Notes of the Week | E30 - What is Conscientious Emigration?

Descripción

Notes In Review This episode centers on a profound, practical question: if you’re going to leave the United States, what does it mean to do that well? Attorney and emigration consultant Elizabeth Silleck La Rue, Esq. [https://substack.com/@elizabethsillecklarueesq], joins Nick Paro [https://substack.com/@nickparo] and Walter Rhein [https://substack.com/@walterrhein] to define conscientious emigration — the discipline of leaving with intentionality about the environmental, cultural, and economic impact you have on the country you move to. Elizabeth founded Conscientious Emigration in January 2024, originally as a side project born from decades of environmental justice work, but after November 2025 gutted all nonprofit funding in that space, she pivoted to it full time. Her filter is explicit: she is not interested in helping Americans export colonial behaviors abroad. That principled self-selection means her clients tend to be remarkable — archaeologists, retired doctors, lifelong social justice advocates, people who’ve already done the work of understanding their own conditioning. The episode covers hard practical ground: which countries are actually viable destinations for which people (visa qualification is always the first limiting factor), how to spot bad information from location-specific influencers who profit from steering you to one place regardless of fit, why Europe has declined in Elizabeth’s recommendations due to right-wing spread, and how U.S. imperialism toward Latin America is actively shrinking the list of safe options. Chile dropped off entirely — “there’s a literal Nazi running the country.” Walter speaks from nine years of experience being deconitioned by Peruvian culture; Nick shares the painful story of nearly joining an anti-vax, anti-LGBTQ cult-adjacent community in Panama. The cult experience becomes a teaching case: Americans are uniquely poorly equipped to identify cults because American society is itself organized as one. Elizabeth adds the professional lens — her legal training means she looks for the question not being asked, the answer being buried, and she applies that rigor to every apartment walkthrough and emigration plan she’s part of. The episode ends with community art — Nick’s daughter’s digital animation work, Walter’s daughter’s Star Wars figures made from toilet paper rolls, Elizabeth’s husband’s photograph of an endemic emerald hummingbird from their yard in Mexico — and a political coda. Walter is actively working to get progressive primary challengers elected in Wisconsin. Elizabeth makes the point that leaving is not cowardice: not everyone’s role is to stay and fight on the front lines. She is doing significant work for U.S. communities from Mexico. Nick closes with the show’s through-line: the cultural shift is upstream from politics, and that work happens in communities like this one. Key Takeaways * Leaving is not cowardice — and staying isn’t mandatory heroism. Elizabeth is explicit: if you need to leave for your safety, your family’s wellbeing, or your mental health, go. She is doing more to help U.S. communities from Mexico than she could have done from Southwest Florida. Not everyone has the same role in this fight, and that’s not abandonment. * Visa qualification is always the first variable. Before aspirational destination lists, before cost-of-living comparisons, before culture fit — ask where you can legally qualify for a residency visa based on your age, income, savings, and identity. That is the binding constraint. Everything else is secondary. * The expat bubble is not just aesthetically unpleasant — it causes measurable harm. Gentrification in Lisbon, Mexico City, and Barcelona is directly linked to expats who pay far above local market rates. Conscientious emigration means, over time, integrating economically with local standards — not maintaining a dollar-denominated lifestyle in a peso economy. * “The race starts the second you land.” Walter’s framing: either you begin immediately adopting better cultural habits, or you calcify into another miserable expat in a bubble. There is no neutral. The deconditioning that took Walter nine years in Peru is available to anyone willing to learn the language, follow cultural cues, and show up as a learner rather than a customer. * Due diligence is part of conscientious emigration. The MAGA family that signed up for Russian military social media influencing and got conscripted to the front lines; the Panama eco-community that turned out to be anti-vax, anti-LGBTQ, and spiritually hierarchical; the Honduras gated community that was a cult — these are what happens without careful, skeptical vetting. Elizabeth applies legal-grade scrutiny: check the apartment, read the contract, question the deal that sounds too good, and be especially suspicious of destination-specific influencers whose income depends on steering you to one place. People, Organizations, and Terms People: * Elizabeth Silleck La Rue, Esq. — Attorney, founder of Conscientious Emigration (January 2024), based in Mexico after emigrating from Southwest Florida in 2022. Former environmental policy and justice advocate. Works primarily with people from marginalized groups navigating values-aligned emigration from the U.S. Writes on Substack and Medium. * Walter Rhein — Co-host of Notes of the Week, based in Peru (his wife is Peruvian), currently building on land with his family. Former tech worker. Writes on Substack; actively helping progressive primary challengers get elected in Wisconsin. * Nick Paro — Host of Notes of the Week and Sick of This Shit Publications. Nearly emigrated to Panama with his family; the experience ended when they encountered an anti-vax, anti-LGBTQ eco-community operating as a cult. Father of two neurodivergent children. Organizations / Programs: * Conscientious Emigration — Elizabeth’s consulting practice. Helps people leave the U.S. with intentionality about environmental, cultural, and economic impact on destination countries. Explicit filter against colonial behaviors and mentalities. Clients find her via Substack and Medium. * The Panama group — Unnamed eco-community that love-bombed Nick and his family, turned anti-vax and anti-LGBTQ after close contact, and engaged in spiritual hierarchy. A cautionary case study in cult-adjacent expat communities. Terms / Concepts: * Conscientious Emigration — Leaving one’s home country with active awareness of and responsibility for one’s environmental, cultural, and economic impact on the destination country. Encompasses both values-led behavior and methodical due diligence. * The Expat Bubble — Self-segregating communities of U.S. expats abroad who refuse to learn the local language, maintain dollar-economy spending, expect English-language service, and reinforce each other’s sense of exceptionalism. Causes measurable harm through gentrification and cultural erasure. * The Ugly American — Coined cultural archetype of the U.S. traveler or expat who demands exceptionalist treatment abroad: expecting English, refusing to adapt, and behaving as royalty in countries they’ve chosen to inhabit. Not exclusively white or Christian — it’s a conditioned mindset. * Gentrification by Expats — The inflationary effect on local housing and goods markets when expat spending power sets a new price floor. Documented in Lisbon, Mexico City, Barcelona. Elizabeth’s recommendation: short-term leases on arrival, eventual full economic integration. * Love Bombing (cult context) — Intensive, overwhelming affection used by cult-adjacent communities to recruit new members before revealing incompatible values. Nick’s Panama experience is a direct case study. Notes of the Week * Elizabeth’s Note [https://substack.com/profile/89121070-elizabeth-silleck-la-rue-esq/note/c-245383585] * Nick’s Note [https://substack.com/profile/189675044-nick-paro/note/c-246649315] * Walter’s Note [https://substack.com/profile/15113701-walter-rhein/note/c-246799771] Art of the Week * Nick’s daughter’s eyeball animation * Elizabeth’s husband’s hummingbird photo * Walter’s daughter’s collection of toilet paper roll Star Wars characters ~ Nick Paro, Walter Rhein Actions You Can Take * Check out the new: Sick of this Shop! [https://shop.sickofthisshitpublications.com/] * Check out the new network and affiliate calendar: BroadBanner [https://www.broadbanner.com/] Submit questions, feedback, and artwork for Notes of the Week with Nick and Walter: * Sick of this Shit Community Comment Form [https://forms.gle/4WSu8qGkSA7Wxbh98] Call your public servants on important issues: * 5calls.org [https://5calls.org/] Join the efforts to unmask law enforcement and de-flock the States: * deflock.me [https://deflock.me/] Service members can get un-biased information on legal vs illegal orders: * Orders Project [https://www.ordersproject.com/] * Reach out on Signal: @TheOrdersProject.76 Learn empathy forward, human centered, experiment based Leadership & Growth Courses for Higher Ed & Non-Profit Professionals: * B. Cognition Labs [https://www.bcognitionlabs.com/] Thank you Mack Devlin [https://substack.com/profile/369418191-mack-devlin], Letters from a Feminist [https://substack.com/profile/436405643-letters-from-a-feminist], LeftieProf [https://substack.com/profile/116079548-leftieprof], Samantha Paige (she/they) [https://substack.com/profile/289433434-samantha-paige-shethey], the real pambo [https://substack.com/profile/63449719-the-real-pambo], and many others for tuning into my live video with Walter Rhein [https://substack.com/profile/15113701-walter-rhein] and Elizabeth Silleck La Rue, Esq. [https://substack.com/profile/89121070-elizabeth-silleck-la-rue-esq]! Join me for my next live video in the app. Nick’s Notes I’m Nick Paro, and I’m sick of the shit going on. So, I’m using poetry, podcasting, and lives to discuss the intersections of chronic illness and mental wellbeing, masculinity, veteran’s issues, politics, and so much more. I am only able to have these conversations, bring visibility to my communities, and fill the void through your support — this is a publication where engagement is encouraged, creativity is a cornerstone, and transparency is key — please consider becoming a paid subscriber today and grow the community! Join the uncensored media at the 1A Collective [https://1acollective.com/] Support as a paid subscriber however you can — to help get you started, here are a few discounted options for you * Forever at 50% off [https://sickofthis.substack.com/50forever] * Forever at 60% off [https://sickofthis.substack.com/60saver] A special thank you to those who are a part of the Sickest of Them All ~ Soso [https://substack.com/profile/309303179-soso] | Millicent [https://substack.com/profile/5428714-millicent] | Courtney 🇨🇦 [https://substack.com/profile/136249074-courtney] | Eric Lullove [https://substack.com/profile/66521654-eric-lullove] | Terry mitchell [https://substack.com/profile/32751953-terry-mitchell] | Carollynn [https://substack.com/profile/301213629-carollynn] | Julie Robuck [https://substack.com/profile/208030486-julie-robuck] | Mason/She/Her🩷💜💙 [https://substack.com/profile/356845797-masonsheher] ~ For support, contact us at: info@sickofthisshitpublications.com This is a public episode. 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Notes of the Week | E32 - A Candidate Carousel

Notes In Review This special episode of Notes of the Week is structured as back-to-back interviews with two progressive congressional candidates: Chris Armstrong [https://armstrongforwisconsin.com/], running in Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District against incumbent Tom Tiffany, and Abel Chavez [https://abelchavezforcongress.com/], running in California’s 48th — the seat just vacated by 26-year incumbent Darrell Issa after the passage of Prop 50. Nick Paro [https://substack.com/@nickparo] and Walter Rhein [https://substack.com/@walterrhein] host alongside guest co-host Eevie Bateman, a former early-childhood-education director and full-time writer who joined to help boost grassroots candidates. The through-line of the conversation is the same in both halves: the Democratic Party’s “electability” frame is broken, the new generation of candidates wins by being present and direct with voters, and the existing legacy media will not give that work oxygen — independent media has to. Armstrong, an enterprise architect and IT consultant from St. Croix County, makes the technocracy fight personal. He argues for federal-level taxation on tech billionaires (“let me hold the door open” if they threaten to leave), for permitting regulations that ban data center NDAs after Wisconsin municipalities discovered local councils were being kept in the dark on multi-billion-dollar deals, and for treaty-law-based environmental protection citing the 1854 ceded territories and the seven federally recognized tribes inside CD7. Armstrong is running as part of a collaborative slate with Ginger Murray and Fred — explicitly refusing to attack his primary opponents because the goal is to flip the seat. Eevie introduces a Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath finding that Gen Z is the first generation in 60+ years to underperform their parents cognitively, with the inflection point at the 2010 introduction of classroom technology, and Armstrong agrees regulation is essential — particularly around children, data centers, and the AI bubble. Chavez’s pitch is procedurally specific in a way most candidates never get to. He won an all-red school board seat against a GOP incumbent who outspent him 10-to-1 by sending color-coded mailers (red for Republican households, blue for Democratic, identical message), then was elected school board president by his four Republican colleagues by picking battles strategically. He passed the first school bond in 17 years — tens of millions of dollars — by running a community survey first so residents themselves asked for the increase. His congressional platform is concrete: cap class sizes at 24, build a trades building in every high school, fund schools by federal allocation tied to enrollment with rich-district property tax overflow funding poor-district baselines, hire school psychologists instead of school resource officers, and refuse all corporate, foreign-lobby, and AIPAC money. Both candidates close on the same point: this is winnable if the party stops protecting incumbents who can fundraise but won’t fight, and if independent media keeps building the coverage legacy outlets refuse to provide. Key Takeaways * Visit and support both campaigns directly. Chris Armstrong’s site is armstrongforwisconsin.com [https://armstrongforwisconsin.com/]; Abel Chavez’s site is abelchavezforcongress.com [https://abelchavezforcongress.com/]. Both candidates are funded primarily by small-dollar grassroots donations and refuse foreign-lobby money. If you can’t vote for them, you can fund them, share them, or volunteer remotely — Armstrong’s 7th District covers ~57% rural northern Wisconsin and Chavez is running in CA-48 with a Spanish-bilingual platform. * Track the Wisconsin data center NDA fight.Armstrong reports that Wisconsin municipalities entered non-disclosure agreements with data center developers without informing local councils or residents, that legislation is moving through the still-Republican state legislature to ban this practice, and that many proposed developments have been paused or canceled after public pushback. This is a bipartisan issue — verify how it’s playing in your state and demand the same prohibitions on local-government NDAs with private developers. * Read the Horvath testimony on classroom technology and Gen Z cognition. Eevie cites Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath’s congressional testimony documenting a sharp 2010 inflection point in cognitive measurements for children — attention, memory, literacy, numeracy, executive functioning — correlating with the introduction of classroom devices. Look up the testimony, compare it against your own school district’s tech-in-classroom policy, and bring it to your next school board meeting. * Push school board meetings toward citizen-initiated agenda items. Chavez points out that school board members are barred by procedure from responding to public comment, which makes the three-minute public-comment slot largely performative. Advocate for a community-petition pathway — a fixed signature threshold (30, 40, 50) that forces a board vote on a constituent-proposed item — as a structural reform in your district. * Stop accepting “but they can win” as a Democratic primary argument. Both Armstrong and Chavez are running against opponents — and against an internal party logic — that treats fundraising totals as proof of electability. Armstrong’s response is collaborative slates that don’t attack each other; Chavez’s response is refusing AIPAC, corporate PAC, and stock-trading money entirely while still raising near $480,000. Pressure your local Democratic Party to evaluate primary candidates on platform and proximity to voters, not on the size of their super PAC. People, Organizations, and Terms People: * Chris Armstrong — Democratic candidate, Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District. IT consulting company owner, enterprise architect with 30+ years in the field, University of Minnesota astrophysics graduate. Running on transparency, environmental protection, taxing tech billionaires, treaty-law enforcement, and a six-step “resistance, retake, remove, restore, reimagine, reconcile” framework. First candidate to enter the race in February 2025. * Abel Chavez — Democratic candidate, California’s 48th Congressional District. High school chemistry and physics teacher, business broker who helps small-business owners retire ethically by placing local entrepreneurs as buyers, current school board president. Won his school board seat by 10x outspent margin in an all-red district. Running on Medicare for All, working-family childcare, ICE accountability, immigration humanity, and refusal of AIPAC and corporate money. * Eevie Bateman — Guest co-host. Former early-childhood-education director, now full-time writer and blogger based in Texas. Joined the show after Stephanie Hernandez asked her to vet and boost Chavez. Writing memoir and a novel; topical focus on feminist cultural criticism, religion, and “fuck the patriarchy, and if y’all would have just listened to Black women.” * Tom Tiffany — Current Republican incumbent in Wisconsin CD7, now also running for governor of Wisconsin. Armstrong’s argument: flipping CD7 simultaneously denies Tiffany the gubernatorial pipeline. * Darrell Issa — Outgoing 26-year Republican incumbent in CA-48 who dropped out following Prop 50, opening the seat Chavez is contesting. * Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath — Cognitive neuroscientist who delivered congressional testimony documenting a generational inflection point in cognitive measurements aligning with 2010 classroom-tech adoption. Organizations / Programs: * Courage for Democracy — Candidate group Armstrong is part of. Hosts have previously interviewed Brittany Jones (Oregon gubernatorial candidate) and reference the network’s united-front principles. Chavez is not currently a member; the hosts encourage him to join. * Indivisible — Sponsor of the April 5, 2025 “Hands Off” protests. Armstrong organized a CD7 event via Mobilize that drew 250 people including Republicans and independents. * The SAVE Act — Republican legislation Armstrong cites as voter-disenfranchisement legislation requiring ID-name matching that primarily harms married women who changed names. * Enbridge Line 5 — Canadian oil pipeline currently being rerouted around (but still through the ceded territory of) the Bad River Band Indian Reservation. Wisconsin DNR comment period closed the Saturday before recording. * AIPAC — American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Chavez explicitly refuses its donations and frames refusal as proof of independence. * Bluebonnet Program — Texas curriculum initiative Eevie cites as inserting religious indoctrination into public schools. Terms / Concepts: * Technocracy / Technofascism — The framing Nick uses for the Thiel/Karp/Palantir-aligned tech-billionaire push toward post-constitutional governance, data privatization, and unregulated AI/data-center expansion. The hosts also produce a separate show, Palintalk, on the topic. * Ceded Territory — Land covered by 1854/1842 treaties that retain tribal hunting, fishing, and gathering rights even outside modern reservation boundaries. Armstrong argues these treaties are an underused legal mechanism against extractive development in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota. * ADA (Average Daily Attendance) Funding — California’s per-student-day school-funding formula (~$92/day per Chavez) that incentivizes schools to focus on attendance over learning outcomes. Chavez argues this drives the bloated administrator-to-teacher ratio. * Tiered Mental Health Support — Chavez’s school-psychologist model, which sorts students into needs tiers (1 through 4) for proactive support. He argues this is the actual mechanism for reducing school violence — not a school resource officer. Sources & References * Chris Armstrong for Wisconsin (CD7) [https://armstrongforwisconsin.com/] — Campaign site, policies, and donation page. * Abel Chavez for Congress (CA-48) [https://abelchavezforcongress.com/] — Campaign site, bilingual policy pages, and donation page. Thank you Margaret Williams, MS, ACC [https://substack.com/profile/12044824-margaret-williams-ms-acc], Lori Modafferi [https://substack.com/profile/385631085-lori-modafferi], the real pambo [https://substack.com/profile/63449719-the-real-pambo], ArleneMach [https://substack.com/profile/11289996-arlenemach], Acejonesz [https://substack.com/profile/287704978-acejonesz], and many others for tuning into my live video with Walter Rhein [https://substack.com/profile/15113701-walter-rhein], Chris Armstrong for Congress [https://substack.com/profile/151039348-chris-armstrong-for-congress], Abel Chavez [https://substack.com/profile/415454879-abel-chavez], and A. Eevie Bateman [https://substack.com/profile/443649430-a-eevie-bateman]! Join me for my next live video in the app. Actions You Can Take * Check out the new: Sick of this Shop! [https://shop.sickofthisshitpublications.com/] * Check out the new network and affiliate calendar: BroadBanner [https://www.broadbanner.com/] Submit questions, feedback, and artwork for Notes of the Week with Nick and Walter: * Sick of this Shit Community Comment Form [https://forms.gle/4WSu8qGkSA7Wxbh98] Call your public servants on important issues: * 5calls.org [https://5calls.org/] Join the efforts to unmask law enforcement and de-flock the States: * deflock.me [https://deflock.me/] Service members can get un-biased information on legal vs illegal orders: * Orders Project [https://www.ordersproject.com/] * Reach out on Signal: @TheOrdersProject.76 Learn empathy forward, human centered, experiment based Leadership & Growth Courses for Higher Ed & Non-Profit Professionals: * B. Cognition Labs [https://www.bcognitionlabs.com/] Nick’s Notes I’m Nick Paro, and I’m sick of the shit going on. So, I’m using poetry, podcasting, and lives to discuss the intersections of chronic illness and mental wellbeing, masculinity, veteran’s issues, politics, and so much more. I am only able to have these conversations, bring visibility to my communities, and fill the void through your support — this is a publication where engagement is encouraged, creativity is a cornerstone, and transparency is key — please consider becoming a paid subscriber today and grow the community! Join the uncensored media at the 1A Collective [https://1acollective.com/] Support as a paid subscriber however you can — to help get you started, here are a few discounted options for you * Forever at 50% off [https://sickofthis.substack.com/50forever] * Forever at 60% off [https://sickofthis.substack.com/60saver] A special thank you to those who are a part of the Sickest of Them All ~ Soso [https://substack.com/profile/309303179-soso] | Millicent [https://substack.com/profile/5428714-millicent] | Courtney 🇨🇦 [https://substack.com/profile/136249074-courtney] | Eric Lullove [https://substack.com/profile/66521654-eric-lullove] | Terry mitchell [https://substack.com/profile/32751953-terry-mitchell] | Carollynn [https://substack.com/profile/301213629-carollynn] | Julie Robuck [https://substack.com/profile/208030486-julie-robuck] | Mason/She/Her🩷💜💙 [https://substack.com/profile/356845797-masonsheher] | Kimmy Win [https://substack.com/profile/180488664-kimmy-win] ~ For support, contact us at: info@sickofthisshitpublications.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sickofthis.substack.com/subscribe [https://sickofthis.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]