Any expats thinking of leaving the US because of the growing right radicalism?
 

I was curious to find out if I am alone about how alarmed I feel about how the "Right" is lurching towards new levels of radicalism?

Furthermore, are any of you in part leaving or thinking of leaving if the Right and the Tea Party take over the White House and Congress this November?:scarper:

Re: Any expats thinking of leaving the US because of the growing right radicalism?
 

I left mainly because I missed Yorkshire and my family, but the trend you describe was a big factor in persuading my husband to agree to the move.

Now that we're here, we are so relieved to be watching it all from a distance. Some of my friends are very against the current UK govt and, while I understand their grievances, the UK tories seem reassuringly sane after watching Boehner and crew.

I don't think it was always as crazy as this was it? Obama's election seems to have pushed people over the edge.

Re: Any expats thinking of leaving the US because of the growing right radicalism?
 

I was mentioning the same thing to my wife, that things appear to have gotten worse since Obama was elected in 2008.

There seems to be a deep seated hated among those on the right for Obama, which I can only attribute to the racism that simmers beneath the surface hear in the US. By that, I am not saying all Americans are racist, but there definitely is a sizeable portion here in the midwest that can only be classified as being racist, based on what I witnessed while growing up in South Africa.

Futhermore, the demonization of any social welfare as being Europeanly evil, is really starting to offend me as a Brit too.

Re: Any expats thinking of leaving the US because of the growing right radicalism?
 

Could it be any worse than 8 years of "W"?

Re: Any expats thinking of leaving the US because of the growing right radicalism?
 

This subject seems to come up every 4 years:argue:

Re: Any expats thinking of leaving the US because of the growing right radicalism?
 

Yes

Re: Any expats thinking of leaving the US because of the growing right radicalism?
 

Aye, but there seems to be a deeper viciousness toward Obama that I haven't seen in the eight years before that I have lived here in the US.

Re: Any expats thinking of leaving the US because of the growing right radicalism?
 

So you think Romney will wage war against three countries? Drive the economy completely down the toilet bowl and into the sewers?

Re: Any expats thinking of leaving the US because of the growing right radicalism?
 

This is the key in a nutshell unfortunately. Sallysimmons, you are quite fortunate to be viewing this from afar.

Re: Any expats thinking of leaving the US because of the growing right radicalism?
 

Yes to the second part and who knows to the first.

His plan for the economy is to starve it basically which will drive the US back in to the kind of situation the UK is currently in. He will give tax cuts to the richest people and pay for them by slashing the social safety net. He has also said he would repeal healthcare reform and turn Medicare into a voucher system which would leave millions of people without adequate care. (These aren't my opinions - these are the planks of his policy platform).

The problem isn't Romney per se - it's the radicalization of the GOP, which is something I don't think you can appreciate from far away. He has shown over and over again that he will do whatever it takes to get elected and if he wins this election using his current strategy of right wing pandering and stirring up racist sentiment, he will have no choice but to govern in a way that makes those same people happy. It will be an utter disaster in my opinion - others will disagree.

But I think what no one can disagree with is that the GOP has moved incredibly far to the right in an incredibly fast time period. Just a few years ago they were proposing all the healthcare ideas in Obamacare - now the speaker of the house actually said its passage would be Armageddon.

Crazy times over there.

Re: Any expats thinking of leaving the US because of the growing right radicalism?
 

The likes of the NRA, Adleson and the Koch brothers do not "invest" millions of dollars for nothing. Grover Norquist has already said that "they" just want "a president with enough digits to hold a pen to sign the bills WE put in front of him".

They have also said that aren't going to spend any more ad $$$ in PA because they are confident that "voter suppression will take care of things" !

Welcome to wonderful world of Citizens United ! Democracy ! I think not.

Re: Any expats thinking of leaving the US because of the growing right radicalism?
 

Yes I worry about the influence of extreme right wing politics in the US. But I also see the same stuff in the UK with the recent immigration changes, NHS "reforms", and the growing organized opposition to social issues like abortion. Osborne just rebuffed Cleggs wealth tax idea bay using terms like "wealth creators". I hear the same from the Republican Right all the time. So the UK is going the same way as the US......I think I'll move to France.

Re: Any expats thinking of leaving the US because of the growing right radicalism?
 

Yes! After 21 years I am extremely alarmed at the direction this country is turning again. I thought the years of Bush and his cronies were over...I really can't watch news coverage of politics here because my blood starts to boil. 4 more years for me and I'm out of here if all goes to plan.

Re: Any expats thinking of leaving the US because of the growing right radicalism?
 

It isn't our reason for moving, but I'd like to get the hell out of dodge before it gets worse.
I do think the 8 years of W were about as low as you get, well the last 6 of him maybe. Obama is just stuck with the crap started back then and with no way out as all the Republicans signed some sort of pledge to never raise the taxes on the wealthy and are threatened with the end of their political careers if they do it.
But I also think that if the Republicans get in there will be an all time low to come. I don't remember things being this nasty in the 80's as in the open hatred of the President and plain rudeness to anyone who doesn't agree with them.

Re: Any expats thinking of leaving the US because of the growing right radicalism?
 

Absolutely. It was a big part of the reason we came back - there's no way our son will be brought up in such a toxic environment. It makes me sick to my stomach and very angry - the selfishness and arrogance on display from certain members of the Republican party makes my blood boil.

We might complain about him, but, seriously, compared to someone like Paul Ryan, David Cameron is a namby-pamby centrist wet and I'd rather have to deal with him than any Republican politician.

I was in the US long enough to get my US citizenship, and I intend to use this to make my voice heard in November by voting for Obama.