Billie Pate

Billie Pate is a multidisciplinary artist, creative technologist, and serial entrepreneur, from Chicago, IL, USA. After graduating from Northwestern University with a BS degree in computer science, she studied fine art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). She founded Pate Projects, an award-winning art and technology studio in LA, CA and later expanded to NY, NY and Paris, France. A few years later she also founded Billie Pate Group (BPG) to start, buy and invest in other brilliant businesses. She now owns several creative businesses with headquarters around the world while continuing her art practice in Paris, France. She has a newfound interest in foreign affairs. When it comes to politics, her vision is utopian and idealist, but her strategy is realist. xo

www.billiepate.com

Pension Reform

March 28, 2023•100 words

🇫🇷 The French are known for their revolutionary tactics. Les Misérables is probably the best known cultural reference of this phenomenon. The current situation in France is more like the sequel to Wes Anderson's, The French Dispatch, except it's not cute. While people are starving to death, have no jobs, have no money, and face severely repressive, authoritarian regimes in other parts of the world, the French are rioting over a simple pension reform that still allows them to retire earlier than ...

Human Rights First

March 26, 2023•483 words

What is causing mass migration?¹ The African leaders claim it is jobs. And they claim the West must provide jobs for Africans.² But why can't Africans provide jobs for Africans? They have no answer to that question, but to blame the West. It's somehow all our fault that they have no solutions. The reality is that authoritarian regimes stifle business, they stifle innovation, and they stifle creativity. And as long as this continues the economy can not flourish, businesses can not flourish, ther...

The Scandi QUAD

March 25, 2023•37 words

🇳🇴 🇫🇮 🇸🇪 🇩🇰 This is a great idea! It's currently an air force, but I imagine it will also turn into a navy since there is a lot of Russian activity in the North Sea. xo ...

Finland and Sweden

March 24, 2023•153 words

🇫🇮 🇸🇪 We are pleased that Finland will be joining the NATO alliance soon, but we are not pleased with Hungary or Turkey for delaying Sweden's accession process. We expect Sweden's NATO membership to be finalized before the next NATO summit. We will happily exchange Hungary or Turkey or both for Sweden if necessary. NATO is a Free World alliance of liberal democracies pursuing peace, happiness, and prosperity for their citizens and the rest of the world. Both Finland and Sweden are closely align...

China is a Lost Cause

March 24, 2023•329 words

🇨🇳 You are wasting your time on China. China is on a mission to dominate the world, and we will never allow a country like that to dominate the world. They won't accept American or European leadership. They have always been aligned with Russia and North Korea. This is not some new phenomenon in international politics. So politicians that act baffled by this, come off as insincere to me or just plain stupid. If a country will not respect the human rights of their own citizens, their own people, t...

LGBTQ Politicians

March 24, 2023•92 words

🏳️‍🌈 All you have to do is take a look at the success of US Senator Kyrsten Sinema to know that being an LGBTQ politician in the USA does not hinder your ability to get elected or your effectiveness at legislating - not in this day and age. People are bored to death with conservatism, and they are bored to death with the opposition - bland, scruffy, labor leaders. But they are not bored with liberty. They want more of it, not less. We intend to give them what they want. xo ...

They Say Data is the New Oil

March 23, 2023•1,023 words

🇺🇸 I agree with France. It's not just Chinese apps that are the problem. American apps are a major problem too. They pull data from your phone - all kinds of data. They collect your device ID. With the device ID, they can buy GPS data and determine almost every movement you have ever made while owning that device. They copy all of your personal photos, even the ones you do not specifically select to upload to their platform. They collect your text messages, your contacts, and their phone numbers...

Amsterdam, Netherlands

March 21, 2023•244 words

🇳🇱 Paris stinks right now. The French are furious over the pension reform, even though they can still retire earlier than everyone else in the world. They are going to storm the bastille again. The first time was revolutionary. They changed the world. This time it feels very shallow. We decided to visit Amsterdam. I've been wanting to visit Amsterdam for years, and every time I planned a trip something crazy would happen like the pandemic. This time we didn't plan at all, we just spontaneously ...

The Willow Project

March 21, 2023•160 words

🇺🇸 Many of my friends are upset that President Biden approved the Willow Project, and they are now threatening lawsuits against the project. I totally understand their anger, because a few years ago, I would have been just as angry as they are. Now I cringe at their inability to understand the complexity of the world. Fortunately they won't get very far with the lawsuits. President Biden is doing the right thing. Energy costs in Europe are not sustainable. The USA has to produce more fossil fue...

The Hierarchy of Prestige Among States

March 21, 2023•134 words

🇺🇦 I did not realize the importance of the hierarchy of prestige among states. Now that I do, I understand why Ukraine insists on a complete victory over Russia. It will destroy Russia's prestige, and in turn, Russia's influence in the world while boosting Ukraine's prestige and influence. As Robert Gilpin noted in his book, War and Change in World Politics, it is one of the fews ways to create a systemic change in the world. It could potentially allow Ukraine to replace Russia as a dominant sta...

Massive Retaliation

March 20, 2023•16 words

🇳🇱 Any missile strike on the Hague in the Netherlands will be met with massive retaliation. ...

The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend

March 19, 2023•241 words

🇵🇱 Poland breaks my heart with their anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, but I do appreciate everything they are doing for Ukraine. They have accepted millions of Ukrainian refugees into Poland, and they are one of the fiercest supporters of Kyiv. They were also the first country to offer Ukraine tanks and now fighter jets. They keep pushing the West to do more and provide more weapons to Ukraine. The leaders of Poland loathe Vladimir Putin as much as I do. So I still consider them strong allies, despite the r...

Bakhmut, Ukraine

March 17, 2023•109 words

🇺🇦 The Ukrainians have done an exceptional job at defending themselves against Russia with very limited resources and against all odds. I think we need to give the Ukrainian generals more credit for their brilliance in military strategy, and let them make their own tactical decisions. We should focus on providing Ukraine with the weapons they need to win including ammo, tanks, long-range missiles, and jets. Ukraine has proven that they will be a huge asset to both the European Union and NATO. I ...

Billie Pate Presents Fungo Studio at Milan Design Week

March 17, 2023•63 words

🇮🇹 On the occasion of Milan Design Week, Billie Pate presents Fungo Studio, her latest Capitalist Art project from April 17-23. Join us for mushroom lattes and learn about the process of making textiles and furniture out of mushroom fibers. We are giving out samples to interior designers, furniture designers, fashion designers, and anyone else interested in working with new, sustainable biomaterials. xo ...

International Relations

March 16, 2023•834 words

🇺🇸 I started to sense a strong anti-American sentiment in Europe during the Trump administration. Something I had never experienced before. It really disturbed me. I became really concerned about the USA's international relations and global reputation. That's when I became interested in foreign affairs. I started following the leaders of each European country, the leaders of the European Union, and all of our other allies in the Indo-Pacific. I was listening to everything they had to say to try...

Paris, France

March 15, 2023•41 words

🇫🇷 I learned French, my fourth language, because I love French culture. I knew my future husband would most likely be French, not American, because French men are more open to unconventional relationships and they respect and admire my bisexuality. xo ...

Are You Mad?

March 15, 2023•216 words

🏳️‍🌈 Don't hate me because my words are more interesting and more powerful than yours. Don't hate me because my art is also more interesting and powerful than yours and sells at higher prices than yours. Don't hate me because my ideas are cooler than yours, and people areound the world are eager to meet me and work with me rather than you. Don't hate me because I am more sophisticated than you are. Don't hate me because I have better taste than you do. Don't hate me because my girlfriend is...

Paramount Bank

March 10, 2023•544 words

🇺🇸 Never keep all of your eggs in one basket or all of your money in one bank. As a rule, you shouldn’t keep more than $250k in one bank account, because the government only insures that much for each account. Those who used Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) exclusively have no money right now. We never banked with SVB, but we have decided to create our own bank as a future precaution. I am a firm believer in learning from other people’s mistakes. I really don’t trust anyone with anything these days. H...

Moldova

March 10, 2023•42 words

🇲🇩 Thank you President Biden for giving Moldova a security guarantee and energy assistance. Moldova is the poorest country in Europe. They can not afford the extremely high prices of energy, and Russia will use this issue to destabilize the country. xo ...

Paris and London

March 10, 2023•25 words

🇫🇷 🇬🇧 We're happy to see a new bromance developing between the UK and France. We need these two to be strong allies, not rivals. ...

We Stand With Georgia

March 9, 2023•31 words

🇬🇪 We intend to help Georgia carve out a path to security and stability for themselves like all of the other countries in Europe. Georgia will choose their own path. xo ...

Berlin and Vienna

March 8, 2023•110 words

🇩🇪 🇦🇹 Berlin is the first European city I ever visited. Vienna was the second. German is my second language. German writers, such as Thomas Mann, Herman Hesse, Goethe, were my favorite authors when I was younger. And German and Austrian artists, like Albrecht Dürer, Max Ernst, Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt, have long been my favorite artists, and still are. Berlin and Vienna were my top European destinations, and I visited them before I ever set foot in London or Paris or any other destination o...

The Case for a New International Migration Law

March 8, 2023•193 words

🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 I think the international migration law needs to change. Migrants are being weaponized and exploited. And the EU, UK and USA are being bombarded with unsustainable waves of migrants who take advantage of the international migration law. The whole entire world can not move to the West. If they want the same freedom and prosperity as the West, they should work to create governments more like ours in their homelands. And we need to help them do that. We need to put more pressure on the re...

On the Last Day of Fashion Week

March 8, 2023•11 words

🇫🇷 My true love gave to me, a pink Hortensia Diamond. ...

Gay Bi Gay Gay

March 7, 2023•360 words

🏳️‍🌈 Yes, I know the Conservatives are sooo conservative, but they will come around. Once they realize how smart and intelligent we are, they will open up to us. We are already starting to win them over. We have already proven we are the best businesspeople in the world (Tim Cook), and that's what Conservatives respect most of all. We're also the best musicians (Frédéric Chopin), artists (Leonardo da Vinci), writers (Thomas Mann), scientists (Sir Francis Bacon)... We all owe our freedom to one p...

Switzerland is Second Place in Economic Freedom

March 7, 2023•46 words

🇨🇭 Switzerland has the most economic freedom in all of Europe, and they are second place in the entire world. https://www.heritage.org/index/country/switzerland That's one of the reasons we have started businesses there. Other top European countries are Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the Scandinavians, and the Baltics. xo ...

Three Cheers for PM Kaja Kallas of Estonia

March 6, 2023•126 words

🇪🇪 We adore Estonia's Prime Minister. She's one of the greatest leaders in Europe. I'm happy her political party won another election, which means Estonians approve of her leadership too. There have been rumors that she might become NATO's next Secretary General. I would support that. The USA should have a state dinner in her honor. I believe Eastern European leaders understand Russia better than Western European leaders. The Baltic nations were former members of the Soviet Union, and they have...

Age Ain't Nothing But a Number

March 4, 2023•42 words

🇫🇷 It's the new trend in France. The President of France and the First Lady of France have made unconventional relationships acceptable for politicians and political life. If heterosexual women can date younger men, then homosexual women can date younger women. xo ...

Welcome to the USA

March 4, 2023•85 words

🇺🇸 We're creating these really beautiful sites across the USA where you can have an authentic experience of American life. The USA is huge and varied, and so are the sites we are creating. A smart, sophisticated townhouse in New York City, a Waldenesque cabin deep in a forest in upstate New York, roaming with the buffalo in Montana, wild horses in Wyoming, a little house on the prairie, a lavish home in the Hollywood Hills... We're creating several unique and authentic American experiences. xo ...

NATO Membership

March 3, 2023•546 words

🇸🇪 🇫🇮 🇮🇪 🇲🇹 🇨🇾 🇦🇹 🇨🇭 "Austria should accept responsibility and join the NATO alliance." I agree. There are quite a few countries in Europe that should join NATO: Sweden, Finland, Ireland, Malta, Cyprus, Austria, even Switzerland. Because of Sweden and Finland's geolocation, their membership in NATO has become critical, and they understand this. That is why they are joining. The president should ensure our allies, Hungary and Turkey, know we expect them to approve their memberships to the al...