DejectedAmerican

LOL. My first lesson in cross-cultural interaction. Apologies. I was referring to the American TV series not the historical figure.

Thank you for the link, my friend. I am no slacker. I will work my balls off. I just want a life and opportunity. I must admit that I am scared of your display name. Bush and Cheney are two of the most evil people on earth. They sent 3000 American troops to their death for what they blatantly knew was lie. It was always over oil. Here is a link to reading material. This book pissed me off. You can download directly to a smartphone with the Kindle Reader free app: http://www.amazon.com/Hubris-Inside-Story-Scandal-Selling/dp/030734682X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313118552&sr=8-1 This will blow your mind and possibly change your view on those monsters.

I would rather be poor Canadian than a poor American. At least I can get real healthcare if I am living in the streets of Toronto. Here the people seem to think I should just lay down and die. You also have a lot of untamed land so if I really had to, I could do the Grizzly Adams thing and live in the wilderness, eat caribou, and grow pot for beer money. If I went to live in the wilderness here and was discovered, I would end up on national news as a freak nature boy and either placed in a shelter where I will be beaten within an inch of my life for my macbook or into prison where my ass becomes a man-receptacle. We seem to hate poor people here and like to watch them suffer and since I am about to be poor, I do not have very high expectations.

In about two years you will be glad you didn't. I'd be glad to trade if your government would allow it.

Hello, Tim. Pleased to make your acquaintance. I think that you may not be well versed on solar technology. With all due respect, allow me to educate. In Iceland, a company came up with a solar collection technology that collects UV light even at night. They are not solar panels but rather solar "sheets". These are close to the texture and consistency of roofing shingles. They are not as efficient during the day as standard panels but they collect 24 hours per day making them MORE efficient per day. Then there is solar-thermal which is 200% more efficient that standard photovoltaic technology because it uses the HEAT generated by the sun to spin turbines that generate electricity. That heat can get so intense during the day that it persists during the night. Another aspect you may have not considered is that the sun is still shining on the western part of he country in the evening while the east is dark and vice versa in the morning meaning that those who are still sleeping and using less energy can take up the slack for those waking up in the morning. Add to that support from wind and wave generator technology and there is never a problem with over-consumption and energy gets cheaper. You can put miles on wind generators in the tundra and the wind there is pretty much constant. Problem is too many corporations want the oil and diamonds in that region. Think about that for a bit. I just ask that you consider the facts. If you wish, I will post multitudes of links to support my position. It may be better for you to do your own research. Just google Solar technology. It is far more advanced than you think. The only thing that ever held it back has been funding and you can thank politicians in all countries and oil companies for that. It is beyond plausible. The problem is no one is willing to make a few sacrifices to allow for the transition. You are of course entitles to you position, I just respectfully ask that you do more research before you render a final judgement. The problem in the US is that most are not willing to put in the time to educate themselves on these matters and put too much trust in sound bites and "experts" which all seem to contradict each other allowing people to choose which position they will take rather than finding out for themselves. It seems to me that you have made broad generalizations without any factual support for you claims. I do not fault you for this nor do I criticize. I just ask that you check this stuff out for yourself. It is fascinating and, for me, gives me a shred of hope for the future of humanity.

Greetings to my Canadian friends. I have lost all faith and confidence in my government to competently run my country and I want to renounce my citizenship and become and Canadian citizen. I recently lost my job to third-world slave labor and my prospects for future employment are dire in this economic climate. My government has been infiltrated by radical right-wing fundamentalists and I fear for my future. I apologize on behalf of the American people for the economic mess my country has caused to the world. I never advocated any of that bullshit. I am deeply embarrassed by they way our legislature has conducted itself. I love my fellow Americans (the non-wackjobs anyway), as opinionated as they can be, but some of them want to force their way of life down my throat and I will not stand for it. All I ever expect from a government is that they ensure fairness and security. Is that too much to ask? I am a talented graphic artist and budding amateur photographer with an IQ of around 140. I am willing to work any job that will pay me a fair wage that will allow me to cover basic living expenses. I would appreciate any information on how to start the path to citizenship and any leads on job opportunities. I do not care if it is being Bear bait for hunters as long as it pays enough for me to live on. Please help me. This is not a joke. I am fearful for the future of my country and I feel it will soon turn into a corporate oligarchy. I need to get out ASAP. I know the idea of American immigrants or American refugees is absurd but get used to it. I am not the only one. I have at least 60 friends on Facebook that are all looking to emigrate to Canada or possibly Australia. Yes folks, things are getting that bad here. The media here is a sham meant to gain ratings and add fuel to the partisan fire. It will not get better, only worse. The smart ones, like myself, know to get out now but the problem is, what country will take American immigrants? I just want out of this prison. Please help. Any info is appreciated. Thank you for reading.

As an American, I could not have said it better. My country has been taken over by tyrants and wackjob right-wing fundamentalists. I apologize for the economic damage we are about to do to earth. I had nothing to do with it and I am currently researching coming to your country to restart my life. I lost my job to third-world slave labor and I am a graphic artist, not a factory worker. I am close to becoming homeless if things do not get better soon. If we killed the Senate and just stayed with the House of Representatives, killed the electoral college and move to a pure democracy (we are a republic like you) there would be more balance. Allow me to explain. A true democracy is where the PEOPLE have direct say in legislation and all matters involving the state. A republic is where democratically elected officials make decisions on behalf of the people REGARDLESS of the will of the people. They are not beholden to public opinion and that is the problem. Keep in mind that my country was founded by rich, white, slave-owning, landowners. It was carefully crafted to enure "equality" while still putting the bulk of power and influence with the few. In fact, our first dozen or so presidents were not elected at all by the people but ONLY by the electoral college as they felt that the general populace was too ignorant to possibly know what was good for them. Unfortunately, many of those in power still feel that same way. If my country's people had a spine, they would vote to end the Senate and the electoral college and force the government to accept that WE have the power to hire and fire politicians at will and when they do not coincide with the majority, they get replaced with one who will. That, my Canadian friends, is what a democracy is supposed to be. When the people directly elect their officials, it is guaranteed that the majority will always have the greater voice and those in the minority have the right to spread their word to gain more influence in legislation. That is freedom. The truth is that there will always be people who will end up on the shit end of the stick. This is inevitable in a democracy but the beauty of it is that the minority will always have a voice. My country has failed. Learn from this and do not let radical right-wing fundamentalists infiltrate your great society. I can only hope that you would be willing to accept me as a citizen.

My first post. Hello all. I am an American looking to flee the country due to radical right-wing fundamentalists taking over our government. I am hoping to find a home in Canada if you would have me. My country is going down the toilet and I just lost my job to third-world slave labor so things are getting bad for me. I just hope the hyper-conservative wave does not roll over Canada else I have no place else on Earth to go because no one wants to take in American immigrants. I feel like I am in prison. Anyway, on green energy, I ask you to consider this: If your government mandated that ALL power-using structures had to install solar panels and that all grids had to be interconnected, there would be enough power to handle almost all the country's power needs. Think about it. It would be a living grid. Not everyone in your country is home all day using power which means that those who are not home using power are lending it to those who are. This can be reinforced with wind-farms (the Canadian tundras are perfect for this), wave generators on the coast and dams. There would be no such thing as blackouts and power would be super cheap, problem is there is less profit in it for mega corporations looking to hoard the world's resources. Think about it. It is beyond plausible to accomplish but there is one caveat--Costs will go up before they come down. You have to be willing to endure that 5-10 years of economic discomfort before it comes down in price and that is the problem in America. We do not seem to want to give up Netflix, cable TV, smartphones, video games, movies, fast food for even a little while for a better long term outlook. We have become diseased with greed and narcissism. There is this sentiment that there will always be someone else to "take care of it" and are not willing to take a step or two back for the greater good. The collective will always be more powerful than the individual which is why the powers that be in my country push individualism down our throats. They represent the minority of billionaires and millionaires and they benefit from the polarization. Don't fall for it. I would appreciate any info any of you can provide as how I go about migrating to your wonderful country. I am a talented graphic artist and budding amateur photographer. I have a 140 IQ and can learn anything. I am open to any decent job that would enable me to afford a small apartment and maintain basic needs like food and utilities. Please help me. My country is turning into an evil empire and I want no part of it.