Leaving America...
I was talking to a former boss today. This man is a successful scientist and physician. His wife is equally or even more successful in her field. They are successful by any measure. They have intelligent, capable children. They own a large apartment in a prime neighborhood in Manhattan and a house on the beach in the Hamptons. These people are not hurting.
My former boss, after considerable discussion about science, started to express his extreme horror at what Bush is doing to this nation. Bottom line is he sees Republican policy destroying the future of America and he fears for his children's future.
His wife's parents were refugees from Czecholslovakia. I don't know the details, but somehow this allows her an option for Czech citizenship.
This family, successful by any standards, has become so fearful of America's direction under Bush that his wife has applied for refugee status to the Czech Republic in the hopes of getting a Czech passport. This will give them the option of fleeing America.
THIS is what Bush has done. Educated Jews once fled Europe to seek refuge in America. Now they are considering reversing the flow.
My wife and I have discussed this as well. We are not ones to idly say we will leave the country. But we do not want to stay until it is too late to leave. My wife's father was born in Wales. She might have the opportunity to apply for British citizenship. We are not yet in a position to follow this course. But we have discussed it.
When is it time to leave? Any Jew who knows history knows that question can be a matter of life or death. It is a question that has haunted me for more than a year. Apparantly my former boss and his wife have also been haunted. And they have taken the first step towards leaving.
When is it time to leave. And when is it too late?
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Culture | Politics
My husband and I
Submitted by sidnora on 13 May 2006 - 11:12am.
have had this conversation, more than once.
If I were you I'd go ahead and explore the British citizenship option, just so you know where you stand. I don't know if it's significant to you, but every one of my friends who has any claim on non-American citizenship is already working on this, including non-Jews, as well as children of Holocaust survivors. And most of them, while liberal, are somewhat less politically aware than we are here.
I envy you that you have a possible option, since we don't - other than Israel. And I figure that wouldn't afford us much protection, if it came to this. I don't relish the idea of spending my "golden years" as a non-citizen refugee in some other country, but that's what we'd be looking at otherwise.
We should
Submitted by mole333 on 13 May 2006 - 2:34pm.
We should look into it. I actually would be intrested in Israel if it was just me. Living somewhere where being Jewish is NORMAL? That sounds tempting! But I wouldn't feel safe enough for my family. Of course I wouldn't like the government there either, but an Israeli friend says that would be a GOOD reason to move there.
Maybe Hugo Chavez would welcome a couple of American scientists just for the PR value...
Wow, and I thought I was alon
Submitted by Walter (not verified) on 17 May 2006 - 7:07pm.
Wow, and I thought I was alone n feeling this way. While I wasn't one of those who thought moving to Canada was a good idea is Bush won in 04, I have contemplated the possibility of needing to leave(i.e flee) this nation in the years to come. I just see a huge economic collapse (more severe than the Great Depression) coming and subsequent breakdown in what I know as my nation.
You are not alone
Submitted by mole333 on 17 May 2006 - 7:39pm.
Ironically, I have some German friends who knows of Jews who have MOVED TO GERMANY because they are afraid of what is happening in America. At first I thought this was urban legend, but I know of at least two families that have done this.
Already left. NEVER coming
Submitted by Anonymous Coward (not verified) on 23 May 2006 - 1:49am.
Already left. NEVER coming back.
Only regret? Not leaving sooner.
www.escapeartist.com was helpful to me. (I am not affiliated with the site, btw)
See you overseas sometime, outside the USA reality bubble. Life is sane outside of it, and life can be very good indeed. Living in a civilized country with a strong civil society is worth the effort.
Even aside from BushCo, the USA just isn't worth it. Too expensive, too insular, too puritanical, too oppressive, too capitalistic, too many prisons, laws, cops. No thanks.
Been overseas
Submitted by mole333 on 23 May 2006 - 9:32am.
I spent some time overseas. Loved it but, at the time, was also happy to return to the US. But the US is changing and not for the better. Should the opportunity come up again, I might be less interested in returning.
There is no place...
...beyond the power of the United States. Either we win this battle, or none of us will have any place to go to.