2013-02-17, 14:04 | Link #41 |
On a mission
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I will be kind and spare my more crueler tactics.
The comment about America being a last bastion of whatever is more used in an ironic sense these days. Of which people use it to go "Hmmph, that's what you pundits always claim but actions speak far louder than words". Indeed people have been noting this since the government for the last decade or so have been acting in "anti-freedom" very much so. Still, the collective narcissism is destructive.
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2013-02-17, 19:26 | Link #42 | ||
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Virginia
Age: 46
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Quote:
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2013-02-17, 19:55 | Link #43 |
formerly ogon bat
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Mexico
Age: 53
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That has nothing to do with the so called freedom (to do as your corporative lords decree) nor hope (since this generation has little hope they will have the same economical opportunities in life their parents had). It has to do with a huge difference in the size of the economies in America (the same problem they have in Europe) that is exacerbated by the U.S. long tradition of fueling the economy with cheap (slave or illegal) labor. Canada does not have such a huge immigrant influx because their labor market is pretty closed, meanwhile a little south Canada's border Chicago and New York are full of immigrants (so it has nothing to do with the cold weather).
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2013-02-17, 21:00 | Link #44 | |
Knight Errant
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Age: 35
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That Canada has historically received less migrants then the US is down to 4 factors: 1. Worse climate, most of Canada is inhospitable, and the bits that are aren't as warm (or fertile) as much of the US. There's no need for unskilled agricultural labour(like fruit picking), as the climate is not amenable to it. 2. Location, Canada's only direct border is with the US, while the US has borders with Mexico, and maritime borders with much of the Caribbean. Also, Canada has only one large Atlantic port (St. Laurence River into Quebec), and most of it's large cities are actually on the Great Lakes. To get to most Canadian cities, you'd probably have an easier time traveling via New York or Boston, and so most migrants would just stay in those Atlantic seaboard cities, rather then travel even further inland. Given that the US has most of those Atlantic cities, while Canada at best has 1 (and that 1 is actually up river)... 3. Being closely associated with the UK, in the past due to it's association with Britain, only people from the Empire emigrated in large numbers. If you were from Germany or Italy, you might prefer somewhere less closely associated with Britain. Today this is no longer a factor. |
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2013-02-17, 21:58 | Link #45 | |
廉頗
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Massachusetts
Age: 34
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2013-02-17, 22:56 | Link #46 |
I don't give a damn, dude
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: In Despair
Age: 37
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By that logic, my little red dot must trump 'Murrica as the "last great bastion of hope and freedom", if its apparent tendency to draw immigrants looking "for a shot at a better life" is projected to balloon the population by up to 20% in the next 15 years is any indication. Ironic that this could be the case, given how this little shithole combines the worst bits of Airstrip One and the World State.
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2013-02-17, 23:36 | Link #47 | |
NYAAAAHAAANNNNN~
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 35
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It is money that attracts them. And the prospect of earning sizable wages means the good, bad and ugly all roll into one place, each having their own motives and interests.
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2013-02-18, 06:28 | Link #49 | |
Logician and Romantic
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Within my mind
Age: 43
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Immigrants know they aren't welcomed anymore. We watch the news you know, and watched all the political talk about how evil Obama is because he is allegedly from Kenya.
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2013-02-18, 06:35 | Link #50 | |
NYAAAAHAAANNNNN~
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 35
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It is always about the wage press-down by cheaper foreign workers. Things won't change, not even corporate and national espionage cases being blown up.
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2013-02-18, 06:45 | Link #51 |
Senior Member
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Location: Virginia
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KcwIy_fQuU&sns=em
I'll just leave this here.
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2013-02-18, 07:17 | Link #52 | ||
Logician and Romantic
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Within my mind
Age: 43
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http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Ameri...-hits-net-zero Quote:
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2013-02-18, 10:29 | Link #53 | |
Love Yourself
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Northeast USA
Age: 38
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That would shock many people because China frequently gets bad press for its human rights. It's viewed as a corrupt place where the government forces abuse the population and engage in such outrageous activities as censorship. Its pollution issues make headlines even here in America. And you can still find some Americans who say the word "communism" when they think of China, and you would think that they had just invoked the name of the devil. Compared with America, why would anyone want to go back to China by their own choice? The answer seems fairly obvious to me: just as you and I are bound to have different preferences in food, colors, houses, and so on, the idea of what constitutes "a better life" is not universal.
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2013-02-18, 10:32 | Link #54 |
Master of Coin
Join Date: Mar 2008
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There is another good reason to come to the good old' USA, you would at least get arrested rather than bombed into smithereens as a "suspected terrorist" living in a Muslim country.
Here, at least you would get a faux trial rather than executed from the sky |
2013-02-18, 11:55 | Link #55 | |
formerly ogon bat
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Mexico
Age: 53
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I am not muslim, nor arab but if I were I think I would be mad at the prior statement, since it reeks of "all muslims are terrorists that should be hunted down by drones" and because we all know that since bush jr. was elected there is no such think as trials for "enemy combatants". |
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2013-02-18, 12:03 | Link #56 | |
廉頗
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Massachusetts
Age: 34
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2013-02-18, 13:18 | Link #57 | |
Master of Coin
Join Date: Mar 2008
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I mean, in theory, a terrorist don't even have to strap on a suicide vest anymore, he could just literally come to some random wedding/funeral with flowers, and knowing the CIA will one day bomb him right to heaven. Is three for one--promote future Jihad recruits, 72 virgins, and have the American taxpayers pay for the explosives. |
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2013-02-18, 18:02 | Link #58 |
Love Yourself
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Northeast USA
Age: 38
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You're right regarding general immigration trends, but this does not explain the scenario that I mentioned. These are people who are already in America, some of whom have gone through the process and established citizenship. They are here because the economic opportunity is better for them here. Even though they could easily spend the rest of their lives here, they do not want to. Once they decide to retire, or once their children are enrolled in an American university, they're heading home. Economics aren't playing a role in those decisions to leave, because in those cases they're in America for that reason. There are many potential reasons for why they would want to return to their home country, but the point is that the idea that America's lifestyle and/or cultural values are superior to the rest of the world, and that people universally want to emigrate here for them, is false.
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2013-02-18, 19:07 | Link #59 | |
Master of Coin
Join Date: Mar 2008
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Some other reasons include AIR-China air pollution are absolutely awful, and many students want to live in a country with a EPA with a backbone. (LOL, until Rick Perry or the GOP kill it) Water- See above, and the ability to have a shower every day rocks. Want babies-Not because of Anchor babies, but want to have more than just one. Religion-Some are Christians, while China isn't actively prosecuting like the good ol' Mao days, a lot of them would still want a safer harbor. Hedge the bet-Just in case China fell apart, or America fell apart, the girl/boy can go back to China or bring parents over. |
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2013-02-18, 19:30 | Link #60 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Virginia
Age: 46
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If that's the case, and being this is the American Politics thread. Tell me why Obama is trying to make easier and less illeagal for said immigrants to stay in America? I mean he's almost giving them amnesty to stay here.
And if it's so bad here, why do they risk life and limb to get here?
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