Funny thing to say considering most tourist visas are way more relaxed than even 10 years ago with more and more countries extending 30 to 90 days free tourist visas. It’s a different thing to live and work in a country, but it’s possible if you have a contract. I don’t know where do you get that the world has gone worse in the last 30 years, my experience is quite the opposite, but I am only 40.
Funny thing seeing an American getting mad at people for not knowing about American things when they themselves don’t, in general, know much about anything outside of the USA.