a quiet exodus?
Mar. 6th, 2008 10:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
solarbirdThis 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:
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.
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.
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no subject
Date: 2008-03-07 05:30 pm (UTC)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.