Book Review: Why I Left America By John Arnone

[grantbkk]

John Arnone’s self-published, self-righteous and self-aggrandizing pamphlet detailing his failed adult life in America before he found his way to Thailand is nothing more than an ego running wild. Reading “Why I left America” is a colossal waste of time and is simply a rehash of attempts by angry white Americans to deflect blame for a failed life. It is a sad, bitter tale by someone who had every opportunity to become an American success story but made some bad decisions and took the wrong path.

From what I can piece together John was out of school and out of the US Navy living in Los Angeles in the mid 1960’s. It appears that he failed to fully utilize the GI Bill that would pay for a college education and took a job in magazine distribution. He was later fired for “sex discrimination”, which must have been something because it didn’t really exist in that context until years later. Three failed marriages, jail time, and failing again in his chosen profession, pornography distribution, he became angry and disenfranchised so he relocated to Thailand in 1998.

For the record, I too was a white man in Los Angeles a few years behind John. In my opinion, if you were a white male in the 1960’s and 1970’s you could literally write your own ticket to success. Back then the Vietnam War was in full swing and a generation of “flower children” decided to drop out of society and devote their time to fun, music, drugs and love. There was a shortage of educated and skilled people who were always in demand and paid quite well their services.

John’s grandparents immigrated to the United States. In time they had children who worked very hard to provide for John’s parents and passed along a proper work ethic that allowed John to have every opportunity to fulfill his life’s dreams. Now, he would vehemently deny the same opportunities to any group of immigrants who do not agree with his skewed view of the world. I’m fairly sure that if John’s parents and grandparents were alive to witness firsthand what evil lurks in the mind of their progeny they would be horrified. By “immigrating” to Thailand he contradicts everything he preaches about the wickedness of immigrants and becomes an immigrant himself.

Using John as an example I can see why some officials and some people here want nothing to do with foreigners living long term in the Kingdom. What does he bring to the table except hate and negativity? A failed sex industry entrepreneur and ex-convict rants against immigrants, foreigners, gays, Blacks, white women, America, Americans, Middle Eastern people, Christmas and dancing. Are we really supposed to believe that he has had an epiphany and now loves everything Thai? I think not and most people are not that gullible.

John still has the capacity to do something positive with his life and for society before leaving us for the afterlife. I think it goes without saying that he should not smoke in front of his children or encourage them to take up the habit. His whiny, angry tone trying to defend smoking is at best left to the illiterate. He should somehow, someway see to it that his children are fully educated and instill a true sense of optimism upon them. They should have the same opportunities John was afforded so many years ago. John’s children should be given the opportunity to make positive choices and pursue a successful path that has so far eluded him.

John’s “Why I left America” was written in 1999 and apparently his beliefs have not changed in any significant way while living the “good life” in Thailand. This book sat festering and unpublished for eight years. By publishing this tripe for all to see he demonstrates that he has learned absolutely nothing by living the Thai way and now wants to foist absolute negativity on us in the form of a bigot’s view of the world.

[GuestHouse]

John Arnone’s self-published, self-righteous and self-aggrandizing pamphlet detailing his failed adult life in America before he found his way to Thailand is nothing more than an ego running wild. Reading “Why I left America” is a colossal waste of time and is simply a rehash of attempts by angry white Americans to deflect blame for a failed life.

Seems familiar ...... where have I read that kind of thing before?

[Ulysses G.]

I sell this book in my shop and I believe - if I remember correctly - that Mr. Arnone brought the copies in himself.

I have to admit that I haven't read the whole thing, I have just skimmed it, however, I would say that grantbangkok has captured the flavor and flaws of the book very well.

I try not to make judgements on what I sell - I even have a bunch of Noam Chomsky titles - but I have to admit I was unsure about stocking this one, and, I must admit, grantbangkok's review isn't making me feel any better about my decision.

[PeaceBlondie]

Ulysses, if I write a book "Why I left the IRS, moved to Mexico, then to Brownsville, finally to Chiang Mai" and self-publish it, could I bring it by your stores to be sold? What if I mention that upon arriving in Chiang Mai, my TEFL course included linguistics theories by Noam Chomsky?

[flightcrew1]

Here is a review that was in the "The Nation" on Sunday. JohnBkk pretty much sums up the same review. I read John Arnone pretty much every day in the Nation and Bangkok Post as he something to say about everything! Even today he is in both newspapers in the letters to the editor.

Here is the review...

Self-righteous rantings

A 'defector' to the Thai way of life serves up an unsolicited hypothesis on the decline of American societyPublished on September 9, 2007

The book under review is entitled "Why I Left America". To which the immediate riposte might be: Why should I care?

But the author is John Arnone of Yasothon, prolific writer to the two English-language Bangkok newspapers - 300 times by his own count - in which he offers his opinions on various and sundry topics, which provoke replies, which in turn provoke his replies to their replies. It seems a pastime ideal for someone with too much time on his hands, like those British colonial Colonel Blimps who passed their retirement years writing indignant dispatches to The Times. But regulars like Arnone keep the letters column lively.

His 175-page book was recently self-published after he failed to find a willing issuer in Thailand or the US. The text was written in 1999, six months after he settled in Thailand, with appropriate updates in bold type.

Arnone was born in 1941 and grew up in a tranquil time in America, to which he looks back with unabashed pride. His parents were the children of immigrants, father Italian, mother Polish. His father brought home the money as an auto mechanic and ruled the roost. One of five children, Arnone graduated from high school, served in the US Navy and, like many others, migrated from New York to California.

He first worked in magazine distribution until he was fired in a sex-discrimination case. Then he became the owner of a pornographic video store. He went through three bitter and costly divorces.

He moved to Thailand nine years ago and is happily married with two kids in Yasothon. Why he moved is the subject of his book: America is a thoroughly rotten place. Government, morals, economy, sexual mores, entertainment, family values, legal system and education - all are one big, festering swamp.

Arnone is no scholar and does not quote from books or cite statistics. What he does have are opinions and an awful lot of them. His book is a rant, a raging polemic, a towering jeremiad. His core beliefs are stated toward the end of his slender volume:

"White, European males built America. Not women and not minorities. White men did. And now you revile us and treat us with condescension, if not outright scorn. Women and minority comedians make fun of us openly and television shows portray us as boobs and buffoons.

"Sour grapes? Absolutely. It's like building a house and then having a horde of squatters descend on it, only to criticise the woodwork. Then after partying in it for months and not paying attention to maintenance, they want you to fix the leaks in the roof.

"So little by little, those of us who are still alive and free to do so are leaving the country to you. You have had it for some time now anyway. So far, all you've produced are drug addicts, dysfunctional children and a proliferation of psychiatrists, lawyers and lawsuits ..."

Political correctness is a concept foreign to John Arnone. And this is refreshing, though the aggrieved, whiny tone of the angry, white middle-aged male goes on for too long. He also doesn't like American healthcare, diet, consumer culture, anti-smoking laws, sports, television, movies, music and dancing, drugs, breathalysers, handicap parking, driving manners, corporations, special-interest groups, male-female relations, deadbeat dads and Christmas.

You wonder why he didn't just stay home and vote Republican, but Arnone is also against neo-con bozos and George W Bush's war in Iraq.

His thesis is that America's decline began with the civil-rights movement which led to forced bussing and job quotas and in turn to woman's liberation and gay rights - a culture of complaint in which everyone claims to be a victim, except for white guys like Arnone. "Additionally, all three movements that I have mentioned, having won battle after battle, have now mutated into nothing more than extortionist organisations looking for the edge," he writes.

He also doesn't like Middle Eastern immigrants because of their "exclusive religion".

But give him credit. He found salvation in Thailand. His Isaan wife runs a hairdressing salon and an orchid garden while he does the washing and ironing and takes care of the kids, who are being raised Thai.

" ... I never said Thailand was perfect. I said I like it. It's the best place I have ever seen for freedom, a sense of values, great weather and the general attitude of the people, not to mention the cost of living. But, most importantly, it is an everyday pleasure watching people treat each other in a civil manner. That alone is reason to defect."

He likes the care Thai people expend on children, the respect for their elders, the Buddhist ethos, the sense of fun and the close social relations in his village. And you can smoke in the bars.

[GuestHouse]

A failed sex industry entrepreneur and ex-convict rants against immigrants, foreigners, gays, Blacks, white women, America, Americans, Middle Eastern people, Christmas and dancing

This is getting creepy.... I've read that kind of thing somewhere too.

[Scott]

Actually, it sounds interesting and at 175 pages, I may have to have a read. From the reviews here, I certainly don't agree with him--so far I don't know that I agree with him on much of anything, but it certainly is the kind of stuff that makes me pause and think about things.

Of course much over the 175 pages would be way beyond the point of diminishing returns.

It also sounds like a guide to "What I don't want to happen to Me"!

[PeaceBlondie]

In other words, he spends the entire book - which he finished in 1999 after six months in Thailand, and couldn't find a publisher - claiming to be the victim. Then he rants about those who cried 'victim' before he did. I could relate to that, but I don't care to.

I don't waste my time writing letters to the Nation and the Post. I invest my valuable time and prose here on ThaiVisa!

[flightcrew1]

Peace Blondie...did I ever tell you that you are my favorite? If you did write to the BKK post or Nation you would have at least one fan! Me! I always enjoy your posts as they are real and to the point!

[a2396]

Here is a review that was in the "The Nation" on Sunday. JohnBkk pretty much sums up the same review. I read John Arnone pretty much every day in the Nation and Bangkok Post as he something to say about everything! Even today he is in both newspapers in the letters to the editor.

Here is the review...

Self-righteous rantings

A 'defector' to the Thai way of life serves up an unsolicited hypothesis on the decline of American societyPublished on September 9, 2007

The book under review is entitled "Why I Left America". To which the immediate riposte might be: Why should I care?

But the author is John Arnone of Yasothon, prolific writer to the two English-language Bangkok newspapers - 300 times by his own count - in which he offers his opinions on various and sundry topics, which provoke replies, which in turn provoke his replies to their replies. It seems a pastime ideal for someone with too much time on his hands, like those British colonial Colonel Blimps who passed their retirement years writing indignant dispatches to The Times. But regulars like Arnone keep the letters column lively.

His 175-page book was recently self-published after he failed to find a willing issuer in Thailand or the US. The text was written in 1999, six months after he settled in Thailand, with appropriate updates in bold type.

Arnone was born in 1941 and grew up in a tranquil time in America, to which he looks back with unabashed pride. His parents were the children of immigrants, father Italian, mother Polish. His father brought home the money as an auto mechanic and ruled the roost. One of five children, Arnone graduated from high school, served in the US Navy and, like many others, migrated from New York to California.

He first worked in magazine distribution until he was fired in a sex-discrimination case. Then he became the owner of a pornographic video store. He went through three bitter and costly divorces.

He moved to Thailand nine years ago and is happily married with two kids in Yasothon. Why he moved is the subject of his book: America is a thoroughly rotten place. Government, morals, economy, sexual mores, entertainment, family values, legal system and education - all are one big, festering swamp.

Arnone is no scholar and does not quote from books or cite statistics. What he does have are opinions and an awful lot of them. His book is a rant, a raging polemic, a towering jeremiad. His core beliefs are stated toward the end of his slender volume:

"White, European males built America. Not women and not minorities. White men did. And now you revile us and treat us with condescension, if not outright scorn. Women and minority comedians make fun of us openly and television shows portray us as boobs and buffoons.

"Sour grapes? Absolutely. It's like building a house and then having a horde of squatters descend on it, only to criticise the woodwork. Then after partying in it for months and not paying attention to maintenance, they want you to fix the leaks in the roof.

"So little by little, those of us who are still alive and free to do so are leaving the country to you. You have had it for some time now anyway. So far, all you've produced are drug addicts, dysfunctional children and a proliferation of psychiatrists, lawyers and lawsuits ..."

Political correctness is a concept foreign to John Arnone. And this is refreshing, though the aggrieved, whiny tone of the angry, white middle-aged male goes on for too long. He also doesn't like American healthcare, diet, consumer culture, anti-smoking laws, sports, television, movies, music and dancing, drugs, breathalysers, handicap parking, driving manners, corporations, special-interest groups, male-female relations, deadbeat dads and Christmas.

You wonder why he didn't just stay home and vote Republican, but Arnone is also against neo-con bozos and George W Bush's war in Iraq.

His thesis is that America's decline began with the civil-rights movement which led to forced bussing and job quotas and in turn to woman's liberation and gay rights - a culture of complaint in which everyone claims to be a victim, except for white guys like Arnone. "Additionally, all three movements that I have mentioned, having won battle after battle, have now mutated into nothing more than extortionist organisations looking for the edge," he writes.

He also doesn't like Middle Eastern immigrants because of their "exclusive religion".

But give him credit. He found salvation in Thailand. His Isaan wife runs a hairdressing salon and an orchid garden while he does the washing and ironing and takes care of the kids, who are being raised Thai.

" ... I never said Thailand was perfect. I said I like it. It's the best place I have ever seen for freedom, a sense of values, great weather and the general attitude of the people, not to mention the cost of living. But, most importantly, it is an everyday pleasure watching people treat each other in a civil manner. That alone is reason to defect."

He likes the care Thai people expend on children, the respect for their elders, the Buddhist ethos, the sense of fun and the close social relations in his village. And you can smoke in the bars.

the Buddhist ethos??? What might that consist of?

[canadiangirl]

grantbkk, i love this review, it made me laugh!

as guesthouse says .... where have i read this kind of thing before? Hmmmm.

[grantbkk]

grantbkk, i love this review, it made me laugh!

as guesthouse says .... where have i read this kind of thing before? Hmmmm.

Thanks for the kind words. Mr. Arnone put it out there for all to see.

[Prakanong]

In other words, he spends the entire book - which he finished in 1999 after six months in Thailand, and couldn't find a publisher - claiming to be the victim. Then he rants about those who cried 'victim' before he did. I could relate to that, but I don't care to.

I don't waste my time writing letters to the Nation and the Post. I invest my valuable time and prose here on ThaiVisa!

You have probably got a lot more interesting things to write about than this guy and many of the other trash one finds in Thialands bookshops by Farangs.

Apart from a few decent writers its all the same with the authors only vying for the mostly badly written <deleted> to find a publisher prize.

[JetsetBkk]

Peace Blondie...did I ever tell you that you are my favorite? If you did write to the BKK post or Nation you would have at least one fan! Me! I always enjoy your posts as they are real and to the point!

Ditto. PB is one of the most honest, open and likeable posters on TV.

[Ulysses G.]

Ulysses, if I write a book "Why I left the IRS, moved to Mexico, then to Brownsville, finally to Chiang Mai" and self-publish it, could I bring it by your stores to be sold? What if I mention that upon arriving in Chiang Mai, my TEFL course included linguistics theories by Noam Chomsky?

Probably - at least if you were willing to admit that that Chomsky is a fine linguist, but a liar and a traitor to his religion and his nationality, and put a blurb on the back of your book to that effect.

[kat]

Yeah, I know him from his tirades in the Post. I never bothered to respond, because he was so obviously a waste of time. Great review! Now we have the details for what we sensed about him all along.

[PeaceBlondie]

Aw, shucks, y'all, where's that blushing emoticon? Here it is, I think: well, close enough...

I am a man of words, seldom a man of few words. I wrote a double novel which I've reduced from 263,000 words to 190,000, a novel about Mexico and Thailand. Who would like to publish it for me?

[mrtoad]

I get so sick of reading his rantings in the Post and Nation, so I am certainly not going out to buy his book. It will be interesting to see how many copies of it get sold.

I did see a review of it in the BP around a month or so ago, and I was curious how he had managed to get it published. Thankfully the OP has clarified that, and as I suspected it was a self publish, as I can't believe that anyone would seriously consider funding it. The review conmfirms what I suspected the content of the book to be like - the rantings of a bitter man who blames everyone else but himself for his own failings.

I'll give it a miss.

[ratcatcher]

I get so sick of reading his rantings in the Post and Nation, so I am certainly not going out to buy his book. It will be interesting to see how many copies of it get sold.

I did see a review of it in the BP around a month or so ago, and I was curious how he had managed to get it published. Thankfully the OP has clarified that, and as I suspected it was a self publish, as I can't believe that anyone would seriously consider funding it. The review conmfirms what I suspected the content of the book to be like - the rantings of a bitter man who blames everyone else but himself for his own failings.

I'll give it a miss.

I can only wait for Eric Bahrt's new book (whenever) all about correct eating habits etc. He must have surpassed Mr Arnone in his letters to the editor.

[calibanjr.]

Ulysses, if I write a book "Why I left the IRS, moved to Mexico, then to Brownsville, finally to Chiang Mai" and self-publish it, could I bring it by your stores to be sold? What if I mention that upon arriving in Chiang Mai, my TEFL course included linguistics theories by Noam Chomsky?

Probably - at least if you were willing to admit that that Chomsky is a fine linguist, but a liar and a traitor to his religion and his nationality, and put a blurb on the back of your book to that effect.

1st Amendment alive and well at Gecko Books (sort of)!

[mrtoad]

I get so sick of reading his rantings in the Post and Nation, so I am certainly not going out to buy his book. It will be interesting to see how many copies of it get sold.

I did see a review of it in the BP around a month or so ago, and I was curious how he had managed to get it published. Thankfully the OP has clarified that, and as I suspected it was a self publish, as I can't believe that anyone would seriously consider funding it. The review conmfirms what I suspected the content of the book to be like - the rantings of a bitter man who blames everyone else but himself for his own failings.

I'll give it a miss.

I can only wait for Eric Bahrt's new book (whenever) all about correct eating habits etc. He must have surpassed Mr Arnone in his letters to the editor.

That doesn't even bare thinking about.

[kat]

I get so sick of reading his rantings in the Post and Nation, so I am certainly not going out to buy his book. It will be interesting to see how many copies of it get sold.

I did see a review of it in the BP around a month or so ago, and I was curious how he had managed to get it published. Thankfully the OP has clarified that, and as I suspected it was a self publish, as I can't believe that anyone would seriously consider funding it. The review conmfirms what I suspected the content of the book to be like - the rantings of a bitter man who blames everyone else but himself for his own failings.

I'll give it a miss.

I can only wait for Eric Bahrt's new book (whenever) all about correct eating habits etc. He must have surpassed Mr Arnone in his letters to the editor.

shhh - don't say that too loud, you might dredge them up.

[bannork]

Alas John has turned out to be somewhat of a traitor.

From his regular correspondence in the dailies I had always assumed he loved living in Issan, I've been to Yasothon, it's a nice enough town, exciting at the time of the rocket festival and now at the peak of the rainy season it's wonderfully green with waves of luscious rice plants bending in the gentle breeze.

But in the paper today John says he hates Yasothon!

Shame on you sir, I contend the man who is tired of somtam and morlam is indeed tired of life.

[Edonista]

"White, European males built America. Not women and not minorities. White men did. And now you revile us and treat us with condescension, if not outright scorn. Women and minority comedians make fun of us openly and television shows portray us as boobs and buffoons."

Absolutely right.

"Sour grapes? Absolutely. It's like building a house and then having a horde of squatters descend on it, only to criticise the woodwork. Then after partying in it for months and not paying attention to maintenance, they want you to fix the leaks in the roof."

Absolutely right again

"So little by little, those of us who are still alive and free to do so are leaving the country to you. You have had it for some time now anyway. So far, all you've produced are drug addicts, dysfunctional children and a proliferation of psychiatrists, lawyers and lawsuits ..."

The spot on continues....

His thesis is that America's decline began with the civil-rights movement which led to forced bussing and job quotas and in turn to woman's liberation and gay rights - a culture of complaint in which everyone claims to be a victim, except for white guys like Arnone. "Additionally, all three movements that I have mentioned, having won battle after battle, have now mutated into nothing more than extortionist organisations looking for the edge," he writes.

and he is right again.Where can I find the book ?

[Jingthing]

Did white men build the railroads and the southern plantations? Hmmmm.

Being an American expat is already not well understood and accepted in America. I hope this book goes nowhere, it is embarrassing. The man on the street in America doesn't get why anyone would want to leave when they imagine the entire world is clamoring to get in, based on Fox News reports.

I do agree there are some amazingly bad things about living in America, but there are also some amazingly good things. Kind of like most countries I have experienced.

I suppose it is true that some on the extreme right and left in American politics hate it so bad, they have to leave. However, I think for most US expats, politics and/or hatred of modern America is not the primary motivator.

[zinnie]

Yeah, I know him from his tirades in the Post. I never bothered to respond, because he was so obviously a waste of time. Great review! Now we have the details for what we sensed about him all along.

I gave the book a quick perusal. You're right... obviously a waste of time. I must admit, though, I'm looking forward to Arnone's sequel, "Why I Left Thailand"

[grantbkk]

I don't know who this reviewer is, but he should have tried to read all of the book so he could get his facts straight.

1. I did go to college for two years on the G.I. Bill.

2. The sex discrimination case occurred in 1981 and they were quite common then.

3. I hardly failed in either business and in fact made a great deal of money in both the magazine and adult business, allowing me to retire at 57.

4. I said nothing regarding the wickedness of immigrants, but rather criticized two specific groups of recent immigrants.

5. Being arrested and incarcerated does not qualify one to being referred to as an "ex-convict". My case was thrown out of court.

This critique was not a critique of the book, but rather me. I would caution readers of the critique that it was dishonest and presumptuous and was a result of disagreeing with my letters to the newspaper rather than my book.

As for his comments about what I should do with my life, I hardly believe he is qualified to tell anyone what to do with their life.

John Arnone

Mr. Arnone. Believe me when I say I tried to read the entire book and I should have been able to as it was really just a pamphlet. However, I personally could not deal with the bigotry and negative energy that you threw together so many years ago. This is in a sense your autobiography and you are the one that put it all out there for all to see. You should have had an experienced editor or someone you trust read the material before you self-published it.

1. If you truly went to college, even junior college, you would have learned the dangers of smoking and the harm it causes not only to you but to everyone around you. Simple logic gives anyone with higher brain function the ability to see your pro-smoking stance is a loser.

2. Actually sex discrimination cases were not that common in California around 1981. I must say that they may have been more common in the sex industry, I have no idea.

3. Congratulations on your early retirement. A great deal of money is relative, as just a few thousand Baht is “a great deal of money” here in Thailand. Making your money on the backs of young women in the sex industry is really something to be proud of.

4. Regarding your opinion of immigrants you should re-read your book. It is several years old and perhaps you don’t feel the same now about the evils of all immigrants anymore, especially since you’re one now.

5. I was using the term ex-convict euphemistically rather than jailbird. Sorry if you were offended.

As to your premise that my little critique was about YOU and not the book you are partially right. However, as everyone can see, you are the book. Most of your missives in the newspapers and the pamphlet draw a lot of attention to you personally. Negative attention is still attention and I feel that you crave it. It could be a personality disorder that you should consult someone about. In the meantime you should moderate your hate of America and other immigrants like yourself to reduce the amount of stress in your life. You will be much happier and not come off as a crazed zealot.

Cheers, grantbkk

[Khun ?]

aren't these Derelicts a dime a dozen in Thailand now days.

I am just amazed he is not seen on the streets of Pattaya, kids in tow selling porn DVD's

and panhandling the kids out.

[Edonista]

Making your money on the backs of young women in the sex industry is really something to be proud of.

Indeed it is. I wish I had the same ability, instead women have always been for me only a source of expenses.