I received the below image of the Canadian border welcoming across immigrants in the event of an Obama victory. In an attempt to be helpful to those who might be thinking of moving and in light of the differences between the conservative ideology and the reality in Canada I thought I would provide some constructive advice as to where people could move.
I'm a victim of daylight saving discrimination! I had the unfortunate experience of birth as a diary during the do-over hour in Eastern time. Thus, I had to start my life most of the way down the diary list! End daylight savings discrimination! Equal rights for diaries born during the do-over hour!
(over for snarkfull reply)
My Reply..
I realize that some will have a difficult time with the changes that might be put in place after Barack Obama's election. I thought I would provide some helpful advice for those who wish to depart this country as a consequence of the election.
It appears as though most are concerned about a small increase in the top tax rate and the availability of a universal health care. Of course this few percentage point increase in the marginal tax rate will be hardship for those who make more than 1/4 million a year, and innovation will likely fall to levels seen during the Clinton years.
On social issues it is likely that under an Obama administration abortions will continue to be as available as they are right now and that gay people engaged in civil unions or marriages where the citizens of a given state have decided to allow this will may receive federal benefits such as the right to file taxes together. I know that it will be difficult for married couples all across the country to realize they are sharing a tax form with gay people! In addition the military might re-employ the gay Arabic translators that were fired under don't ask/don't tell several years ago. This will likely decrease the possibility of a terrorist attack, but who wants to be saved by a gay translator?
That said... I suspect Canada isn't the best choice for this mass migration. It is well known that Canada has a universal health care system. Those who become citizens of Canada will find that they are able to receive medical care when they are ill and the many currently uninsured they will find a surprising ability to keep their homes and personal possessions and will not receive the popular calls from angry creditors demanding payments several times what individuals make in a year. One would also note that as a percentage of gross-domestic-product that the Canadians pay higher taxes than we do. Abortions can be obtained in Canada and it should be noted that there are no major political parties making promises that they will be unable to keep regarding making abortion illegal. I realize that such promises have become a key part of our political system that will be greatly missed by those who depart. Lastly, marriage is available in all provinces for all couples gay or straight. This just doesn't sound like a good fit!
So if not Canada .. where then? As America is now the only major industrial country not not to provide such a healthcare program, one may find themselves rather limited in terms of options.. .First rule out Germany, England, France, Poland, Hungary, Iceland, Serbia, Portugal, Russia etc... in fact virtually all of Europe (East and West) as they all have some form of universal health care! Germany is a particularly bad choice as they had the world's first universal health care system, dating back to Otto Von Bismarck's 1883 act. Those migrating might find the Eastern European nations a better fit as the health care plans probably don't offer as extensive coverage nor are the hospitals as well thought of.
One could consider south and central American countries but be sure to avoid Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Panama, Uruguay and Venezuela as they all have universal health care. Mexico might prove a good choice, but they too plan to offer such a plan in the future.
Well.. Then how about Asia?... Japan is well known for having an efficiently run universal health care system that serves its citizens well. In addition Singapore, Thailand and India have at least limited systems. China is attempting such a program but it not yet able to provide care to all of its huge and densely packed citizenry. Perhaps communist China would be a good fit for those concerned about universal health care? Australia and New Zealand both have a program as well.
So where then can one move? Many of the poorer countries in south and central America seem a potentially good choice. Columbia, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador are among these as well as Nicaragua and Honduras. Generally consider those countries in South America which have the lowest standard of living on the continent. You may have difficulty finding legal employment and may find yourself with a need to learn Spanish or Portuguese though. The southern tip of South America has the highest standard of living (almost on par with Eastern Europe), but be careful not to be tempted by that as they have universal health care.
Africa could prove a boon for those attempting to avoid such health care plans. Virtually all of Africa does not have such a plan! Avoid South Africa as they are attempting to institute one. I know many conservatives are also strong proponents of gun rights. I would strongly suggest bringing your guns with you to Africa as you might find it handy during the frequent violent upheavals that are common in such countries. The standard of living you will find will be among the lowest anywhere in the world.
Many of the poor countries in Asia and Oceania could work well. Be careful in the middle east. Saudi Arabia does provide such a plan and Iran is attempting one. Note also that in Afghanistan and Iraq the United States is attempting to provide coverage. In addition due to recent military activity American immigrants may find themselves less welcome in such countries. One should consider conversion to the Islamic faith.
In general in your search you should look for the countries with the lowest life expectancy. Recently the United States has fallen behind many of the Western European countries with universal health care in this regard. You should look to identify countries with an even lower life expectancy; the lower the life expectancy the more likely the country is to not have universal care. Also, for those who are opposed to taxation in general, avoid western european industrialized nation as in general they have higher taxation as a percentage of gdp.
On the issue of gay rights, you probably have some more options. Canada, China, most of Europe, Australia and South America have or are considering some form of recognition of gay relationships. I would suggest Mexico, Africa (except South Africa) the Islamic Middle East, India or Russia, and the poor countries of Asia. For the time being those countries are not considering recognizing gay relationships. On the issue of Abortion, for the most stringent anti-abortion laws consider parts of Africa and a few places in South America. Ireland stands out also as the lone first world nation with stringent anti-abortion laws. Careful though, migrants to Ireland will have to put up with universal health care!
I hope that this information is helpful to those contemplating departure from this nation in the event of Obama's victory. I wish you the best of luck in your journeys! I don't expect to hear from you as most of the countries I've suggested above are not well known for their communications infrastructure....