Digital nomad visas have become the hot thing these days, with countries like Georgia, Croatia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia, I believe, starting to offer them. Many countries recognize that jobs don't always come through multinationals and are embracing the new work life. As you get older, many countries offer second home visas, with low requirements too. As an expat living in Asia, I love the lifestyle - and the $130/monthly insurance premium. Everything's cheaper and we are not forced to tip here.
I haven't found too many expats with grandiose egos, I think those are much more prevalent in stateside America. Sure, you can't talk politics in China, but everywhere else I travel in Asia or Europe i find the people are more than happy to discuss politics. Most fear what the US is becoming more than anything. You're correct, authoritarians are making ground in some places but 2023 was a good time for democracies checking potential fascism, see Poland Brazil, France, and Ukraine. Hopefully, the US follows suit in 2024.