I am not one to chime in on politics, usually because of my lack of understanding and my disdain for conflict. But I was kept up until late last night, just lying there in bed…worried.
I have come to the decision that I will be saving money for the next year to immigrate to Canada. And, with my limited knowledge of politics, let me explain why.
First & foremost, I have simply lost faith in my country.
I have to be honest, though, I voted for him. I understood the candidates as all unfit to become president. So without trying to understand more in depth, I voted for “the best of the worst” in my family’s eyes. I followed them because I trust their judgment more than I trust my own when it comes to politics. That was until I decided to watch documentary after documentary and learn the facts that no one seems to be talking about.
While he did not file bankruptcy as an individual, his corporations have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on four different occasions (1991, 1992, 2004, 2009).¹ We’re talking BILLIONS of dollars. Yet, here we are, still “trusting” him with the federal budget.
I am by no means a business specialist, but I do truly believe that he acts impulsively without thought in an attempt to expand the family name and bask in his infamy.
Example 1
Panamanian officials have been angered in the past due to a comment that the “U.S. had ‘stupidly’ given back the Panama canal.” Panama city is home to [previously] the tallest building in Latin America; can you guess the building? Yes, one of his hotels. Now, we are all familiar with the new immigration issues and policies that he’s laid out. Aaaaaaaand Panama officials are pissed again.²
Example 2
He owns property in Indonesia, in which a majority of people are Muslim. Sound familiar? Yup, immigration policies again. ²
Example 3
His scrapped deal in Azerbaijan was widely known to have been with “corrupt” individuals. Does he care? Nah, throw his name on it!²
Example 4
China. Oh boy. It has been said that, under his name, twenty to thirty buildings are in the works. Meanwhile, one of his biggest tenants, ICBC, has a lease in his New York tower which is set to expire in 2019. Watchdogs say that renewal negotiations could place him in violation of the “emoluments” clause in the Constitution. Might I dare explain that he plans to impose tariffs on Chinese imports and label them as a currency manipulator? I wonder how that conversation is gonna go.²
Example 5
He has described Manila as “one of Asia’s most spectacular cities” amid a promotion for his 57-story tower. On another hand, he has previously listed the Philippines on a list of “terrorist nations”.²
Example 6
“Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets,” Donald Trump Jr. told a Manhattan real estate conference in 2008, according to an account posted on the website of trade publication eTurboNews. “We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia.” Many individuals under Trump are said to have ties to Russia in one way or another, see here ²
My decision to start saving to move did not come suddenly last night. Nor was he the only contributing reason for this decision.
As I have been open about, my required medical insurance is just ridiculous and not affordable. And the premiums just keep rising with absolutely no added benefits. Now, I’ve done my research; while one B.C. health insurance provider only covered a fraction of what I’d need, another one covered everything that I’d need. The cost? 1/6th – 1/8th of what I pay right now in monthly premiums. Keep in mind, this is solely for my own situation.
Another contributing factor is undergraduate/graduate school. While financial aid exists here, it has limiting factors. This can depend on income, race, ethnicity, culture, residency, etc. For years, I couldn’t get financial help for school. My parents are no where near wealthy and I did not grow up with a “college savings” or a “trust fund”. College just wasn’t in the description for my family and never really has been. But I never gave up.
Why Canada?
Well, like most people, I do not want to live incredibly far from my family. I have family along the west coast from California (where I am) to Oregon/Washington. Within the year, my mom intends to move to Oregon or Washington. Like me, they hate it here [in California]. British Columbia or Alberta are the territories I’ve been researching on. These are right on the other side of the border and not too long of a flight away from my family members.
For years, I have kept my eye on Denmark, which is notably the “happiest place to live on Earth” (in 2017, Denmark moved down to #2). Realistically, I would have trouble adapting to being so far away from family and loved ones. BUT it still is a thought.
This post reflects my opinion, and my opinion ONLY. Take everything with a grain of salt. I, personally, refuse to use his name as little as possible for I will not give him or the name that much more power to engorge himself with.
¹ https://thelawdictionary.org/article/how-is-donald-trump-able-to-file-for-bankruptcy-so-many-times/
² http://time.com/4629308/donald-trump-business-deals-world-map/
Comic 1: http://host.madison.com/wsj/opinion/cartoon/the-best-donald-trump-cartoons-of-all-time/collection_9e50b9ed-4495-5eb5-ada9-4890a4c632ec.html
Comic 2: http://host.madison.com/wsj/opinion/cartoon/the-best-donald-trump-cartoons-of-all-time/collection_9e50b9ed-4495-5eb5-ada9-4890a4c632ec.html
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