The US Senator Byrd (old enough to be from the same generation as H.R. Munro’s grandparents?) on the eve of the Iraq invasion said ‘Today I weep for my country…’ and was he right to say that (although I see he’s had some strange connections early on in his life). Yes he was, unlike McCain who replied to the speech with militaristic platitudes about supporting his President and that it was a just cause. He said ‘Events will prove one of us correct in the next few days. But I rely on history as my guide to the future, and history shows us, unequivocally, that this nation has stood for freedom and democracy, even at the risk and loss of American lives, so that all might enjoy the same privileges or have the opportunity to someday enjoy the same privileges as we do in this noble experiment called the United States of America’. I think the laugh’s on McCain now except nobody is laughing, certainly not those who survived in what remains of Iraq.

I am sorry that the author of the article feels so disenchanted that he must leave America but I quite understand his reasoning. I wish him happiness wherever he lands.

We are all feeling the same collective shame, guilt and disquiet at what has happened in the last five years and nobody I know here in the UK feels very optimistic, even though it’s Spring and there should be an awakening. It still feels dark and cold although the days are getting longer and the temperature’s rising. If only our spirits were!

http://www.salon.com/news/primary_sources/2008/03/19/byrd/index1.html

It surely wasn’t something that I arrived at without much consideration, but in the end – it seemed the only real choice left to me.

I don’t think I’ll “give up” on the United States, maybe all I need is some time to breath and a little relief from the constant battle we fight daily. Perhaps maybe after I’ve been gone five years or so, and have regained some of my energy and motivation – I’ll come back and get ready for round 2.

It is sad though, like you said. I hear all of these great stories from my grandparents and older aunts and unlces (perhaps romanticizing the past, but still), about how there used to be something special about America. And I look around and go . . . “where is this place they are talking about? It certainly can’t be here.”

Maybe a few years will give me an outsiders prespective on things and I’ll be able to look at it in a whole new light. I just need to be sure that I don’t pick a country that the United States may invade between now and then.

Being that I am now college-aged, I have grown up with Bush and this whole War on Terrorism in the background since I was in my early teens. Slowly but surely I began at first questioning, then hating, then feeling like I needed to leave.

That is certainly an interesting feeling, feeling like you need to leave your native country (I’m even prepared to renounce my citizenship) – but things are going to get far worse before they get better here in the ol’ USA.

It’s not because I’m angry or hateful. It’s because I am so very tired.

Thanks for the article. I too have considered leaving the country but a major determinant for me, especially as resources become more limited, is does the country have access to resources and the means to protect them. I understand the allure of traveling to a country without a military, certainly after living in Fortress America, but can that country protect itself from countries that may seek to steal its resources? I hope Costa Rica welcomes you warmly, and that my concern never becomes your concern.

I hear that Uruguay and Argentina are also two beautiful countries to consider.

I’ve come to the conclusion that there is no escape from what is going to happen to this country. Protests and talk are all cheap- and no one is willing to take any action and stop these thieves and cheaters. I’m dirt poor myself. I can’t up and decide to leave the way the OP has, and I truly commend him for it. Don’t feel guilty- you’re only doing what any sensible person with the means to do so would do. I’d be right behind you if I could.

My sense is that there are tens of millions like me. We are fed up, have been pushed to the limit over the last four decades by authoritarian liars in a government that is supposedly of, by, and for, the people. We are sick of evil abbreviations and the horrendous agencies those abbreviations stand for, like CIA, NSA, FBI, etc., agencies that exist only to steal freedom and privacy, all in the name of (false) security. We do not need a national ID card, nor do we need cameras pointed at us as we go about our daily activities in public places. We do not live in a “homeland”, we live in a country. When you illegal wiretappers, readers of email, Internet crawlers, and your armed comrades come for us, we will not go peacefully. Bear that in mind. Enough is enough!