When I think of the current state of America, I am reminded of the Joni Mitchell song, California, where she says, “Sitting in a park in Paris , France reading the news and it sure looks bad…” That was in 1971!

So here we are – 2025. More than 50 years on, and the world is a mess. Wars escalating. The current administration has turned inwards, education, colleges and programs are being defunded on the grounds of being too liberal, antisemitic, and so on.

Education is being offered as a reward for compliant behaviour. At ACIS Educational Tours we encourage high school students to travel outside the USA. Travel – so our mantra goes-changes lives. It brings the world together. It helps students grow with a better understanding of the world we live in. Knowing our neighbors better, makes for better neighborhoods. We inhabit this vast world on a leasehold basis. Our job during our limited time here is to make the neighborhood better. Keep the streets clean and make sure we are driven by the general good rules of government.

The governments job is to protect us, provide for our children, provide education and provide healthcare for everyone….We worry about climate. But 44% of our 8.2 billion people live in poverty. There’s work to be done. Defunding education is simply bad. Programs that help the 44% are being discontinued. The USA is looking inwards. We have to look outwards. Keep pushing for change and keep pushing for students to experience our world. To act as pioneers. To innovate and make America a great place to visit and the world a great place to share.