Former CIA Operative Reveals The Worst Place He Ever Traveled Too 

Nigerian guy here(3rd world country). I hope America gets better & better but always be grateful for the things you have that others don't👍

I've been teaching at international schools around the world for almost 20 years, and yes, it has given me the insight to realize that the U.S., with all of its problems and issues, is an incredible place to live.

I'll never forget the Vietnam immigrant who ordered a hotdog when he first got to America. After receiving his dish, he returned it saying, "Not this part. No. No. Not this part."

“I can go to any sink in America” Flint Michigan: “Am I a joke to you”

I'd like to point out that China in 2002 and 2022 are two very different places (having lived there at both times).

While on active duty in the USMC (1989 - 1995), when returning from any deployment (Desert Shield/Desert Storm, etc), I would literally kiss the ground when I got off the plane or ship. Since then, whenever returning from abroad, I am always grateful to return to the USA. This guy is spot on.

He gets it. I went to Vietnam in 1992. I tell you, I came back with a TREMENDOUS appreciation for the US.

It is such a huge relief whenever I come back to my country Kenya from western countries or Eastern countries. Kenya is safe, has clean water, the food is healthier and trasport is everywhere, not to mention the women are fantastic.

When you grow up with nothing You appreciate so much more of what this country has. And I grew up here People's complacency IS a problem Drives me crazy man

I see a few people in the comments are taking his words out of context. He’s not saying that the United States is better than any other country. He’s just highlighting the fact that there are opportunities and luxuries in America that are not available entirely elsewhere. And by traveling the world and coming back home he’s able to appreciate those differences a whole lot more. Every country has something admirable about it but also has small cultural differences that may seem strange or inconvenient when you’re not used to it. In the end it all comes down to the person.

Trust the hippy CIA dude at your own risk.

I am working in the DRC(Congo) at the moment, from the UK. Not a shitty place. underdeveloped - yes. Poor - yes. Shitty - no. The people are great and when you see what the US, UK, French and Belgians did to this country to keep it destabilised so companies could come and exploit. He has a very dismissive outlook on countries!

That is the 3rd time I have heard that Congo is the worst place on earth. I had an ex-Marine tell me that and and ex-army guy working as a security contractor tell me that as well. They said that everything in the country kills you. From the snakes, to the bugs, to the people, to the parasites. The Marine told me that they were their on a U.N. peace keeping mission and he said when they were departing, his entire unit had to stand on the airfield and take off all of their clothes and put new uniforms on and leave anything made out of cloth on the ground. Because there were parasites in the dirt that would infect your clothing and they could not bring that back to the U.S.

I am proud to be African but I get what he is saying. For instance I grew up drinking the water so I built up a resistance to it but my wife who grew up in the US would get extremely sick if a drop of water was to enter her mouth. She used to say how jealous she was of my water drinking abilities. After living in the US now I have lost the resistance to I can’t go back to severe gastroenteritis😂

It's actually really ignorant to call Austria a heavily socialist country. Not only is no European country technically socialist, but Austria actually has a conservative government!

that's how i felt after my time in the Navy. I loved traveling and seeing other places, especially in my early 20s but God i was so glad to be back in the states when i got home.

For me it’s exact opposite. Every time I travel overseas, I realize how refreshing it is to leave the United States. The most depressing part of my trip is returning. Your financial punching power exceeds what it is in the US in many countries. Try it for yourself and see what works for you. Additionally, I always feel healthier when I eat overseas because the food is not loaded with preservatives, seed oils, and all types of general shit that should not be in the food but is in the United States to maximize profit and shelf life.

I've been in Vietnam for the last 8 years and this guy is spot on. Every time I come back to the US I understand people less and less. People complaining about the dumbest shit, wrapped up in politics on their phone. Its hard to see how good you good it when it surrounds you. Traveling outside the safe haven of US will help a lot of people with their depression and other problems. It will be uncomfortable and dangerous at times but you come out a better stronger person

I lived in China for a year - eating dog is not "common" It's actually seen as disgusting / taboo by most educated and middle class people. It's more common in the south of china, but still not common. Most normal people think it's gross and many people keep dogs as pets.

1:45 People from Flint Michigan 👀

20 yrs in the service I agree. Americans have no idea how bless they are.

Left Portland a decade ago. No regrets. Very interesting place, but Oregon govt is unhinged.

He hasn’t been to Flint, Michigan. Water there has lead.

He’s still working for the CIA 🤭

I like the part when he talks about the worst place he’s been

Let's hear from more people like this, he was very informative!

Its the opposite for our family, we've been living in 3rd world countries with my 2 sons for 10 years, but im from the UK, we visit the UK every 2 years and each time we leave we're llke ''thank god we're heading back to boracay island''... I love the UK but the quality of life is soooo much in places like Phuket Thailand, Boracay Island Philippines, Bohol Island and many more.

I have been in Cambodia and Laos and at the time they both were in top 10 poorest countriest. I'm from Finland so it's something you truly have to experience for yourself to get a differend perspective for life. It will do that to you, it's kinda hard to not apprechiate things more and also understand more concretely how everything is so complex. Like you can see poverty and misery in high scale from your tv or phone but it won't nevet resonate the same way. I think it's best to go as prepered as you can, we avoided some scams and other things by just reading a lot, especially from forums about people telling like ok what might happen when you cross the line from this border in Thailand to Cambodia and what after that. People wouldn't beleave how far some of the scams go to convince you. We were at wet season so there wasn't as much tourists which was cool to actually see how people live, well it felt more authentic. The other tourist that were there, most was in our mind with way too care free attitude not knowing anything (like that two months earlier in one new big pavemenr road tourist busses had been shot two times and one casualty), like it isn't in the end that hard to say mess up in minor way and end up in say Laosian prison if you are not willing to or don't have money to pay the cops. I know couple personal close call and baaad stories from friends and more about friends friends you know. For us our mini-buss was an inch for a pretty for sure atleast for someone fatal crash and you know it's bad when the driver takes an xtra break and smokes with hands that are shaking when they are used to driving like maniacs (it wasn't his fault tho and he dodged it as best as he managed and there was also luck in it, it's complicated to explain since there was a truck, our bus and then scooter involved. I saw it all and my mind just said ok we are going to crash, glad it was avoided by inches from both sides. It all happened super fast and people were just screaming in the bus, most on confusion for the bus shaking like crazy). Another one was that my friend got dengue fever but it isn't like deathly.. until you get it second time, you can and propably will drop death in minutes or hours.

Absolutely love this!! Perspective is a wonderful thing

“What about bat” - lmfao 😂

I grew up living across the world my entire childhood. Dad works for the U.N. High schools from South Africa, Mexico to Bangkok and graduated Kuala Lumpur. Ive seen every nations class to total shitholes. Im American, never grew up in the states. Did 8 years in the Army though. Not once have I personally ever arrived into any of our shithole airports and thought once to myself "damn its good to be back in the U.S.A" 🤣 Its utter chaos and just a bunch of noise here, everyone just takes and takes without consequence based off greed and deceivingly fraudelant lifestyles. I do agree though, that alot of Americans have NO CLUE on how good they have it here. And i think thats something no one will ever understand if they have never lived outside these borders/did or currently served this nation to the letter. Americans think their poor, when they have a car, flat screen tv with a mortgage. And thats whats wrong with this country.

"We ate dogmeat" My Fallout 4 game literally fell out the case.

This guy started out recently on Lex's great show on RU-vid. He's making the rounds. Why is "EX" CIA making the rounds right now? Ex? I don't think so. What's his assignment? Who's his manager?

Im from the Netherlands and I was shocked about the level of poverty I saw in the US. And you cant go nowhere without a car. America isnt that great as people say it is

Two Med cruises (deployments) with the Navy: Kissed the pier both times upon returning.

I think there needs to be an international remedial spelling initiative focusing on some specific words: "to" vs. "too", "lose" vs. "loose", "accept" vs. "except"...

When I've been to the USA , I've been told NOT to drink the water ⚠️

As someone born in Kinshasa raised in America and then moved back to Kinshasa and lived there for 5 years i can absolutely confirm that it doesn’t get worse than DRC. The most vile living conditions I’ve ever witnessed with my own two eyes. I’ve got stories for days but I’ll keep this short.

Amen ! 🙌🏾 So important to travel and see how other people live , it gives you such an amazing perspective of how blessed we have it here in the US .

The guys in Flint really appreciate the water coming from their sink

I knew a guy when I was in the Marines who's family immigrated from China when he was a boy. He told me that after their first look at an American supermarket they never ate Chinese food again! As he put it: "People eat that shit in China because there's nothing else!"

Word of advice, We all say that about our country. After being months in the Us for Work ... I couldn´t wait to get back to my country: Peru (a 3rd world country) ... can´t believe this guys hasn´t realized that after years in the service.

When to Cancun last year and it was my first time traveling to Mexico. It was an amazing experience and the people were great but landing back in The U.S. I just felt this grateful relief rush over me. 🙏🏼 🇺🇸

I get the feeling of coming home. But I’ve been to Austria and I’ve been to Orlando and I can’t imagine preferring the latter. But home is home, and it’s a good thing to be proud of.

Never seen so many homeless people as I did when I visited America

I went to Thailand. My niece’s dad was from there and we were visiting his parents. They had bottled water but it smelled like a sewer. It didn’t taste bad but smelled horrible. Really early one morning I got up to go to the restroom. Amy’s relatives were boiling water from the tap, putting it in those bottles.

I get it this is how I feel after coming back to Sweden from the USA.

I lived in 4 EU countries where I spent at least 6 months of my life. Wherever I was settled at the time I was always happy to come back from my travels. I only experienced this moment in the country where I was currently living. Going back to the country where I come from no longer has that effect on me after so many years of living elsewhere. I developed love towards Europe and not just to one country.

Anywhere in the United States and most of Michigan has a lead problem that will cause long term problems 🙄

It's his experience but, there are way worser places in the world than Kinshasa, dude needs to travel more

If your motivation for travelling is to prove how much better your country is, maybe you should never leave, because your mind is already fundamentally too narrow to appreciate the world

Being home sick doesn’t mean your place is better it is just what you are used to

Sodium fluoride is in the water in the USA, but I wouldn’t turn it down if I was parched

Come back to Kinshasa in 2029 and you’ll be pleasantly surprised. It’ll be where you wanna be if you’re doing business in Africa.

No you cant. There are a lot of places in America where the tap water is contaminated.

It's funny he mentioned water.... after visiting nanjing for two weeks, the first thing I did when I landed in San Francisco was drink from a water fountain.... that metallic, chlorinated city water tasted so good and it was such a huge relief to be able to drink from a tap.

He should go to Skid row

Europeans offended because he didn't put social security over freedom 😅

Clearly he hasn't heard of Flint Michigan

DEAR ALL AMERICANS: This is how most people feel going to their home country. I’ve been to the states on half a dozen separate occasions, great place, some great people, great food and I love their passion for sport etc. but I still feel glad to get back to the UK. Same way the Dutch feel the same getting back to Holland. America is just an average western country.

I have heard many a foreigner say they were glad to be back home after trips to the US. 2:30 is a description of a cognitive bias. Every one "loves" their home turf. The language, the food, the knowledge of how to navigate, the intuitive conveniences, and other intangibles play a larger part than we want to give it credit when we head abroad for work or pleasure.

Everyone I have met, who has had to travel live, or work in a different country always feels happy to be back in their home country. Like they say, East or West, Home is Best.

I been to 76 countries, I can think of less than 10 where I thought “I’m glad to be back”..

I’m glad you put a link to the whole vid!

I travelled the world and finally settled in Dubai. You have to travel and see and find what works for you. There are many great places to be and dubai is by far the best city. Only issue is it’s hot and humid for 4 months

Ol boy said "Montezumas Revenge" Hahahahaha

Worst place I ever went while working for the U.S. Government was Haiti. If there is a worse place than that, I really don't want to go there.

Dude obviously never had Arizona water 😂

American infrastructure is next to none. it's the best. But the attitude is crappy. Neighbors barely even wave at each other these days. There are some places that embrace family. The U.S. is about the individual and it kinda sux sometimes.

It's "To" not "Too". Word "To" can be used to indicate a goal or a direction of movement, as well as a place of arrival - Dictionary. That's all I got, thanks 👍

I love living in America for all kinds of reasons but if you come back from aome of the nicer plces in Asia you can feel a huge downgrade in the infrastructure, cleanliness, public transportation, feeling of safety, smell, etc when you land in the US and especially when you get on public transportation.

I get what he is saying, I completely understand him, only I feel that pride when I get back to Canada from travelling to the US :p

This guy looked at all the Navy SEALs that do nothing but talk about their super secret missions and said hold my beer.

Since when kids "can't talk" to whoever they want to?? I live in UAE and lived in more conservative countries and non of this shit happen at all. It's flat out LIE.

I used to say to my kids that just by turning on the faucet and drinking the water they were luckier than 60% of the world’s population. They didn’t get it till my one son traveled with the military and my other son traveled with me to the far east.

I appreciate the idea of travel to then appreciate your country more though it seems a little off. I am from New Zealand and when I went to America I loved it. Very interesting and enjoyable. A lot to like there. Though healthcare isn’t very good and many can’t get it. Poverty was surprising. Violence and safety were threats way more than my country. I wouldn’t say my country is better. I would travel to America to be more patriotic or to say how incredible my country is. I understand doing that do appreciation though it seems a little too much. I had a Chinese guy in my country who missed his country.

I spent 2 weeks in England/Scotland and I had never been more proud to be an American lol. You realize how the good the service industry is here and how people in the US are actually very very friendly.

lol, you literally can NOT go to ANY sink in the US and drink tap water without having serious health issues

Politics aside. Its normal to feel at home in your own country...if you're patriotic. Cultural shock is expected when you go to a different country. When in China do as the Chinese do.

America is the greatest country to you and that’s a good attitude to have about your country but don’t assume we all want to come to America trust me, I know tons of people who wouldn’t let their kids come there.

Seems like he has good intentions going in and still maintains quite a bit of that idealism here. Things are "great" for a lot of people right now, but that's just the short-term plan our government has. The long-term plan is unfortunately the erosion of our free will and ability to consider the world through our own lens. God be with him and his family.

as an austrian ( living in paris ) i would really like to know what he likes better about america .... except that he feels at home . i have been to america 3 times and would choose any western european country over america . i can't think of anything that would be better in america. the food , the cultural offerings , the variety of cultures , the social security and security in general..... i always find it amusing when americans are worried about the security situation in europe . in austria we had 42 murders last year , at a population of 9 million people ( 24 of them were women killed by their husbands - and as tragic as it was for these women, these murders have nothing to do with the general security situation in the country ) ..... a city like chicago ( with 2 million inhabitants ) has probably more than 42 murders per month . on cultural diversity : in 2 hours i can be in rome , paris , berlin , barcelona or london .... and that for about $50 - $70 for a return trip by plane . when it comes to food, you can't compare europe with america anyway.... not only in terms of the health aspect, but also the variety and quality of the food. maybe an american can help me ..... what exactly is better about america ? many americans think america is the best country in the world..... and i have always wondered why they think so

From Ft. Lauderdale, college in Philly, worked in LA. 17 Years in China and Asia. Quality of life 100% better in Asia. Love USA, but I'm not delusional or bullshitting

I appreciate the guy’s perspective. Funny how some comment sections are filled with people that, judging by their comments, have some bad people skills 😂

I would’ve thought he’d say “The barbershop.”

as someone from austria, im now wondering what he meant actually… because he only said positive things right? lol

"I can literally go to any sink in the United States and drink the water." lmao I see you've never visited Pensacola, Florida, my man!! lmao

When I had to spend 2 weeks in Tucson then Phoenix Arizona I felt the same. Glad to be back at home Arizona is an absolute nightmare of a state

Montezumas Revenge!! 😂 that was beautiful!!

I'm grateful to have lived in the USA for nearly a decade 🇺🇲 I'm even more grateful to now live in Australia 🇦🇺

"I literally could go to any sink in the United States and like grab a glass and drink water." This guy has never been to Flint, Michigan or North Dakota.

I spent a year total in China from 2016 to 2019. Traveling back and forth. They only eat dog in rural parts. Chinese do eat chicken feet and chicken heart. Americans in the south eat chitterlings, pig feet, and alligator. In Kazakhstan, they eat horse meat. So every culture has its unique food. He went in 2002, I’m sure it was rough then. Now, China is a very modern country. I stayed in very nice apartments and hotels. The water is normal. I’ve been all over China. It is one of the safest countries I’ve visited. There are dirty parts, sure. Just like in America. Except in America you can get robbed and killed in the wrong neighborhoods. I grew up in Cleveland. Drive through East Cleveland, it’s looks worse than 3rd world. I’ve been to 10 countries. Pakistan was my least favorite because bars and clubs are illegal. I’ve heard the same thing about DROC, it’s extremely dangerous.

It's like the CIA saw Russel Brand and said, "we could use this"

I've brushed my teeth in Africa using tap water that had black crap coming out along with the water. Don't know what it was, but I just spit it out and carried on. I managed to survive somehow. I didn't drink it though, so there's that.🤣

I felt the same way coming back from my 1st Navy deployment. So fucking happy to be back.

All the podcasters interview the same people and it's getting really boring!

You're not gonna get Montezumas revenge 🤣🤣

You know that feeling of finally sleeping in your own bed after being away on a trip for a while? That is how walking through US Customs coming home feels after being in an underdeveloped country for over a week. Even a short trip to an underdeveloped country should be a very high priority for all Americans. I did a two week trip across India for work that literally changed my life. I was a patriotic American before, but it just made me so much more appreciative of things that are imperfect. Healthcare for example. We all know how much of a mess our healthcare system is. But once you get sick in a third world country and have to consider the possibility that you will be treated by those staff in those conditions, you will never complain about american healthcare again. Yes, it's expensive, but when your life is on the line I want the best in the world. This example extrapolates out to all things in American society.

I was with him until he mentioned Austria. At that point, you're really just grateful about being home with the familiar. Which is fine, but it's nothing special. I'd agree more with him about his returning from the other places he mentioned.

Um, plenty of places you can’t drink the water