Expatriation

Re: Expatriation


How about the United States?

I see that you live in a police state (presumably unnamed for fear of governmental retaliation) which must be uncomfortable indeed.

There are certainly liberties galore in the US of A, and tremendous opportunities to expand your financial wealth, if you are innovative and hard working.

Of course you may not have created much of a nest egg there in North Korea or Myanmar or whatever police state in which you reside, and the cost of goods and services are much higher than what you are used to, but so are wages, and you will be able to obtain goods and services you never even dreamed of in your current location at much less of a percentage of your income than it costs you now for the basics.

Of course you may have a little difficulty getting into the country what with these damned terrorists spoiling things for well intentioned immigrants, but perhaps you can try for political asylum. Ever been tortured by your State Police?

Of course you could also try Canada where it is as cold as hell and the government takes most of your money in taxes, but it has plenty of liberties too, and waiting for months for a non-critical medical procedure is probably not too bad considering the state of your current medical services.

There's Australia. Weather is on the hot side but you may be used to that. The people are very friendly and they too have a bunch of liberties. Their beer isn't anywhere near as good as they think it is, but they seem to love American TV. Of course they have treated the Aborigines pretty sadly over the years and so your sensibilities might be offended living within a society that could ever have done such things.

Lots of other democratic nations where there a lots of liberties, but I don't think any really match up with America or Australia.

Beware of Europe. They're presently under attack by certain of their own citizens whose families were encouraged to immigrate so as to supply them with cheap labor. For whatever nutty reasons they made no effort to encourage assimilation or to discourage sedition and now there's a canker in the rose so to speak.

In any case. Good luck to you. If you can't get into the US I hope you find a place that approximates its virtues.

Hey sumac,

Should we =

wander,
digress,
move freely,
wander,
speak or write at length,
or in detail,
leave the country,
be banished,
exiled,
withdraw,
or live in a foreign country??

I'm apolitical and retired on a fixed income - does that count? grin

I'll mostly just read along as things progress.

I'm not totally sure that I understand what you are asking but it sounds as though you are looking for a way to earn money?

Do you have any ideas in mind and just need to expand on those?

What do you do for fun? Some hobbies are ideal money makers.

I noticed in one thread that you mentioned building your own computer or doing repairs?

We also have liberties to deceive the public, obtain wealth by criminal means if we have lawyers (also most likely crooked than not) to protect us, lie without recourse as long as the cover-up is effective, sell products that continue to elude government standards (the phony MPG quotation on new car windows), et al.

I've never been an advocate of too much regulation but of targeted regulation aimed at stopping crooked business dealings. If Tom Delay can get away with it, you and I should be able to (providing we can afford to hire clever accountants and lawyers, of course).

Fair enough. Good varied beginning to this admittedly complex topic.

No, I am not looking for a way to make money. I, too, am on a fixed income - and need to make it stretch further than I can here.

I'm not advocating you break the law, especially without paying helpful (?!) professionals who know how to bend the rules and cover your ass.

LOL

Actually, I went back out of retirement to sell art at a national gallery change with a store near me in Fashion Island (known locally by some as "Facist Island" as it is in the rich, coastal center of the OC).

I am doing extremely well, especially with their big name artists (whose work I sometimes appreciate but the sales rule is "know the product," not necessarily "love the product). No Kinkade, thank gawd. Thanks to Clinton, you can now earn somewhere around $33,000. before getting docked on your Social Security. This is going to be raised year-by-year. Much fairer to the middle class wage earner than Bush's pathetic tax credits. I realize you have to be old enough to enjoy the advantage of it, of course. The family is fortunate enough to have a smart business manager my Mom inherited from her employment at Hughes Aircraft -- her immediate boss who is retired, not less. He earns extra money as a financial manager and investment advisers as well as doing taxes.

Finn, that was hilarious, intentional or not.

Yes, there are no cankers in our society, except, perhaps some who will remain nameless who post on this forum?

(No schoolyard retort about me being one of them, of course).

Yes, Roger. But I fear that the hilarity was unintentional.

LW-
I am at that age, but without the resources, convertible assets, or monthly income to look for much more than a basic subsistence. Which is fine with me. My needs are meager: a place for me and the kitties, my gardens, music, and the internet. Free from worrying about whether I can pay for the utilities and low-cost expenses would be really nice though.

And in OC, your basic needs are so substantial. Why do you stay there?

Sumac
Sumac, I love the Scandinavian countries. I've also been interested in New Zealand.

They all have progressive governement and social ethos.

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/nz.html

BBB

I too have always had an abiding interest in New Zealand and remember, vaguely, doing a paper on the country in some school year before junior high school.

But the Scandinavian countries are too cold for me and both locations would be prohibitively expensive for me to get to, with three kitties under my arm. Even assuming that I sold all of my possessions.

The ability to make a lot of money is also still great in the OC. True there is a lot of right wing money grubbing going on but believe me that it brings great joy to sell these people something and make my fair share of the profit for products and services (they are not very smart shoppers and it pains me to take advantage of that). Yea, right!

Australia would be a distinct possibility for you, sumac and I haven't explored the possibilities of New Zealand but Peter Jackson sure makes it look good! I love the Maori culture -- there are some great independent films from the past few decades which explores this and Tiri Te Kawana, the colorature soprano, is from New Zealand.

I'm curious -- I didn't look back in the thread to find out where "north of dementia in a police state" you actually live. As some have mistaken the glib, sarcastic humor of you location description as completely serious (?!), I still don't think it would be unsafe to reveal at least a city and state!

Too true, LW. I just today changed my location from a somewhat vague but accurate designation of actual physical place, to a more accurate, and equally vague, reflection of psychological space.

Sumac, I found a link to Canadian emigration:
http://immigration.about.com/od/immigrationissuescanada/a/Movetocanada.htm

I know you are at retirement age and that you have significant medical problems that aren't being covered by our pitiful health care system. I also know that you live in extreme frugality--your expenses are truly very low.

The problem of living in a state such a North Carolina is that the state hasn't enough money to pay for everyone with verifiable medical and monetary problems.

So, sweetie, just pull yourself up by the bootstraps, ignore you medical disabilities, find a way to buy a car that will take you far enough to apply for a job and, true to the American Dream, you too will find financial wealth. Sob.

Reading the link I posted, there are other links on the bottom of the page. One is titled,

Would American Liberals Have it Better in Another Country?

Be sure to click on that link as well--it has lots of items to think about.

Basically, you need money to emigrate and other countries really want young, skilled emigrants rather than those of us who are old and retired.

Perhaps you could find a way to move to a state that has enough money in its budget to help all those citizens who are in your position. It wouldn't cost as much as moving to another country. I realize that those states tend to have higher costs of living, but if you were able to get the help you need, that might not matter.

You are a poster child ( older adult ) for the people who are hanging on by their fingernails and have no support, regardless of their situation. What has happened to you is unconscionable and should be considered criminal.

Hmm, I'm young and skilled. I wonder where I should Emigrate to.

Maybe, New Zealand?

Cycloptichorn

LOL, I bet they'd take you with open arms.

My most recent fantasy (of the past several hours) is to sell everything I own and buy an old capped pickup truck, or box truck. Do research on the internet and find an impoverished area of the US that is not too cold and not too hot, and go find an abandoned hovel somewhere. Electricity, phone line for internet, my kerosene heater, the kitties - how much do I need?

Become a hermit. Maybe have to buy a shotgun though.