Actually, trying to transfer First World trade skills to Third World situations doesn't work very well at all: you never have the right tools, the parts and practices are all different, and local people can generally do it way faster anyway.
If I hated the people I worked for and felt they were treating me like shit, I'd be out the door. Being your own boss isn't for everyone or every situation, but where I come from a reliable plumber is a rarity, and it doesn't take one long to set up a thriving business.
All this talk about taking skills on the road is fine, but it really depends on where you go. Being an itinerant welder in Europe might be fine, but how are you going to make that work in Africa, Asia or Latin America? Same with small engine repair: does anybody really think they're better at this (using local tools, materials, and parts, of course) than that guy in the little tin shack by the side of the road? Notice how much you pay those guys to do a bit of welding or repair work? Can you survive on that sort of wage, even if you can find the work (and again, the tools, the materials, the parts)?
Mark
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