posted
I wouldn't mind moving to Canada. They have lovely winters there and I adore winter. One day when I have money... I really honestly don't think I have a place in the US anymore.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
I just wanted to say that whenever I look at this thread's title, it brings tears to my eyes. Because I hear it being said in a spiteful tone of voice in the way the first post was... (sigh) And this was the first time I really got a chance to vote...
Posts: 4816 | Registered: Apr 2003
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quote: Because I hear it being said in a spiteful tone of voice in the way the first post was
I'm 'hearing' a lot of the thread titles on the board today in that tone and it makes me sad. Folks, it's not the end of the world.
Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
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posted
Why is it that every time an uncompromising Republican gets elected, the Democrats start talking about leaving the country?
Okay, OSC has done the Lincoln thing to death, and it's not a fair comparison--especially not where Sara is concerned. But it disturbs me that so many liberals are talking about fleeing the US (not just here, but on some other forums and blogs I read). Are they giving up on the idea of loyal opposition just because some of the Bushies are? Or is it really that frightening that the government can see what you checked out of the library now? (What are you people reading anyway? )
Argh...this is coming out snarky and I don't mean it that way. I too am anxious about what will happen now that Dubya has been reelected. But skipping the country seems like an overreaction to me (Sara excepted, since she has additional reasons). Roughly half the population voted for Kerry, after all.
quote:Why is it that every time an uncompromising Republican gets elected, the Democrats start talking about leaving the country?
'Every time'? When was the last time? And it seems to me that Bush has made some serious compromises as both a conservative and a Republican.
Now, some of them I think were necessary. Whenever I hear people get angry about how big government has gotten and point out Homeland Security, I roll my eyes.
Posts: 17164 | Registered: Jun 2001
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posted
mabus, I definitely definitely appreciate the concession to me. It probably means a lot more to me than you could imagine, so thank you. Very much.
I think our context on this as Americans is pretty skewed, though. We never (as far as my experience goes) question why other people come to America -- it is taken for granted that it is natural to leave one's country and come here. Presumably, people do this because they hope for a better life with more opportunities of some sort. Most of them aren't being persecuted or unable to eat, at least not in these days.
It's just a better life here.
Why is it different when someone leaves here for exactly the same reasons?
(But again, Mabus . Thank you for being nice to me. You didn't have to be. )
Posts: 2919 | Registered: Aug 2004
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posted
My husband is a Canadian citizen, and though we tried to work out a cross-continent marriage as I finished residency, I ended up needing open-heart surgery my intern year. (Replacement of a priorly-replaced defective aortic valve.) During the recovery, and especially since I was back at work in less than a month, he just worried about me too much to put up with being apart, so he moved down. Reluctantly.
He gave my country 4 years of his life. He's earned some time where he wants to be, now.
There are also work reasons for me to move. Canada has a better epidemiological database collected in the sorts of areas I do research.
But yeah, my butt's pretty bruised as it is. I've been working my tail off the last few years.
[ November 04, 2004, 09:01 AM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
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posted
Sara, I'm echoing Imogen here as another Aussie who'd be more than happy to visit you - if I ever make it to Canada... something I've been wanting to do for ages!
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posted
As far as I know, Rakeesh, the last time it happened in any numbers was the Civil War--which was why I said the comparison wasn't fair, since the political lines have definitely realigned since then. But as long as I have been on the internet I have been encountering people who say, "If so-and-so [always a Republican] wins the election I'm getting out of here. I can't stand it anymore." And it puzzles me, because it does not happen to me in person--I live in an area where even the hard-line Democrats are not terribly frightened about Republicans unless either they or a current Republican activity is extreme. Nor can I think of any likely Democratic policy that would make me feel the same way.
Posts: 1114 | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
Were I not married to a Canadian already, I don't think leaving would have even occurred to me. However, things are not that way for me, and I'm both surprised and delighted to feel some excitement about making this change. I definitely hadn't expected that, and there is no way I would have understood it before.
Rakeesh, FWIW, most of my life I drove used cars. True, my last one (a 1980 Geo Tracker) eventually lost all gears but reverse, but I was able to work around things up til that point. *grin
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I am serious about the invite. We will work it out. It will be late Summer/ early Fall 2005 before we make the move, though.
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quote:Are they giving up on the idea of loyal opposition just because some of the Bushies are? Or is it really that frightening that the government can see what you checked out of the library now?
I think the most frightening thing is that they are killing innocents and conquering nations in our names (and making us pay tons for it!) It's one thing to mess with me, but it's something worse to commit evil in my name, send me the bill, and in doing so provoke terrorist attacks against me.
Nevertheless, I don't see how moving would help. That just lets the Bush administration stay in power and keep doing what they are doing.
Posts: 2432 | Registered: Feb 2001
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quote: Nevertheless, I don't see how moving would help.
My point, Xap...certainly I understand why you object, but you are not in any danger personally (that I know of) and your leaving would not fix anything. So why are people doing it?
Posts: 1114 | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
I'll ask again. Tell me if I'm being too pushy.
quote:We never (as far as my experience goes) question why other people come to America -- it is taken for granted that it is natural to leave one's country and come here. Presumably, people do this because they hope for a better life with more opportunities of some sort. Most of them aren't being persecuted or unable to eat, at least not in these days.
It's just [that they judge it to be] a better life here.
Why is it different when someone leaves here for exactly the same reasons?
posted
I can't blame them. I feel like I don't really completely fit in with American society for several reasons. But, I would not be able to move for years considering how low my social position is right now. So, I'll stay and raise hell instead.
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posted
Sara, I don't think you're being pushy, and I have no problem with anyone leaving for a better life. I'm just curious as to how people think their lives will be better, is all, and Xap in particular.
Posts: 1114 | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
Mabus, I can understand why many people might feel like their lives would be better lived in another country, especially one with a better overall quality of life than America. If your values are dramatically different from the majority of your countrymen, it can be exhausting to try to work around that on a regular basis; in many cases, it may just be easier to move somewhere you are already appreciated as a peer instead of someone without moral fiber.
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