a quiet exodus?

[solarbird]

This first bit comes out of economics, but I think it's also political; in this column in Minyanville, the guest writer notes that 10% of "American households were considering relocation outside the US" in 2004-2005. The largest group? Adults are 25 to 34 years old. Another 10% are talking about leaving part-time:

Adding it up, almost 10% of U.S. households are looking at leaving the country, and another 10% are considering living outside the country part time. This silent emigration is ignored by nearly every population analyst.

I'm probably reaching - it's probably all economics - but maybe a lot of people, like me, are just sick of the raw illegality, the end of pretense of Constitution, and the sham which pretends to be our representative government.

Alternatively, maybe they're just tired of being spied on at every opportunity. Here's some new data on the rampant abuse of "National Security Letters," including widespread fraud and illegality committed by government officials demanding data on individuals - data which in and of itself was often illegal to collect. Nothing will, of course, be done about it. Even better, as several of us have been on about, the Democratic Congress is about to hand over yet more unconstitutional warrantless spying powers to the Chief Executive. That doesn't even get into the tens of thousands of post office intercept assignments a year, also warrantlessly. (Chief Executive Mr. Bush has claimed the power - overriding Congressional law - to open private mail without any form of warrant or process, of course.)

Maybe people are just fucking sick of this shit and voting with their feet. I know I feel that I'm risking getting trapped here by not leaving now. I imagine I'm not the only one.

Comments

[emrecom.livejournal.com]

This isn't an abstract thing for me. Two newspapers stopped running my work because of 'negative' remarks regarding this administration. Another dropped me because of placing 'left wing' ideas within the framework of a film review about a film dealing with political shit. *Another* dropped my art/film/media criticism because of a the editorial view that I was--this is hilarious--too critical--a week later, they deleted everything I'd written for them while keeping all their hack work. (clearly, I just didn't get that editorial exists only to pleasantly frame ads). Most incredibly, one editor worried about some slightly acid remark about Bush meant to be humorous--"Do you really think it's a good idea to say that?"

I shit you not. And that's just editorial policy. I wrote the increasingly arrogant view of media corporations towards critical thought as metaphor for larger isues here--I wanted them to just call it "Contempt"

http://www.baltimorecitypaper.com/film/story.asp?id=11536

And you can imagine how open media outlets are to pieces truely critical of real life stuff like Big Pharma's crimes, incarceration culture and so on.

So another country? Excellent idea. And every person I know entertains it.

[westrider.livejournal.com]

I'm also feeling like I should be looking to get out, but with no savings or real resources, I don't see much in the way of options there.

Have you seen any sort of baseline to compare that 10% figure against? The article linked mentioned it was shockingly high, but I always like to see hard numbers.

[angharads-house.livejournal.com]

If you can comprehend and swear this oath, Canada might work for you and yours:

J'affirme solennellement que je serai fidèle et porterai sincère allégeance à Sa Majesté la Reine Elizabeth Deux, Reine du Canada, à ses héritiers et successeurs, que j'observerai fidèlement les lois du Canada et que je remplirai loyalement mes obligations de citoyen canadien.

If I recall correctly, French gives you a +15 on the enter Canada roll.

[llachglin.livejournal.com]

I'd have to lie to swear allegiance to the Queen.

[angharads-house.livejournal.com]

I imagine that if you did choose to lie [1], you wouldn't be the first one to have done that, nor the last. I took a rather stronger oath at my commissioning, which does from time to time bubble up to mind as a reminder of what we're supposed to be all about.

Goddess only knows what I'll do the first time somebody asks me to recite a pledge of allegiance to a certain other flag -- I mean, this stuff isn't covered in standard etiquette books. ^_^

A., who probably would take a bullet in the ass for Betty Windsor, but likely not for her idiot son Charles.

[1] or, for that matter, feel an abiding obligation to lie, founded on deeply held personal values; again, you wouldn't be the first.

etiquette

[solarbird]

As a non-citizen, you shouldn't be asked, but these days, who the fuck knows? OTOH, if it's in a public environment, the polite thing to do is stand with everyone else, but otherwise do nothing. (Hands at rest, no talking. ^_^ )

Re: etiquette

[angharads-house.livejournal.com]

It's only come up once thus far, and what seemed natural at the time was to stand silent at parade rest. In general, I consider it respectful to honour flags of host nations, and not participate in their desecration. On the other hand, fundamentally it's just an image on cloth -- any deeper symbolism is surely in the eye of the beholder.

[archanglrobriel.livejournal.com]

*nod* I've filled out 2/3rds of my paperwork to get a work visa to Canada or England. I go back and forth about when I want to complete that additional 3rd and I keep asking myself at what point I'm going to be ready to just - go. I think a lot of it hinges on who wins the next presidential election and the direction the country takes at that point. If I don't see the pendulum start to shift back towards sanity and Constitutionality? I don't see how I can stay. It'll tear my heart out to leave the Bay area again, but....*shrug* I just can't live in a rogue state and I certainly won't want my daughter to have to.

[llachglin.livejournal.com]

But those 20% are only thinking about it--most of them won't do it. I know that in the period in question (post-2004 election going into early 2005) I considered the merits of leaving. But not for long, because of the things that hold most people back from doing it:

* Friends and family live here.
* This is my home and the people ruining it have no more valid claim on it than I do (probably less)
* It's expensive to move, and requires starting a new career.
* There's no guarantee a destination is any better. The UK is a surveillance state, though most of that is public surveillance rather than Bush-style wiretapping. Many European countries cooperating with the Bush administration on extraordinary rendition. Canada is too close to the US to count on it maintaining an independent stance if truly pressured by the US--for example, they've been more hostile toward American soldiers who have tried to seek sanctuary there than they were in the Vietnam era (though the lack of conscription is probably a key reason). Australia and New Zealand are too remote from the rest of the world, and the former until recently was led by John Howard, nearly as bad as Bush.

Now three years later, I would answer that survey differently. I'm staying, and would probably only leave if our government appeared to be considering travel restrictions. That's a good indicator that the really bad shit is about to go down.

I also suspect, as you do, that many of those more seriously considering leaving are doing so for economic reasons. Globalization encourages people to seek jobs in other countries to follow the opportunities, though that choice requires affluence--10-20% seems about right.

[angharads-house.livejournal.com]

"...would probably only leave if our government appeared to be considering travel restrictions..."

Isn't that effectively what the federal government is trying to impose with the Real ID Act, at least so far as affects citizens of non-compliant states such as Washington? Pretty much requires that you have a passport for internal air travel, if you live there.

As an alien, I'm accustomed to being shaken down for ID. I usually let them take a gander at my retiree base passes -- that makes them stop to think, anyway, and the tone of the conversation usually gets a bit less scary.

[hubbit.livejournal.com]

Personally, I like Canada, but not only do I not have the money or resources to uproot, I have a feeling that as things spiral downward, Canada and other countries are going to get a lot more selective in who they accept for immigration and asylum.

Gosh, you think our restrictive immigration policies in the US might come to bite us in the ass much?

Also: I agree with emrecom so far as any sort of unbiased reporting of anything goes. Major media outlets live in fear of criticizing anything or anyone. In my youth we had John Chancellor and David Brinkley, and occasionally Walter Cronkite and Eric Sevareid; you don't have the reporting and analysis today that you got thirty years ago when even the news anchors were not afraid to openly criticize the Vietnam War.

[solarbird]

I have a feeling that as things spiral downward, Canada and other countries are going to get a lot more selective in who they accept for immigration and asylum.
Hence the whole "trapped" thing.

Major media outlets live in fear of criticizing anything or anyone.
Not at all. You should read Glenn Greenwald's column, he documents that there is intense criticism - as long as it's on meaningless, personal topics, and focused on whatever the Noise Machine wants.

[angharads-house.livejournal.com]

Yeah, "trapped" is always an issue. Not to put too fine a point on it, but it's always nice to be within a couple of days' walk from home, however one might care to define "home". Might well be on the wrong side of a border, but at least we should have some advance knowledge of a wall going up.

And yes, in fact, I am having my head examined today, tho' not for wanting to marry into a household south of the 49th parallel..... ^_^