Has anybody been having trouble with the internet recently? Living in Asia I feel that the US has gone full Chinese firewall recently. Only half of the websites load using my US vpn but I can access all of them using a Japanese vpn.

And this is only half the problem. Since I have moved to Japan about 18 years ago I have noticed...

1) Individuals can't mail packages internationally by container.

2) Major international foreign companies will not deliver to individuals living in Japan.

3) Japanese banks require social security numbers for reporting to the irs

4) Japanese banks require foreigners to sign an anti-terrorist

agreement (which I never will sign)

The only saving grace I have in this situation is bitcoin. Thank God it is international and not centralized!