Mercurial

Find away out maybe Canada. If not keep fighting for a better future here. I am fed up and have been making plans for five yrs. regardless of whether Bush is President or not the US is not where I want to live. To many religious fanatics and brainwashed people for my taste.

It is not only about extreme groups and corruption, but also about discriminating and unjust laws, and the dearth of opportunities.
However, on ocassion there is no other place to go.

People need to be educated about the rest of the world and how our policy's affect other countries. Very often when I inform them that we are not always the good guys they tend to become defensive and make up excuses. I find it very frustrating but if I had to stay here I would continue to voice the truth and hope some will wake up. I am still here speaking the truth and voting against the neo-cons! When I leave in 9mos what happens in the USA will still matter to me because I have familly and friends here. I just no longer want to live here and found a way out.

I agree. The USA is, as a lot of historians are saying right now, a modern empire: its strength allows it to do pretty much whatever it pleases. Its policies affect those of the rest of the world. Its cultural and economic values are seeping to other countries as well. However, the common citizen only sees as close as their immediate football game, neglecting to take into account the historical significance of the country in which they live.
You will enjoy Canada, though: Intelligent critical thinking seems to come naturally.

I am not moving to Canada it is to cold for me but I do agree better right now than the USA. I am moving to Spain because I speak spanish and I am from a former spanish colony. I can become a citizen in two years. I love history,poetry,flamenco and latin american history and dance,I can have it all there.Not to mention the art and meeting place between east and west.

I have noticed an increase in the number of Americans in Britain. Many seem to prefer the laid-back attitudes here.

And I have seen signs of that flux toward other countries that are less stuck-up or that allow a higher degree of criticism and introspection.
Yet it seems that the flow of migrants to the USA is as high as ever, despite DHS restrictive measures.
Anyway, what is this country?

Hello! Pardon me for writing in your blog here but I couldn't help myself.

Being born and raised in the US, it was a difficult decision to leave the country, but after seeing what it has become (and hasn't changed for the better since 2002 when I left) I don't regret it one bit. I'm happy here in Canada. Fortuntately, I had dual citizenship by birth so moving wasn't too difficult.

I will not return to the US. There are better, freer people, places, and lifestyles in the rest of the world. If you are educated, Australia (not very much different from the US), New Zealand, and here to Canada are options for you.

I too plan to leave the united States i like ethnic diversity and all but whties tend to be discriminated by the government too much here. Which is one of many reasons i am leaving America. I plan on actually moving to Germany or someother Germanic country because I know german and I am 100% Germanic of 75% German descent and 25% Dutch.

Good luck over there. Still, you should be aware that there is some kind of expression that is forbidden in Germany, and rightly so, I may add.
PS: Germany is closer to Africa and India that the USA. Expect real diversity.

I don't want to have anything to do with the lying, awful people who run this country. I don't have enough money to live without employment. Where can I go easily? Where can I get permanent residence status quickly?

Of all the places I've been, Spain and Germany would be my first choices for a new home.
For me, conservatives are only part of the problem in the u.s.- I just like European culture better- or simply the fact thtat they HAVE a culture. America is paranoid, anti-social, and I just don't see any point in wasting my life here. Hopefully a my company can transfer me, which would be a very easy method to leave.

I love America, fear my government. Actually, I believe in my heart it stopped being 'my' government a while back.
If Patriot Act II passes, the gov will be able to lock up *anyone* using anti-terror laws whether they are terrorists or not. Does that phrase 'person of interest' take on a new meaning for you now?
I'm not a liberal: I'm a slightly-conservative moderate. Best person for the job kind of guy. Raised Republican, now voting Independent. My brother (!) now prefaces my opinions on politics by saying 'the Left......'. I'm NOT the Left, I'm the guy in our family who think Bush sounds like no American I've EVER met, migrant or native, when 'homeland' starts out of his mouth. Nazis were big on 'homeland this' and 'homeland' that'. Tojo in Japan and Mussolini in Italy..hell, most dictators and fascists start mouthing about homeland just before things startd going sour for people who didn't like their governing.
My mother sure does not understand, but that's OK. But I believe that some day my brother may want to get his wife and kids AND our Mom OUT..all the way out and the only door may be to where I am. Maybe I'll be wrong. Wouldn't mind that. But me? Now? One way or another, I am g-o-n-e.

I really don't get it....I love this country and love living here. I enjoy visiting other countrys too. I travel outside the USA at least 3 times a year...and I don't mean to Canada. Have you ever noticed the number of people outside the USA wanting to get in? That should tell you something...it not so great everywhere else.....now what is really funny is the people who complain about the USA and want to leave decide to go to places like Canada and England....they are NOT moving to Iran or Iraq or Africa, Russia or Mexico.....If you really dislike the way of life in the USA, impress me and move to one of those places and then tell me how much better life is and how much you hate the USA. If the truth be told the folks that do leave really don't leave for a truly different way of life. they just move around the corner and say they changed there life. Lets be real folks....it is not that much different north of here...I promise you will be complaining when the goverment just north of here says they won't pay for your kidney transplant because your too old, too sick, and another healthy younger person should get the kidney. Beleive me, I work in healthcare and people pay cash for that stuff here when they can't get the goverment to pay for it in Canada. The point is....all goverements have there problems....

Another problem I have is about the "lose of freedom" everyone complains about. Well there does have to be a balance between rights and protection of the people and that is what this country is struggling with now. Honestly I think every person boarding a plane should have a pat down search before getting on. If it keeps another plane from blowing up it was a good thing. But I bet the people that are opposed to searchs before boarding a plane will be the same people who will sue the airlines for not protecting them if someone got on with box cutters.
And for racial profiling......guess what....it is not little old jewish women blowing up stuff.....there are racial indicators that help identfy possible terorist....namely people of middle eastern desent who have been hanging around bad areas and people like other radical Isalmic terrorist

9/11 was hard for us because it was the second time another group of peole actually attacked us inside our borders. Pearl Harbor was why we joined WW2. and The world trade center is why we are in the mess we are in now. It will take time to sort it all out......my final thought ...stop being a part of the problem and start being part of the solutions....help someone in need and stop whinning about what the goverment hasn't done for you latly

Hi,
I'm a canadian, born & raised, and lve never lived in any other country. Much like you, l love my country, and only on a cold winter's day, do l think maybe mexico would be good.
After watching the electorial process from here, l am, glad to be canadian (no offence).George dubaya is one scarey little guy !
We have had our concerned ear to the wall ( so to speek), and are very worried about your "collective future" w/ the little guy at the helm. We understand that some 15,000 people are leaving the usa ( last report ) and theres no doubt in my mind that there will be an exodus.
We moved to Ontario Canada, from the west of canada,& bought a lovely home on an island. Since being here ( 1 1/2 yrs ), we have gotten to know many americans, that have been coming to St.Joseph Island for their whole lives. From what l understand, this island is aprox 60% american owned...( smart people that they are )
We are relocating to the west, and our home is for sale....... if this has the smatterings of a cheap for sale ploy......it is....and l'm not ashamed.
If you are at all interested, go to :
www.holidayhomes.ca/StJosephIsland.htm.
WE are selling it for $109,900.00(cdn)...very.. very affordable for you.
Good luck in your moves to where-ever you go to !
All the best
Fran

Another 4 years of George "DUBYA"! The day after the election, I asked myself "Where do we go from here?" I felt a bit hopeless as if anything that I value has no place or little interest in this country. For the longest time I felt that our freedom of speech is 'free'....as long as you agree with the administration. If not, You're labeled a traitor. Where is the freedom in that? It's the people of America now who frighten me.. not terrorists... or not even so much this administration now. Rather, the fact that people can be so easily misled, ignorant to the facts, and choose to not wake up and see the real colors of the Bush administration, is scary! The idea that 'if you keep the people afraid' you can gain their support, has proved to be true. I feel that this tactic was exactly what the Bush administration used in gaining so much of it's support, throughout it's campaign. Fear!.....when the monster to fear, wasn't really the big bad dragon we were told it was. Fear is the perfect smoke screen in which I will comment more on in a minute. I find it difficult being a part of all of this type of rhetoric and knowing my tax dollars go to support many agendas I want nothing to do with....IF I have a choice. Has there ever been any other president in our history to manage having a poor record on all the major public interest issues, and doesn't have the support on such issues from the majority of Americans, yet managed to get elected like George! W. Bush? This is a feat even Houdini himself would be baffled by. It's kind of like winning the Super Bowl while scoring less points than the opponent! Using his persuasive propaganda, this President manages to add 2 + 2 and get 5.. and have a lot of folks believing it.
Since "The war on terror', 'our safety', and 'making the world safer' from terrorists seems to be the buzz phrases we have heard over and over again throughout this whole election time, contrary to what many believe, I feel this administration has contributed in making the world MORE unsafe. They've achieved this by evoking more resentment of Americans in the Middle East with a pre-emptive war. Our actions and foreign policies will only bring out extremists on the other side of the issues at hand. As to why there is such resentment of us there, is a complex, long, and diverse matter. But perhaps first, some of us should step aside and think outside the box..... and for once LISTEN, keep our mouths shut for a minute, and show some concern with other's views/interests other than our own. Next, read the history of our presence there, and only then you may begin to understand why there is often resentment of Americans in that part of the world. Let's try this for a change, instead of just assuming that 'these people' are 'born haters' of Americans.

Public health and interest Issues such as the economy, healthcare, the environment, and education, this President can claim no prizes. Even in the mainstream media, it's common knowledge now, that The Bush administration is lined with what may be viewed as shady corporate friends. His and his Vice's associations with Halliburton.. Enron.... Dibold.... Isn't this enough to have more of us asking the tough questions the media refuses to ask? What about record deficits? This guy has spent more money than any president in history, but certainly not HERE, where it could be used the most, and at the same time slashes budgets for much needed programs at home. Didn't enough of us care about issues like these?...Or were we too caught up in our own selfish little worlds..maybe watching too much football, and focused on turning our heads in the exact direction this administration wanted us to turn.. towards national security. This, so all the many other important issues are placed on the backburner or totally ignored. Keeping people afraid for their safety is an archaic tactic to divert attention away from all other issues. A tactic , so that in the meanwhile, the powers that be can put forth their agenda without being held accountable, and without any interference. This is a tactic that Bush used well in his campaign, and one most of us fell for. His policies work for a few, mainly corporate interests, but many more struggle because of them.

Trickle down economics have not worked for enough people. Sadly, the trickle down effect of Bush policies usually hurt the many more that are the backbone of the economy..the hard working middle to lower income families. Without these people, successful corporations wouldn't be a success, as we all play an important role in this 'economic ecosystem' Bush policies continue to widen the gap between the haves and have nots making it ever so difficult to get ahead. We're like mice running on a wheel, working hard, but going nowhere for it. On a closer to home note... Shame on Ohio, a state and people in which the Bush policies actually hurt the most, for assuring his victory! A State, for example, where he has gained a great deal of support from rural and agricultural areas. Yes, these types of areas where many people and family farms struggle while factory farms rise, thanks, in part, again to 'Bush-like' agendas. I have witnessed many people in such areas of Ohio where 'Bushism' hurts the most, actually vote for him! WHY? Unbelievable! The arrogance of this administration, alone..it's attitude that it can not possibly make a mistake, much less be wrong, I thought would have been enough to give it the boot, but alas, are American leaders ever wrong about anything? Do they ever want to be held accountable or have the courage, guts, and leadership to fess up?

Still going even further, add to this an environmental policy shaped by polluters, of polluters and for polluters should have been enough to have people saying 'ENOUGH ALREADY', but I guess this really isn't much an important issue to many more of us either, including the media who refuses to cover such topics. The environment isn't something we all depend on.... it's only important to those of us who have the selfish interests of wanting to breathe clean air and drink clean water! We are the wackos and tree huggers who spend countless hours volunteering to bring people the facts, just because we actually care. After all, who needs air and water? Certainly not a nation that has far too many rivers and streams with pollution levels or conditions deeming them un-swimable, and certainly not a nation where respitory illnesses are at an all time high! Is there a connection here?.. Dirty air..respitory problems on the rise??.. Hmmm.. Naaaaa.. We're Americans, we have the best of everything, right? Yeah, right.. The best of all that is quantity, but not enough quality. The fight for non-Republicans has just begun, however, and the good thing is that all those of us who have watched Mr. Bush's actions in the past, will be even more on our toes and alert in the future. How many of us really ever thought that this was going to be such a close race? Seeing that it was, should send a loud message out to the world that not all of us support this president and the administration's policies, at least those of us who take the time to do some homework and ask the right questions. By the way, Where's Osama?

I read almost every message in this section, Very interesting. I'm a swiss free lance journalist living in Canada for a year, and I have'nt seen so much US-republican bashing when I was in Europe. Sure the Europeans are very afraid that Bush is going to set the world more and more ablaze (and do nothing against climate change), but the resentment is stronger here in northern america, because you experience in your daily lives this sort of regime change since GWB arrived at the White House.

I'm currently preparing an article on US citizens emigrating because of political reasons (remember when Europeans fled to the US to find freedom ? Times are changing)
I could use any comment by people reading this and wanting to send me their testimonial, opinion, experience. Whatever you think might be useful.

A side thought: Since sept 11, every election in western countries put right wing people to power (France, Switzerland, Denmark...). Its a phenomenon bred by fear, and conservative people are feeding on it. Of course Europe has much more political and cultural diversity, more collective life, but that is changing, for the time being.

Anyhow, the real reason for my message is this article for the swiss press, feel free to send me an e-mail on the subject.

The US deserves to get bombed some more... right after I get into Australia, and renounce my USA citizenship. I'm going to face facts... this $#!thole country is NOT going to get any better. It'll NEVER get to a level of acceptability in my lifetime, so... I'm outta' here. The USA is a despicable country founded on despicable values and actions: spreading of disease (like Christianity), bullying and vicious murdering of NATIVE AMERICANS, abduction and force of Africans into SLAVERY, for starters.
Kudos to Terrorism... the only thing that I've ever seen make Americans not act *SO* American, but more like decent human beings.
Screw "amen", can I get another landmark obliterated in the US, please?