"Why I'm Leaving America", an article

Also, the pledge of allegiance isn't just a loyalty oath to the government. You're pledging allegiance to the flag, and to the republic for which it stands. You're not just pledging to meekly obey your masters, you're pledging to defend what America is: "one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all". When people try to make America stop being those things, you have an obligation to defend and restore it.

^ A similar thing is said when you take the Oath of Enlistment in the military. You pledge to defend the United States and the Constitution of the United States, not a specific leader.

I wonder how long it'll take him to realize nowhere's perfect. If it took him this long to realize the US is how it is..

He'll probably end up wandering from country to country for years.

A poor man's Alexander Supertramp?

&Exactly.

—-

This isn't something you just up and run from, If you think so much is wrong with this country/world then roll up your sleeves, grit your teeth and fix it or at least try too.

This is America we're talking about not some country were every other car that rolls through town is filled with Ak-47 tooting merc for the local crime lord/despot.

edited 2nd Sep '12 8:44:47 AM by Vyctorian

This sounds like the makings of a great comedy movie. Give him a mischievous little monkey for a side kick and have have him go to every country in the world finding wacky people. Only let's make the boat a little rowboat because rowboats are funnier.

If I had the choice between a first-world nation, or some place like Cameroon (where the Ministry of Tourism actively stops people from visiting), I would go first-world.

Detroit is still in the US, isn't it?

Nobody lives in Detroit any more, Jonesy.

You're thinking of South London.

... That's not in America, no, but I wish it was.

Ha, you still think we're allow automatic weapons.

We're still allowed to use trebuchets!

They're not technically illegal.

One of my old friends moved to Detroit some time ago. Apparently, he loves it.

What Do You Mean Detroit Isnt Hell?

..that should be a trope.

Also, yes, the guy behind this article probably doesn't realize how dumb he sounds. Professional adventurer and thinker, huh? How much money's in that?

edited 2nd Sep '12 10:31:44 AM by Monta

Thanks to the incredible American financial system, at least some (he has a "donate with paypal" button on his website).

It saddens me to think that people will actually give him money.

I think the phrase 'enough rope to hang himself' comes into it somewhere.

Reasonable enough. I hope he knows that America isn't going to miss him.

I do think the Pledge of Allegiance in school is creepy, even if it's not legally mandatory to say it. It's not the kind of thing a properly free country should be doing.

Joining the military is different, and I would expect a loyalty oath from anyone who joins.

Personally I like the Pledge of Allegiance. But I suppose its all a matter of interpretation.

On the article's topic:

First off, I hate whoever wrote. The article screams pseudointellectualism mixed with a certain smugness that just makes the whole thing insufferable. This part And the fact that article has 55 thumbs up pisses me off even further.

Secondly, I hate this particular line, "I’m not only fleeing your coercion, but the inevitable economic collapse your inhabitants are only beginning to appreciate." Hate to brake it to you pal but a the economic collapse of the US is not something that's gonna be constrained only to this country. It would hurt small tourism & trade dependent nations (like the Bahamas) the most. Not even China is invulnerable.

In my opinion, if you have a legitimate problem with your country then you have a responsibility to get educated on the issue and then try to fix it. Not flee to Canada or Europe in an attempt to find some "socialist" paradise. Not flee to some barely inhabited island until the problem blows over. And not bemoan endlessly about how everything is wrong and nothing ever changes. These types of attitudes are some of the very reasons of why change is so slow, because so many people either give up or flee instead of doing something.

TL:DR version: "My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right."

In some cases fleeing is acceptable like if your country is run by blood thirsty despot, 90% of the people can't read or women don't have rights or protections. If only to get the education and resources to be able to fix your country.

Oh and starvation, starving is a pretty legit reason to leave your country. Especially if it's caused by a famine.

Pretty sure America doesn't qualify under any of those.

It doesn't unless you listen to weirdos in certain parts of Europe.

I think that one can "flee" from their country if, for any reason (up to and including "I want to see the world" or "I don't like it here much anymore"), they want to. People are under no obligation to remain in a single country for their whole life, and while moving is always harder than it looks it's far from impossible nowadays (provided that you do your research and so on.)

However, writing a blog post about how your homecountry sucks and is a place for losers while hitting people up for donations for funding your move is generally kinda bad form.

It's similar to the difference between moving out from your parents and whining to random strangers about the kind of raisin cookies your mum buys.

edited 3rd Sep '12 7:43:25 PM by Carciofus

Vyctoria: Apparently that's nowhere, since every country in the world seems to have a literacy rate at least over 20%. :p

edited 3rd Sep '12 10:48:17 PM by Zersk