Hometown when you started at Swarthmore
September 28, 2018
After traveling frequently to Asia over the last 13 years for work, I finally moved to Singapore 5 years ago. In general, South East Asians prefer Machiavelli’s benevolent dictator over democracies, and I have been able to enjoy the resulting well run economies and drug & violence free societies. Yes some freedoms are foregone or truncated, but when I return to USA or France, I find that the integrity of “equality” or “liberty” in those societies to be sadly compromised. And I have learned so much in 5 years!! Enjoying first hand the history & influence of colonialism, and uncovering the remarkable indigenous cultures of China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia and others. The values and religious beliefs that make me humble and feel quite rough in comparison. As a member of the United Nations ESCAP Task Forces for Disaster Relief and Innovation in Asia-Pacific, I have discovered and am blown away by the dynamic social innovation in the region. Oddly, this place is Civilisation right now. Please come to visit while my visa lasts!
