Why I Left Trumpland: Escaping the American Cult of Hustle, Bubbles, and Banana Promises
A former believer’s journey through late-stage capitalism, media brainwashing, and the moment I realized I’d lost myself.
1. The American Media Cult: Selling Bananas in Monkey Heaven
“You can never convince a monkey to give you a banana by promising him limitless bananas after death in monkey heaven.”
— Yuval Harari, Sapiens
Humans are unique: we’ll trade today’s bananas for tomorrow’s fantasy. I moved to the U.S. chasing the ultimate monkey heaven—the American Dream. Not as a Gucci-clad trust fund asian kid, but as a scholarship student juggling loans, gap years, and 3 jobs. I believed the lie: “Hustle now, retire at 40!”
But the FIRE movement? A pyramid scheme peddling burnout as enlightenment. Sacrifice your youth, health, and joy for a future where you’re too hollow to enjoy it. Have fun claiming healthcare insurance at past 40. #FreeLuigi
Lesson: The American Dream isn’t a dream—it’s a cult. And we’re all monkeys clapping for banana-shaped NFTs.
2. The Bubble: A Doggy Dog World (Yes, Uncle Snoop Said That)
“It’s a doggy dog world. If you don’t fuck someone over, you’ll get f*cked.”
Snoop Dogg once criticized artists who performed for Trump—then did it himself in 2025*. Why? The game is rigged. When you’re trapped in the lab cage of late-stage capitalism, even icons dance to the tune of those who built the maze.
In my Columbia-to-tech bubble, I pulled six figures in LA while sidestepping tent cities. My tribe? Asian overachievers and coastal elites armoring ourselves with Teslas (pre-Elon’s Nazi arc), gated communities, and podcasts ranting about “lazy people” causing inequality.
But we weren’t victims—we were guard dogs for inequality. Every algorithm I optimized, every app I shipped, every “disruptive innovation” and every “hustle culture” re-tweet widened the gap.
Lesson: The doggy dog world isn’t natural—it’s a lab cage engineered to keep us clawing at each other while the architects profit. Empathy isn’t eroded; it’s outsourced to a system that rewards complicity.
3. My American Future? Meet Bobby’s Trump-Voting Dad
Bobby’s dad marched for civil rights in the ’60s. Now? He voted Trump—twice. “ He admits that Jan 6th was insurrection was sh*t show, but he voted for Mr. Orange because he promises to cut taxes and he needs it to “take care of his family”.
I get it. After decades marinating in suburban Fox News and Nextdoor panic, he’s lost the self that once fought for justice.
In The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Oliver Sacks writes:
“If a man has lost a leg, he knows it. But if he’s lost himself, he can’t—because he’s no longer there to know it.”
The deadliest virus in human history isn’t COVID or the Spanish flu—it’s fear. And the new American Dream? Brought to you by panic clicks and rage-bait algorithms.
Lesson: Fear isn’t a bug in the system. It’s the product.
4. The Trek That Broke the Spell
After attending my friend’s wedding in Nepal, I joined a 7-day Ghorepani Poon Hill trek. It was brutal - 12 hour hikes and simple one meal a day with rice, veggies and tea meals.
But villages where kids grinned despite owning nothing but worn out shoes with holes.
Then I met an 70+ year-old Brit grandpa shuffling up the trail like a snail on Xanax.
“Why trek at your age?” I asked.
“My friends and I dreamed of Everest in our 20s,” he said. “We waited for the ‘right time.’ Now they’re dead or too sick.
So here I am—budget bucket list edition.”
That’s when I realized: I’d traded my self for a cult’s empty promises. America sells retirement as a finish line, but what if you’re too broken to cross it?
Closing Thought: Burn the Banana
The American Dream isn’t just broken—it’s a rigged game. But unlike Bobby’s dad, I still have my self. So I quit Trumpland and this wild wild west capitalism.
Your rebellion starts here:
🍌Question the bananas.
🏔Trek your own Everest before you’re 85.
💸 Next time you see someone struggling, give them $20 (or whatever makes sense). It might feel like a lot — but it could make their day. And if you do, see them, not just their struggle.
Beyond the Algorithm (But if you're into it):
Photos that will make you think: Ugǔr Gallenkuș
Watch/Listen: What Now? with Trevor Noah Podcast with Khaya Dlanga - talks about technology, American politics and stories about growing up during apartheid