Category Archives: Thoughts from the expats corner

Jack Corbett has now been living full time in Thailand as an expat. This category encompasses a wide range of thoughts and subjects from the perspective of being in a strange land thousands of miles from the United States where the culture oftentimes seems to be 180 degrees apart from the values and beliefs of the West.

Smart Phones stupid Phones make their users more ignorant

Smart Phones stupid Phones part 1. Here we focus on American politics and the shrinking of the American brain

The image above is episode 1 of my GOP cartoon strip I did in 2012. In 2012 I called Fox New “False News” and “Falso News Unfair and Unbalanced. I was correct then, and I’m correct now. To get the right answers one must check the credibility of many sources and then make up his own mind what is the truth.

But now, I want everyone to think of another image. A person, be it man or woman is walking down the street.

Or through a shopping center. This person has a smart phone in front of him. Wherever he or she is. This person is not paying any attention to his surroundings whatsoever. This individual’s entire world is now encapsulated in his smart phone. Wherever he or she goes, the entire world outside the smart phone is invisible.

Chances are this individual has over a thousand friends on Facebook. Who aren’t any close to resembling a real friend. Facebook with a few exceptions is the perfect example of total mediocrity. You know what I mean. It’s I want you to like this. I want you to like that. I have a laundry. Please like my laundry. And sure enough, the laundry owner gets a hundred likes. But not one person who “likes his laundry” has ever been there.

I am totally different from most of you who are nearly always on your Smart phones stupid phones.

I love absorbing my surroundings and learning more about whatever is near me. Be it for good or evil.

Let me give you an example. I’m an American who’s been living in Thailand for 18 years. But every so often I have to go back to the U.S. for short visits. I arrive in Saint Louis after several long flights. The flights start in Bangkok, with the first one ending in Taiwan. Then it’s Taiwan to Los Angeles. Which takes a good 12 hours. In LA. there’s an all-night layover before I catch the next flight to Atlanta. Then it’s Atlanta to Saint Louis. As you might expect, I’m dead tired.

But I am really looking forward to picking up my rental car from Hertz

And a cigarette. Because I haven’t had one for hours. I’m standing just outside the airport and the Hertz pickup vehicle arrives. I get in, take a seat and start looking around me. Thinking about all the people who like me will be picking up their rental cars in a few minutes. I ask myself where’s the man sitting across from me from? And where has he been before getting off his last flight. But all around me all I’m seeing is a bunch of brain-dead people, every last one of them totally absorbed in his smart phone stupid phone.

Half an hour later, I’m heading out on highway 70 a few miles from Lambert field. But this time I’m driving on the right side of the highway. Whereas in Thailand I had been driving on the left side. I own a Honda Civic in Thailand. But the steering wheels on the right side. But somehow, I’m readjusting quickly to the correct way of driving. Because only a few countries have their steering wheels on the wrong side. Trust me, this is the correct automobile design. Even the Russians know that.

Within twenty minutes I see four cars stopped by the Illinois State police. Which makes me happier than a clam. Because here in the U.S. the police are doing their job. In Thailand. During my entire 18 years of existence there, not once have I ever seen a Thai policeman ever stop a Thai for running a red light or driving the wrong way against the flow of traffic. The Thai police are only interested in Collecting their bribes. And for arresting non-Thais for not wearing their helmets. For not carrying a driver’s license. And for other infractions that have nothing whatsoever to so with highway safety.

I’m tired as hell yet my brain is very much awake absorbing everything around me.

But if I were not driving the rental car, I might just be sitting in an airport somewhere totally absorbed in my smart phone stupid phone.

But wait a minute. I might be on my smart phone stupid phone but I’m not like so many of you who live and die on your phones. Chances are I am reading the New York Times or Washington Post on my phone. Which I consider the finest U.S. newspapers. And two of the best in the world. Learning what I can about the world I’m living in. I pay $20.00 a month for the New York Times alone. And say what you want about New York City it is the Big Apple. The biggest apple in the world.

B and H Photo is huge. it’s nearly one city block long and comprises two stories.

New York is in my opinion the number one city in the world. More than any other city, it is the financial capital of the world. In B and H Photo and Adorama it has two of the finest photography stores in the U.S.

As for the New York Times you might call it a liberal newspaper. While some of you brain dead morons might call it a Commie propaganda outlet.

But I can assure you that the New York Times has just about every kind of opinion expressed in its editorial section. You just have to be cognizant enough to cherry pick those opinions you agree or disagree with and formulate your own opinions about that’s the truth on just about any subject. Just keep in mind that the New York Times is probably the best financed newspaper in the world. So, it can afford to hire the smartest and best writers.

I must admit that I use Facebook. But I am a producer of content. I’ve produced over 180 videos that I’ve put on my YouTube channel. And I wish to share them with whoever feels he can enjoy them. I’ve also written created and published six books. And I want people to know about them. And there’s not just me, there’s a lot of people that use Facebook to advertise what they are selling or who find Facebook as a useful tool to get their product into the hands of their customers.

But the rest of you people who live and die for Facebook and other Social Media—I am afraid you are all suffering from Braindeaditis.

And to illustrate my point, look at all the Americans who are election deniers. Who still believe in Donald Trump.

Notice how I call “Donald Trump a liar, a cheat and a scumbag just like the rest of us.” I was correct in 2012. And that was 11 years ago before Trump was making any moves on the presidency.

All of you, and I do mean anyone who still likes Trump is a total moron. We saw Trump on television urging his followers to march on the capital. There is no denying that Trump spoke the words he spoke. And in spite of one court after another, including the Supreme Court, ruling there was no significant election fraud whatsoever, we have an entire Republican party lying to its constituents that Joe Biden did not win the election.

And how about all of you people who still believe the lies Fox News is telling you?

Wake up. Because Fox News settled with Dominion Voting Systems for 89 million to drop their defamation suit against Fox. Certain movers and shakers at Fox News broadcast claims that Dominion doctored its voting machines that favored Democratic candidates over Republicans. And they announced it in spite of their knowing that no rigging of the voting machines existed.

Whether you like it or not Fox News is nothing more than a propaganda machine for the Republican party.

Now I am not talking about Germans or Russians or Frenchmen or Englishmen. I’m just sick of what my country has become. And how Americans have become so weak compared to their forefathers. And so addicted to their smart phones stupid phones. How most Americans don’t read books anymore. And how they have never learned anything about the U.S. Constitution, our system of government or what once made American great.

You might also want to read, Why am I doing the Gop Cartoon Strip?