a really unsophisticated manner, let's say. And so, yeah, I think the country is becoming poor. I think it's evident in
22:01 I think it's evident in all these reasons. If you're a subscriber, you've probably seen examples or could think of examples of people who act in ways in public that they wouldn't have in the past. And some might say, well, it's just because we have more cameras now, but I think there's more to it than that.
22:18 People just don't have that same feeling of optimism. And two, I think if you're somebody that is incapable of working and you're not working, you're not worried about losing a job. Well, who cares how you act in public?
22:36 Most of the people I hang around have jobs or are employed. They don't want to get on video using slurs against other people, being aggressive. They don't want to go to jail. They don't want to do anything that could jeopardize them earning their paycheck and going home safely.
22:59 I think there's more and more people that feel like they've been cut out of that kind of lifestyle or can't participate in that kind of lifestyle and they don't have as much to lose. I think that's part of the economy is poor economy is people just don't feel like they have as much to lose.
23:13 You hear about a lot of people not wanting to work and it's like, well, if I'm not able to get ahead by working, why basically participate in society? So, I think that's where the social contract is is broken.
23:25 But let me know what you think down below. This video has gone on pretty long. Maybe you totally disagree. That's okay. For those who are not yet subscribed, please subscribe. That helps us to grow the channel and helps you to see more videos.
23:39 Give us a thumbs up. Please comment down below. Do you agree that America is getting poorer, or do you disagree? Do you think that America is wealthier than ever and it's not really realistic to note these points?
23:49 It's always interesting to see what people come up with. Thanks so much, guys. Bye-bye.
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