Equality Quote by John Pomfret

Pomfret’s line is a quiet indictment of a very American habit: treating “overseas” not as a place with its own gravity, but as a stage set where American assumptions get to play the lead. The phrasing matters. “A lot of times” is diplomatic throat-clearing, the kind that signals institutional critique without naming names. “We” pulls the listener in; this isn’t finger-pointing so much as a confession of professional muscle memory, the reflex that kicks in when journalists, diplomats, NGO workers, or business travelers translate foreign lives into familiar categories.

The core move is the metaphor of the “prism.” A prism doesn’t just frame; it refracts and distorts. It turns a single beam into a spectrum that feels enlightening while quietly changing the original. That’s the subtext: American narratives can appear to add clarity, but they often break lived reality into digestible colors - democracy-versus-authoritarianism, victim-versus-agent, “like us” versus “not yet.” Listing nationalities (Chinese, Korean, Bosnian) isn’t random; it spans geopolitical rival, ally, and post-conflict Europe, suggesting the habit is portable across contexts. Difference doesn’t matter; the template stays the same.

The intent isn’t to ban empathy or comparison. It’s to warn that the default mode of “relatability” is frequently a subtle colonization of meaning: other people become case studies for American lessons. Pomfret is arguing for reporting and engagement that doesn’t just ask, “How would I feel?” but “What does this mean here, to them, on their terms?” That shift is harder, less comforting, and far more honest.