If you could would you leave the US?

[jimmil]

I have thought about this and would leave here in a heartbeat. This country has turned into a very nasty and mean place that I don't care to be a part of. Unfortunately I can't argue the wife into going elsewhere. Years ago I had a chance to buy a small place in the south of France and she said no. Later I had a chance to stay in England and take a permanent position in the Oxfordshire region and again it was no dice. Still I would love to live somewhere else, Denmark, Belgium, Holland, Spain, Thailand, or other places. This just isn't where I want to live out my last few years.

[rzemanfl]

1. Going to wash all the socks tonight. Bookmarking for later. n/t

[dalton99a]

17. Keep an eye on them things

[vlyons]

2. If I were a young person

I'm 71 with health problems. But if I were a young healthy person, I would go to Denmark or the Netherlands.

[triron]

8. I think Canada is where I would like to go if I were a lot younger.

[BigmanPigman]

22. I would too, I lived there for a short time and

in southern France. I need people to be able to speak English since I suck at languages. Sweden and Norway have great quality of life too. A lot of people don't realize that you need a skill that another country needs to move there. If countries were giving away free healthcare and higher education they would be inundated with too many people. I think the nordic countries have the best systems. They have equality of the sexes, they genuinely care about climate change, they have a great quality of life, and they aren't greedy. Anthony Bourdain went to Sweden and they have a word that means "content". They don't want "more, more, more" and to "beat the little guy" like in the US. They are happy to lead a content life...I like that philosophy.

[Turin_C3PO]

3. I think I would, at least to try

somewhere else out. I dream of living in Great Britain or Germany but, due to the fact that I require disability help, I don’t think the countries would accept me.

[bearsfootball516]

4. Nope. No matter what, this is my country, and I'll fight day after day.

[Fiendish Thingy]

5. Moved to BC in 2012

Although I miss seeing my adult kids as often, otherwise I Don’t regret moving for a moment.

In the US, I was active in my community (phone banking, walking precincts) and had regular contact with my representatives .

America is broken beyond repair (at least beyond repair in my lifetime), and I chose (relative) peace of mind over continued despair.

[trueblue2007]

6. YES ... I'd move to Canada or Scotland -- maybe France.

[Takket]

7. if i had the means, yes. i would want to live in a progressive country that cares about its citizens

[Laffy Kat]

9. Yes. Both my kids want out. I'll see where they end up.

Hopefully we'll all be in Canada.

[SMC22307]

10. I want to move to Shetland and live with Jimmy Perez in a big stone house. (n/t)

[MaryMagdaline]

15. Not if I get there first!

[SMC22307]

37. LOL!

[CurtEastPoint]

30. Love that series.

[SMC22307]

38. Seriously. That and "Endeavor."

Some of the best TV I've ever watched.

[CurtEastPoint]

39. Thanks, I will have to look at that one.

[alarimer]

11. Yes, 100%

I hate this country. Well, I hate half the people in it.

[john657]

12. There's nothing wrong with our country,

there's plenty wrong with the party in power right now, that's why it's soooo important to GOTV.

I was born and raised in America, I will die here in America.

[BeckyDem]

13. No, not for me and my hubby. But it may be something for a number of vulnerable people

to consider. In some ways it would be foolish for them not to consider it. Life is too short.

[grantcart]

14. I can and will

[roamer65]

16. No, I'd like to bring Canada to me.

Yes that means what you think it means.

[nocoincidences]

18. If I were younger....

in a heartbeat.

[budkin]

19. Only for healthcare

My family has a lot of medical problems which ends up costing over half my salary. But I'd rather stay and fix the system here.

[mnhtnbb]

20. Yes. But it's tough at my age.

Canada doesn't want retirees. During Bush years my husband and I created an escape option to Panama. But that was based on buying property. Life didn't go our way and we closed out that option in 2008.

If I leave now, I would go alone. I have friends in France. I could afford France as a retiree, but I'm not sure I would want to make a move abroad alone at my age.

So that's my dilemma. If I were 10 years younger I'd be gone. I think it's going to take more than a generation to undo the damage being done by Republicans.

[OliverQ]

26. France has a retirement option for Americans?

[mnhtnbb]

32. Yes.

You have to be able to show self reliance.

We have a Du'er who recently moved to France.

[OliverQ]

92. Do you know what the visa is called for that?

[bdamomma]

21. Hard decision

to live home, but not until after the election. I am an ex pat living outside of the US no regrets leaving I've been married for 28yrs and have 3 children all grown. 2 are in students in Canada. But the rest of my family are living in the US blue state. I am here if they need me, but I don't think they will be swayed to leave the US unless something really detrimental happens. Still voting by absentee ballot even my kids, already have voted. But no matter where you move to the US will always be home, I just hate what is happening there.

Giving monetary donations to organizations which makes me feel better. We have some awful people in power, and if those rich bastards have a choice to go or stay if things go awry, they would be the first to leave due to their wealth, they have the means to leave. While the majority of Americans would stay. But this is all an assumption.

[Blue_true]

23. No. I will stay and fight. nt

[OliverQ]

24. Yes I would. But no countries will take me.

[Agschmid]

25. No.

[Kajun Gal]

27. Yes, Denmark!

[Athenapallas]

28. Husband and I debate this a lot.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

29. which part of the pot doesn't boil the lobster?

[JI7]

31. I live in california. leaving the country doesn't stop the fucked up shit taking place

[maryellen99]

33. Yes if I could would go to either England,Canada or Australia/New Zealand nt

[fierywoman]

34. I lived abroad for twelve years -- Mexico City, Firenze, Venezia.

It's a honeymoon at first because you're utterly naive about what goes on, really. And if you think the xenophobia is bad here -- try somewhere else.
Learn to live fully wherever you are.

[SuprstitionAintthWay]

63. This.

Especially if you don't speak the language well enough, your relative ignorance can grant you bliss.

And she's right that xenophobia is nearly universal.

But at least you won't even know what many of the natives are really thinking and saying, among themselves, about the local expatriot American. You know the old comedy trope of the old man taking out his hearing aid and feeling contentment because he can no longer understand what his wife's saying? Like that. It may feel like what you don't know or really understand, isn't hurting you. Which, admittedly, IS one way to peace.

Hell, so very much of America lives that way right here. Nearly all non-voters, for example.

[fierywoman]

68. I ended up learning Spanish, Italian and the Venetian dialect.

I was in Venezia for seven years, there were often many weeks that passed where I did not speak English. I did three years of psychotherapy in Italian. My work was in Italian. And yet I learned more of what was going on there when I left and then read Donna Leon's Brunetti thrillers!

What I have to relate to the rest of my American fellow citizens: I lived in Italy pre-Berlusconi -- but it was still a madhouse. And yet, life went on. Sometimes I had to wait a bit to get a new contract because the government was changing.

And for the Donna Leon fans: I'm sure the Signorina Electra character was based on a real person who worked in the Questura -- only she was a very funny savvy middle aged woman.

[Tobin S.]

35. No. I think I was born an American for a reason.

While I think it would be cool to visit other countries, this will always be my home.

[mountain grammy]

36. Before I was 10 we lived in 5 different states. Marines.

Our next move was supposed to be overseas embassy duty, but my dad died so that experience died with him.

I don't feel attached to any place, but Colorado at 34 years is the longest I've lived anywhere. It's home.

I've always had the dream of living elsewhere, but as I get older it's fading fast.

[brooklynite]

40. Don't forget to write...

I'll stay and work to fix things.

[BlueTsunami2018]

41. Yes. If was as simple as picking up and moving to Norway, I'd be gone.

I’d like to move to Scandinavia or Western Europe. It’s just not an easy thing to do. I’d love to be gone from here.

[IluvPitties]

42. Yeah.

[lunatica]

43. If I were younger or married I would go to Mexico

I grew up there. I’m a US citizen but it was my first home. I was there for 25 years. I love Mexico.



I live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It’s a lot like Mexico in many ways. I’m happy here.

[ismnotwasm]

44. Oh Hell no

[Hekate]

45. Trick question?

[samnsara]

46. ICELAND!!! but im only 200 miles from Canada so I'd go there...

[SuprstitionAintthWay]

74. Would you stick to English? Or put in the work to learn a language that,

on a planet of 7,300 million busily conversing human beings, only 0.3 million people can speak?

I think of the Scandinavian countries and Iceland as seeming appealing, too. But I wonder about all that effort to learn a language with so few speakers.

I have the whole world of knowledge available to me in English and only one life to try to get to it. I'd hesitate to divert so much time and energy away from that, as woild be needed to become fluent and literate in Icelandic, too. Icelandic's an extreme example, of a national language that's useless to you outside of a small world of just 300,000 people. But a similar question is applicable for many low population countries.

I mean, imagine if Vermont had an entirely different language. How many would be willing to learn it just to live there?

[xmas74]

47. Nope

Someone needs to stay and fight. I'm directly related to a few of the Founding Fathers. They've already turned in their graves over what we've become. They'd follow me and haunt me forever if I left and didn't try to fix it.

[Charmin One]

48. No

But I might think about moving to a "bluer" part of the US than red SW Ohio.

[RHMerriman]

49. Hell, no! Stay and fight!

Hell, no! Stay and fight! Gawd, this has ben through times a thousand times worse than anything that draft dodging, delusional, cowardly orange-skinned jackass and his enablers could ever inflict! Have some courage and fight!

[link:https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=battle+cry+of+freedom+from+lincoln&view=detail&mid=34A6EC88AB363478AF5D34A6EC88AB363478AF5D&FORM=VIRE|

The Union forever! Hurrah, boys, hurrah!

Down with the traitor, up with the star;

While we rally round the flag, boys, rally once again,

Shouting the battle cry of freedom!

[onetexan]

53. Second that

[handmade34]

50. no

stay and fight

[kacekwl]

51. I would wait until the mid-term results.

If we lose then I would consider it but too old too broke and too in love the my grandchildren to leave. My son and his wife are trumpets so they get what they deserve. My daughter and husband are Democrats but not active in politics so there's that.

[nini]

52. I've always wanted to retiire in Portugal

I still do.. now it seems a bit more important than just a dream.

[eleny]

54. I'd move to another state if push came to shove but not another country

If the elections got stolen and Colorado went red I'd consider moving. But it would be tough after so many years to move back to NYC even though it's home, too.

My inclination is to stay and fight.

[Anon-C]

55. Tierra Del Fuego

[Sugarcoated]

56. Absolutely not

I stay and fight for America and what it should be. I'm a fighter.

[Chipper Chat]

57. Yes.

1. Germany - west-central area
2. Mexico -coastal town
3. Canad
4. Spain

[TexasBushwhacker]

58. Nope

I would consider leaving Texas, but not the US.

[Texasgal]

59. I'm not sure where I would go.

Nothing is utopia. I have a job, a home, my dogs and family here. Not sure I am willing to give that all up.

Yes, things suck but what is perfect?

[williesgirl]

60. Yes

[kcr]

61. For me, moving to a blue state fixed that urge

It really makes a difference. And now my kids are older and have more independent lives and friends, and they'll be getting ready for college pretty soon, and I wouldn't want to uproot them now.

[renate]

80. I'm furious enough in a blue state... I cannot imagine what it's like in a red one

And at the same time I feel as though I’m unfairly lucky to be in a blue state... it must be just awful to be surrounded by Trump cultists.

[Snake Plissken]

62. If I could land a job in Barcelona, I'd be there tomorrow and never look back

I never thought I'd want to leave the United States, but Trump has pretty much convinced me to stop lying to myself. I'm tired of the low IQ douchebaggery, we live in a national with a huge percentage of morons, who are willing to get everything away to obediently serve their their billionaire elitist masters.

[meadowlander]

64. Left in 2004 after Bush was re-elected.

Haven’t regretted it a day since.

[brooklynite]

66. So you didn't get to vote to turn the House and Senate Democratic in 2006...

You didn't get to vote for the first African American President in 2008.

You didn't get to vote for the first female Democratic nominee.

Whatever makes you happy...

[Jim Lane]

79. You can't assume that.

A friend of mine married a Brit some years ago. She's been living in the UK ever since. She holds dual citizenship and can still vote absentee at her last stateside residence.

She regrets that her last address here was in a very blue state. Anyone planning to leave the country should move to a swing state, establish residence there, and then go abroad.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

65. Yup.

I've looked into going to Canada, but my wife and I would have a hard time finding jobs that didn't suck due to our age and degrees. If I could, I would. This country is turning into a huge dumpster fire.

[Golden Raisin]

67. I'll be turning 70 so it's a bit impractical for me.

I live in a big, blue city in a blue state (on purpose) and that helps. Even so, if I were younger I'd be seriously contemplating getting out. I sort of feel like a Jew in Germany as the Nazi machine was gradually ascending to power. Every day and every week there are more disturbing signs and portents, constantly augmenting. This week the Supreme Court shifting to a 5/4 conservative slant is/was a serious destabilizing blow with long-term serious consequences. If Democrats do not, minimally, take back the House in the November midterms I see nothing but darkness descending. If Republicans who put party and power over country remain in power in all 3 branches we are truly fucked.

[doc03]

69. If this country continues its downword spiral into facism I will definatly

consider it.

[JarOCats]

70. If we had youth, money, and no commitments, yes.

We'd probably choose Canada. I would (and do) love Australia, but AU is undergoing its own political shitshow at the moment.

Many Americans recommend Portugal, but neither of us speaks a word of Portuguese.

[myohmy2]

71. "...would you leave the US?"

...hell no...

...run all those slimy treasonous Republicans out first, then maybe I'll give it some thought...

...

[Still In Wisconsin]

72. Hell YES I would, but I have a very elderly father and kids who consider this home.

So, unlikely I'll be leaving- would be hard to find another decent job abroad. It's more likely that I'll simply off myself after my kids have left the nest and dad has passed.

[moondust]

73. Yes.

I lived and traveled in Europe for a couple years in the 70s and would have stayed there then if it had been possible.

There's nothing to keep me in the U.S. now except age. IMO too many Americans still have the same repulsive core values of unbridled greed and bigotry that underpinned slavery; that's not likely to change. Rather than fading away, those have seemingly prevailed even in some northern states. I think Lincoln and many others down through history would be embarrassed by the current state of affairs after so many have sacrificed so much for "freedom."

There are many places where life for most people is worse than in the U.S. But there are also better places with more egalitarian core values. If I were younger I'd be looking into them again. You might be happier just moving to one of the "pockets of sanity" in the U.S. and riding it out.

[Spider Jerusalem]

75. I could and I did

I've lived in the UK for nearly a decade; I probably won't be coming back. (Brexit Britain is not exactly ideal, but I'll take it over Trump's America.)

[Meadowoak]

76. In a heartbeat, I'd move to Canada!

[Algernon Moncrieff]

77. It's a complex calculus

A lot of very cool, very freedom loving countries have more restrictive laws that we do. Many Americans like the idea of retirement in France, but in the French legal system, suspects are presumed guilty, not innocent. Italy? Probably at least as restrictive as the US. Then, there is the whole question of what nations Russia is likely roll over if events continue to play out. Canada? If things continue to get worse in the US, there may well be an Anchluss. The Caribbean? I know someone who lived in Nassau and says it's a total pain in the ass? And they won't let you just show up in most countries. IIRC, Ireland wants an assurance that you can produce income of $50K per year per immigrant (i.e. $100K per couple per year). Then there's climate change - a lot of cities I might pick are very possibly going to be underwater - although Europe has taken sea level rise far more seriously than we have.

Also, as bad as Trump and the courts have been, realistically, we lost more freedom under W. Bush. The Patriot Act was not our finest moment.

One supreme irony: many white boomers have cited illegal immigration as their number one issue. Yet this same group loves to vacation in Central America and frequently retires in Mexico, Honduras, Belize, and Costa Rica.

[LibDemAlways]

78. If I could, I would. Right now

it's not possible. I look after my 95-year-old mother who is in pretty good shape for her age. Her aunts all lived to be over 100, so there's that. I'm 65 and the husband is 67 and just starting a new job after being laid off two months ago. Neither of us is ready to retire. However, when circumstances change, we'll be out of here at least half the time. I would love to buy a small place on Vancouver Island and live there half the year. Stay in California near our daughter the remainder of the time.

[yewberry]

81. I would.

But I'm a government worker with no replacement. Nobody else can do my job, and because I'm in the govt, there will be no one trained to do it until I'm gone.

It's nuts.

[Jim Lane]

82. I may become an economic refugee.

Right now I live in the NYC metro area, which is more expensive than many parts of the U.S. Depending on my retirement income picture, I may well have to move to a cheaper locale -- which may be here or abroad.

Of the destinations people mention in this thread, many (such as Western Europe) are no cheaper than the U.S. That's assuming you can even qualify under their immigration laws. If I leave, it will more likely be to Latin America, or maybe even Thailand, which is becoming a surprisingly popular expat site.

[oldtime dfl_er]

83. Absolutely torn

First inclination is YES YES YES. This isn't my country anymore. I don't see anything but conflict and hate for the forseeable future. Half of me wants to go live in a small town in England and live quietly for whatever time I have left. The other half says HELL NO I want to be part of the solution.

I'm waiting til after the midterms and then will make a decision.

[YOHABLO]

84. I feel surrounded by stupidity living here, yes I would if I could.

[GreenPartyVoter]

85. Yes, would love to move to Canada.

[Kurt V.]

86. yes

but I've been thinking that for 20 years.

[TEB]

87. I'm staying to fight

Our boys want to leave for Scotland

[sanatanadharma]

88. My wife and I became expats after the magats took over

I am 72. Truth is that we began our "get out of dodge" plan for our own needs before the magat infestation; our certitude is greater now.
It makes near six months that we have been in a (now) liberal and progressive country.

I have never lived (and would not) where the loss of my democratic vote would matter, and I now know that logic, facts and rhetoric do not work.
Only the personal destruction of that which they love can change a magat into a fly, capable of leaving the crap upon which they feed.

My wife speaks the language here; I do not yet.
Here, the past week was a popular national celebration of human rights.
Equality of people and their rights under the law is highly appreciated.
Voting is compulsory and the people are very interested in politics.
It is also a place where streets are more likely to be named after poets than generals.

[raccoon]

89. Yes. I would go to some country that had stricter gun laws.

Yes. I would go to some country that had stricter gun laws.Like maybe the UK.

[joshcryer]

90. I'm going to Mars as soon as the opportunity presents itself.

I'm dead serious.

[PDittie]

91. Can and will

In about five years or so.

[radical noodle]

93. No

I'm going to stay and be an annoying no-see-um to every Republican I know or meet along the way. There are problems everywhere. I will stay and fight. My ancestors came here centuries ago for a better life and I will do what I can to fix what is wrong here.