He’s kind of exaggerating, and but not totally. When I said that my family and friends lived in fortresses, it’s along those same lines. While the house is somewhat normal aside from the iron window gates (it was not windowless), the outer structure is not. The outer fence is a large tall concrete wall, with metal gates which are sometimes automatic. The top of the wall is lined with a combination of wire, metal spikes, and broken glass. Every household is fully armed. Some families even have security guards both onsite and as an escort. Some families have a perimeter of fences.

Even with all that, someone who worked for one of our family friends got his face blown off by simply answering the gate. It’s hard not to be paranoid if you ever live in one of those places. After moving to the US decades ago, one of the luxuries I really enjoyed was being able to walk in most places without the need for an armed escort or concealed firearms. Feeling relatively safe in a non-fortified home is also nice. I didn’t realize it was the norm in the developed world outside of movies