Re: Moving to Europe. (was Re: American Empire as Gated Community)

[Catilyne <catilyne@icicle.net>]

At 12:22 PM 1/3/2003 -0700, sine@zerocrossing.net wrote:
>My wife and I have thought long and hard about this, and we really want to
>move out of the U.S.  Frankly, we feel the system is too broken to ever be
>fixed and that democracy is long dead.  However, unless you've got a 
>company
>that's eager to hire you in a new country, it seems very difficult to move
>these days.  Any tips?  Anyone want to sponsor to very skilled, hard 
>working
>computer graphics/animation/music people?  Can we seek political asylum?  
>I
>hear the U.N. saying, "No war unless proof Saddam is hiding weapons." and 
>then
>I see that we're dropping leaflets telling them to tune into American US
>forces radio.  Makes me physically ill.
>
>I never thought I'd say this but I'd move out of here in a heartbeat.

Mark,

That's exactly the way my wife and I have felt for quite a while.  I spent 
12 years during the 80's/90's doing my part for democracy and 'fighting 
the 
system'.  By the last few years though, I was waking up every morning 
thinking "I've *got* to get out this frickin' country before it drives me 
nuts".  Unfortunately, I never did.  And while things had seemed to get 
better over the past few years, it all came rushing back again after the 
last election.

As for jobs, a lot of countries are making exceptions for computer and 
technical professions in particular.  Give some thought to which country 
you'd like to look at, and I can probably find some job links.  You can 
probably get a rough idea by doing searches over in the global gateway at 
Monster (http://international.monster.com).  You can also get some tips to 
start a general expat search at Escape from America 
(http://www.escapeartist.com) as well.

And regarding political asylum, I've thought about the same possibility 
previously.  Really, I think you might be able to make a case, but I don't 
know that anyone from here in the States has tried before.  It would 
certainly be an embarrassment to the administration (bonus!).  Generally, 
however, most of the countries that regularly act as asylums for the 
downtrodden and oppressed (the Netherlands, for instance) require that 
those requesting asylum be in imminent danger to life or liberty.  I can 
definitely see where an American Muslim (or other alternative religion) 
may 
be able to make a case.  Likewise if Ashcroft and company continue on 
their 
current course (i.e. detention camps for all...) one may be able to make a 
similar argument as a political dissident.

It's going to vary from country to country, but let me know offline if you 
want to explore the possibility, and I'll see if I can scare up some more 
resources.

         -c-

_____
"i want to reach my hand into the dark and *feel* what reaches back"
                                                 -recoil