Taken for Granite > Intensive Porpoises
America the doomed
nacho:
Just read this on another site:
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quote:
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Why do you want to emmigrate? Is the US really that bad? What job do you do?
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Not to have this turn into a shit fest, but yeah, things are pretty bad. Or rather it's clear things will be THAT bad in another 5 years or so. The writing is on the wall that the party is about over and I want to get out while the getting is good. I know it takes a few years for these things to get through the red tape which is why I'm doing it now. By the next election/terrorist attack I'd really like to be out of here.
I want to leave for many reasons. People DO hate America and I don't want to be collateral damage because a terrorist hates a government that I don't even support. I don't want to fear being arrested and thrown into a hole for out-spoken political speech. And as a writer I'm creeped out by a lot of the censorship laws coming down the pipe. Once they get their hands on cable and sat radio, books will be next.
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Here's my proposal:
Firstly, things are not that bad. We continue to live in extreme comfort and, despite the financial decline, we get more for our money.
Secondly, we are in less danger now than 20 years ago. A Cold War freakout would have resulted in total destruction of the world as we knew it. Impossible? We came close in the 60's so it was within the realm of possibility. Now we just have to worry about a bus blowing up, or a plane being flown into a building or, at the very worst, a dirty bomb going off in a city. I prefer that to living in the world of MAD.
Censorship and other legal acts oppressing our civil rights may come into play but will easily be blown out of the water. All it takes is for one state court to declare it unconstitutional and the laws are spun into the Supreme Court. Once the snowball starts, it typically ends with an explosion at the bottom of the hill. You can't realy keep the people down that way unless they choose to be kept down. Or unless they're a minority. Ho-ho.
Also, you don't really get thrown into a hole unless you've done other stuff. If you're clever, you'll be fine. Unless you're a minority. Ho-ho.
Finally, no matter where you go or what you do, you'll still be considered an American.
Oh, and a post script -- terrorists are also targeting and active in other countries (this includes all western countries and all Mideast countries with "Arab" governments), many other countries have strict censorship laws and only a tiny handful actually have something like the Bill of Rights.
So...it really doesn't matter where you are, but you'll be richer in the US, you'll have access to more conveniences AND it's much harder to drive a full-fledged nuclear device onto Main Street.
Am I just being naive?
Tyson:
I'm interested in checking out European countries because it seems so much more laid back there than here in the states. People don't seem so uptight about everything. Of course, this is all second-hand information, but I gather that life's a little more relaxed out there. It's not all about whoever dies witht he most toys wins.
Am I setting myself up for disappointment? I don't think so.
But yeah, I think you're spot on - America is among the top 5 when it comes to standard of living.
I'm not sure about 5-10 years down the road though. Who knows?
nacho:
--- Quote from: Tyson ---I'm interested in checking out European countries because it seems so much more laid back there than here in the states. People don't seem so uptight about everything. Of course, this is all second-hand information, but I gather that life's a little more relaxed out there. It's not all about whoever dies witht he most toys wins.
Am I setting myself up for disappointment? I don't think so.
But yeah, I think you're spot on - America is among the top 5 when it comes to standard of living.
I'm not sure about 5-10 years down the road though. Who knows?
--- End quote ---
Humanity is about dying with the most toys, not America. We haven't been fighting wars with ourselves. Enter the slow spread of American culture into the mix and you'll have to wander far to get away from it. The further you go, the further you drift from basic luxuries that you've come to expect.
yotoc:
JOIN US!
Seriously. I'm glad these people have their concerns. It's fine. I still say we're in the shape we're in socially because of the 40 years of liberal congress. If these people want to leave, let them. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Please, get the fuck out of my country. I don't want you here.
nacho:
I just want them to have better reasons.
Okay, they hate it here and they're leaving. Why? Just because! Okay. That's a good enough reason.
But then they say they hate it here because...of the coming baboon invasion. Uh, no. Not quite good enough.
The terrorist fears thing drives me crazy. It's more dangerous crossing the street. Okay, maybe 20 year olds don't know...but when I hear someone my age talking about it, dude, you grew up in the middle of a massive global conflict, even if shots weren't being fired, and, at any moment, without any real warning, the entire planet could have been blown to bits. Now you're afraid that a bus may blow up? And, folks, it's taken the terrorists four years and counting to get themselves together enough to do even that!
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