Avoiding US goods and services – from tech to whisky to air travel – has forced many to find a new way of living
This week the US imposed 50% tariffs on US$20bn (£15bn) of Canadian goods, and Mark Carney, the country’s prime minister, has vowed to match them “dollar for dollar” after the collapse of trade talks between the two countries last weekend. Donald Trump retaliated on Thursday by ordering the federal government to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America.
Such actions have added fuel to a widespread boycott of US products and services by Canadians that began early last year in response to the president’s trade war and threats to annex his northern neighbour.
More than 3,500 people from across Canada shared with the Guardian via an online callout how they have made changes to their lives in response to the US administration’s political and economic stance. Many expressed deep anger and sadness, but remained resolute that this was now a new way of living.
Sadly, the liar here is you and the truth-teller is me. My story is not a fable. KI5ONA. Do some research, it’s all public domain. But please, don’t spread lies and expect me to choke them down. I’ll call you out every single time.
The fable is that americans can “leave” if they want to. They can’t, do some research. Do you think working one year contracts as an English teacher in Asia counts as giving up your american citizenship? Do you think having to pay double tax is normal? We will be calling each other out till the heat death of the universe.
If you want citizenship in a different country, that’s between you and said country. Not America’s fault if that other country doesn’t want you.
Having to pay double tax is absolutely normal outside of the Western world. Most of Asia, most of Africa, and most of South America rely on the practice. Please tell me more how that’s America’s fault…
And no, you’ll eventually gain knowledge and quit arguing with me because information is freely available. But lies cost you brainpower. And you just lost all 4 of your arguments.
America does not prevent (or charge) people to leave. So you do some research, I didn’t have to pay to leave. I don’t have to pay to leave now. Quit lying. One year working contracts lead to resident visas, after you prove yourself (amazingly, just like America!). So please quit lying. You are clearly pulling shit our of your ass, trollbot!
Bro, it’s not fair to tell people who don’t like the country they live in to move. If everyone did that then there would be no country left. It is fair to stay and try to create the nation you want, doesn’t it? What kind of nation do you want? I mean that seriously, I think you have something to say, and I think this thread derailed into name calling. So may I constructively ask you, what is your main topic of contention with your country that you would want changed? I understand that this is a broad question, and if you wouldn’t mind, I would prefer an answer that is a description of the kind of society you would want to live in.
What type of society would you feel happy in? Can you describe it? I think it is important for us all to talk about these things, genuinely.
Thanks.
I think it’s plenty fair. Why live in a country you hate? When I’ve been in countries I didn’t like, I left. They can, too. If you read the thread, many think the USA won’t let them leave – which couldn’t be farther from the truth. I merely provided various ways they could leave, since they hate it so much and think they’re trapped.
But as you might notice 90% of the comments here are posted by trollbots. And trollbots tend to like name calling. My favorite were the posts that said “But I want to move to England so I can’t teach English, a**hole!” – Not without a Ph.D., this is true, but they still take tech workers and nurses (and that’s every country!). So there’s plenty of room to move there, especially if you’re a human being and not a trollbot.
I’m mostly happy with the society I currently live in (Colorado). I may not like everything the President of my country does, but I usually feel that way regardless of who gets voted in because they’re gone in a few years. In this particular situation, I’d love to see free and fair trade without tariffs of any kind. But I’ve been to Canada and Trump does have a point, Canada has been levying invisible tariffs on American goods for decades and not living up to its USMCA agreements – something most Americans and most Canadians don’t even realize.
Now do I approve the way Trump is handling this? Of course not. They guy’s a jerk. He could have plainly laid things out to the press, showed the grievance, and explained his actions but instead used his typical Queens attitude to justify being obnoxious (this is why most of America doesn’t really care for people from New York). And don’t even get me going on the renaming of lakes and gulfs, it’s asinine at best at looks childish. But this clown, like the last clown, will be gone in a few years. And with the midterms just months away the majority in Congress will likely change parties and his hands will be tied for the rest of his second term anyways.
As for an “ideal” society, I don’t think it’s even possible. Too many people have entirely different values. Even generationally, you run into problems. Older generations have been calling younger generations spoiled and lazy since the birth of time, and in some cases that’s true because the younger generations have had more in terms of convenience than the older generations did. The younger generations have always accused the older generations of being out of touch, and in some cases that’s true as well, the opportunities of the 50’s/60’s/70’s no longer exist and labor’s capture of GDP has diminished greatly while home prices have soared (along with everything else). So even with just that, you’re going to have friction in any society (and it rings true in every country I’ve lived in). Add in cultural differences on top of that, different views on work and life, and you end up with a secular society where yes, everyone gets to live how they please but there’s zero cohesion or national culture. So I don’t think you can base your own internal happiness on external society. You just have to find a society you can live in without hating.
The usa will not let you leave, that is the point.
Oh, and no its not normal to double tax. Only two countries impose this income tax system: the United States and Eritrea.
The second point you tried to make is also a lie. I live in Colorado. I was born in California. I haven’t paid taxes in California since I left it 35 years ago. And when I go to Texas, I won’t pay California or Colorado taxes. So please quit lying.
You’re the stupidest trollbot known to man. Please, mods, remove the lying bot.
Please stop with the name calling. I hate when people do that, and you hate when people do it to you. I get it. We’re all mad. But I’m not gonna interrupt, I would like to hear your take on my question in the comment I posted to you above. Peace.
fuck it, I’m gonna upvote all the comments in this chain, regardless of the name calling, because I can.
If you read the thread, it’s other’s calling me names. But thank you for your post.
Oh, please tell us what you have been called. I would like to know as clearly I am some sort of “troll bot” and require input.
Oh come on my friend from yesterday, discuss the points. What even are the points at this point?
Yeah I saw that, but you do it too. I think it’s funny because you both have good points and fucking hate each other, so it’s both entertaining and educational lol keep punching’em!
I don’t hate anyone, but I do have a hard time letting half-truths go unchallenged. And I will call a dumb trollbot a dumb trollbot!
My whole point is, if you’re not happy where you are – Go! Find your happy place! Somehow, me advising people to find their happy place “isn’t fair” or “being rude”. WTF!!! Personally, I 100% intend to return to Malaysia. America isn’t now, or will it ever, say “YOU CAN’T LEAVE HERE!”. All these bots saying “I’m trapped” and then scream bloody murder when I show them they’re not… It’s hilarious.
If you’re not happy where you are, go find a place where you can be! The world does not exist to provide you happiness. You have have to go find it. That’s part of being a grown-up. But some people would rather sit on a screen and complain all day long. What – you think the government is going to come knocking on your door, ask you where you’d like to go, and give you a free plane ticket? Not gonna happen. You gotta get off your butt and make it happen.
One more year here and then I retire to a small hut on a beach near Kuantan!
Why are you upvoting them when they are having an american tantrum? Not going to stop you, you do you and all that but I would guess its not helping.
You make a valid point. My answer is agency, I suppose.
I liked the thread. You guys are mad at each other but I am interested in the topic so I wanted to hear more. I upvoted all of you, and I interjected a bit myself. Let’s try to make this a better place than Reddit! Amirite?
I am mad at the states and the people who live there with this mentality. I am not really mad at one more silly “you can leave it” american, but like the article in question we Canadians are just done with this shit. I don’t and will not sit here and have this bull in a china shop sort of thing play out, I will speak my piece (rationally and without name calling etc.) and not just let the american get away with saying silly wrong things. They have shit all over my nation since I can remember and now its all playing out, we don’t have to put up with it.
Those, and this might shock you, are not nations but states.
I moved from Ontario and don’t pay taxes there anymore as well. The fact you think that states are nations is odd. The states (the nation as a whole) does make you pay taxes when you leave, use none of their services and for all purposes stop being american. Something something taxation without representation…
Your statement is a total lie. You can literally walk into Mexico without any US guards stopping you. Millions do it every single day. Do some research (or do it yourself) and stop lying.
The USA will absolutely let you leave. No questions asked.
Now whether the other country lets you in is their business. Which is not the fault of the USA.
US guards no, Mexican ones yes. The usa is one of only two nations that will demand a cut of your income when outside of the states and no you can’t become not american so no you can not leave in the way that matters.
Yes telling people if they don’t like it they can leave but then having such a bad international reputation does in fact make some of the fault land on the usa.
Yeah that one is 😵
Hey I wonder if that goes for billionaires who own multinational corps as well.
That is a great question, and I guess it depends if they are “american”. We know Musk is not, so no taxes there, and most can shelter their income in a way that they pay nothing.
The issue for the little people is that (everywhere but United States and Eritrea) generally you pay taxes in the place you are living. So if you live in say Poland you would be using Polish services (healthcare, police, roads, you get the idea) and therefor pay Polish income tax. And most would say that is fair. The us though asks for their cut regardless where you are on top of what ever the local government takes. If rich enough you can just say where you “live” regardless of where you lay your head.
Let’s be real, none of the Magnificent Seven pay any taxes in any country. Unless you count bribes as taxes.
Maybe I’m misreading you, but, yeah so unless you register a company in Estonia for a pittance, get a flat 20% tax rate on all income made domestically or abroad. See how it works? I know nothing of business, when I haggle I try to raise the price I pay, it’s a known issue, but I know that if someone can do that, then god only knows what an army of litigants and accountants with a billion dollars and a taste for blood could invent to circumvent their just dues.
Do you know of the game Nomic? It’s a game where when it’s your turn you can propose and vote to change the rules, the whole point is that the ruleset keeps changing based on what the players decide.
That, to me, is modern capitalism. And the more money you have, the more votes you get to change the rules in your favor.