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.
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I would, but I can’t just cross the border and declare myself a citizen of another country
So, no, I’m not. I’m kind of stuck here
Trust me, if England or Canada or Australia or Scotland, or Ireland, hell, maybe even Switzerland or France or Germany, etc… said I was free to live there for the rest of my life, I’d start packing my shit tonight
Forget Switzerland. You can’t afford it. Also they are very weird. You know, isolation does things to people.
Know plenty Americans who stay 3 months in Schengen and 3 months in Ireland/Serbia. They go back and forth not to surpass the tourist visa limit indefinitely.
But that’s mostly because they want to keep working in the US remotely. Otherwise, you can just get a job elsewhere and generally it’s not to difficult to get a residency permit with a job.
The uphill battle that I personally face is that I’m up there in age. I’m not old, but I’m not a young man who’s going to put more money into the retirement and health care system then I’ll potentially use
So countries are less likely to accept older people unless they have their own money or a valued skill
I do OK, by most Americans standards I’m well off, but I’m not rich. Not rich enough for a country to just be like, “yeah, whatever”. And my skills are common. I’m in software and so maybe in the 90s they would have jumped to have more developers, but these days they teach programming to kids and with AI being as trending as it is, I doubt they’re hunting for more developers
And it’s not just me, it’s my family.
And then there’s a quality of life thing. At my age with a family I can’t exactly start over at the bottom of a corporate ladder and try to climb my way back up. Even if I could get a job doing something like, “teaching English”, I’m sure it would be a massive pay cut. I make well over six figures, work from home, and set my own hours
My job is fantastic. My country is kinda shit. Not as bad as some other places in the world, life isn’t awful here, but the days of being proud to be an American are long over and if I could keep my job and just move to the other side of the ocean like I can move between states, I’d do it in a second
It’s not that easy
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I upvoted everything and everyone in this thread for the record. Keep fighting, it’s a good fight and makes me think.
My age is a bit of a factor
I also have a family so it’s not just me
I’ve looked. Nothing too crazy but I’ve explored the idea of getting my child out of a part of the world where people think teachers should have guns
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I’m trying to go to England, not Singapore. Pretty sure they don’t need Americans to teach the English how to speak English
Don’t tell them that, they likely think that they do. They also seem to think a temp job overseas is the same as emigrating.
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Troll bot, ha. you did not work 10 years on the same contract, I do know how at least that much works.
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YOU CAN NOT LEAVE AMERICA AND DENOUNCE YOUR CITIZENSHIP, STOP PAYING TAXES WHILE ABROAD (a thing unique to the states), OR BECOME NOT AN AMERICAN WITHOUT BECOMING STATELESS.
Saying you are “free to leave” is not really telling the whole story now is it? The fact that we need it in all caps might just get the concept though.
Body shots fired!
You said I could go teach English. To who? The English in England? Scotland? Ireland? Canada? Australia?
I’m trying to move to a place where they already speak English, dipshit
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Stop being mean. I get it. I get like that too, but it’s bad and we should both stop and let our words speak for themselves.
Not really though. Other countries don’t take Americans like Americans take others. Funny that.
Well Americans don’t take others any more ether, unless your white and from South Africa or something…
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I have never understood this idea since no you are not.
Its a bit harder to emigrate then us people seem to think, less so without skills in demand (and lets face it americans are not super well known for being good workers these days).
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HA HA HA HA.
Oh shit you are serious!
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As opposed to a large eye above a pyramid.
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And? What does that have to do with paying taxes as an ex pat from the states? You are a pariah state, and also have to notify the government about layoffs (its called WARN). Oh but please brag more about how shit your nation is, I am sure I will be humbled into compliance.
I thought we were talking about whether Canada and the UK can fire people at will like in the US…
As someone that has fired people in Canada both with and without cause (layoff), the call out is funny. We are a real nation that does not have the “right to work” us bullshit.
I am glad we don’t, its not even hard to work with as an employer. This whole thing is about this other dood saying that americans are more hireable in other nations and that americans can just leave if they don’t like it there. (They can not).
Actually if you take a gander at the whole thing this firing statement was just an aside.
My friend, I am from Europe, I am pretty well read on American politics (sigh… how can you not be, right), and Canadian as well. So to me I’m seeing… Two cultures clash right here. And it’s interesting to me. That’s why I upvote the both of you’se comments. Even though it’s very antagonistic in nature. Fuck it, I know conflict, I’m just trying to get to the meat.
I’m with Canada 100% of the way by the way, all Europeans are. Elbows up. As far as we are concerned, Canada is part of Europe. Honorary Europeans. You fit right in.
Other considerations: Japan, New Zealand, maybe Uruguay, Australia-ish, and one more but I can’t recall my full list right now
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So why the hell are you telling people that they can just leave easy? Come now, even your tale paints a fucking nightmare. You even describe the very issue with an american living outside of america (mostly the us sucks in and out of the usa). Did you know most places also let you move around freely inside of the nation? Hell I have done it twice in my life here in Canada, and its not something to brag about. This is a big issue with americans, your damn exceptionalism because most countries have a fuck lot more then half that. You are living in a shit nation throwing shit at other nations.
You don’t get to tell people fables and then tell them to “grow up” due to your situation being shit, it makes zero sense.
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