Close Reading

In 2017 I was hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail in southern California at a group campsite at mile 454 and a large group of us long distance hikers were gathered around a campfire. One person asked everyone to say what is your favorite thing about the trail so far. Some said scenery, others said meeting new people, fellowship, challenge etc. Then one young woman said there are no Ni--ers on the trail. My brain rattled! How could someone walk 454 miles through desert, forest and snow topped mountains and come up with that? Then what shook me even more was not just the muted agreement with that, why are there are so many foreigners here? They did not know that I was Canadian. Most of them were young, recent college graduates.

One of the key issues when you ask a Canadian about moving to the USA is that they won't be thinking of a specific city, they will think of the country as a whole. The only real reason for a Canadian to move to the USA is economic opportunity. Most of the other benefits of being American we enjoy as Canadians as well, or we can take a quick trip to the USA to enjoy.

I have a work visa for the US and go there often. I go to many places that are not in the cities. I'm actually in South Dakota as I write this and find it to be a very pleasant place. I generally find everybody to be very friendly but can't help feel there are some topics that I just don't feel comfortable talking about in fear of triggering a strong response. I like visiting but would not consider moving there to raise a family. There is just a much greater chance of volitivity there. \n One time, while dinning out, I had a guy ask me, that because I didn't have a gun, what would I do if someone came to my home to rob me at gun point. I told him it never happens. But he insisted many times, but what if they did. I told him that it's not something I'd ever thought about and that I probably had a greater chance of dying on the plane ride home than being shot by an armed robber in my own home. But he kept insisting. I eventually told him I would help the robber take my stuff out of the house because that is what I have insurance for. I could not believe that this guy did not understand the concept of NO ONE (other then criminals shooting other criminals in the city) having a gun. \n I actually do have a long gun at my place in the country but that's to keep me safe from large animals that may come out of the bush. It is locked up in a gun cabinet by law. I would never think of using it against another person. I'd go to jail for sure if I did. Many of my friends hunt and have several guns but the restrictions on where and when you can use them and the strict storage requirements help ensure that they are not travelling around with a gun at hand. There are actually a few places in Canada where I've been that you do, or should, have to travel with a gun but these are remote areas of the country with large predatory animals. 99% of the population do not live in these areas.

I am a school secretary. One day we had a family register their children. They moved here from USA. The parents asked why we had no security guard on our play ground. I just stared at her like she was crazy

I am from Brazil, moved to Canada 9 years ago, now I am Canadian citizen. I was once asked by a American colleague why did I not immigrated to the USA, the answer is: it was not even in the list of possible countries. In fact it is on my top list of places not to move to. \n\nYou have a good insurance through your job? That only means you have one more reason to fear losing it or stay on a particularly bad one if you don’t have anything lined up, if you have a chronic health condition, then you are straight out hostage to your employer. Even if you do have good insurance your bills may one day go beyond the maximum and you still risk bankruptcy. \n\nIf you do go bankrupt, in any civilized country you can’t go to jail for debt, in the USA you can, the country with the highest incarcerated population in the world in absolute numbers and relative too. To add salt to the injury it is a country that did not completely make slave work illegal, it is still legal if you are not a free citizen and your prison system exploit that.\n\nSo it is a country that you can become slave because you got sick.\n\nThen there are the guns… the fact you think you are exempt of school shootings says it all, if you live in a small city it would not affect you? Are you really saying mass shootings never occur in small cities?! This is an excerpt:\n\n“The massacre that killed 10 people at a high school in Texas last week was just the latest to happen in a small or suburban city. Of the 10 deadliest school shootings in the U.S., all but one took place in a town with fewer than 75,000 residents and the vast majority of them were in cities with fewer than 50,000 people.”\n\nIt is all part of the gun culture, the absurd of making guns easily available and viewing guns as toys, a culture were people think taking your life is a proportional response to trespassing. \n\nIt is all closely tied with all the warmongering you are ok with all the taxes you pay going to your military to kill people outside your country yet you take exception in using a fraction of that to save your own citizens lives.\n\nIt is a place which put low value in the human life and well being, favour punishment instead of prevention and rehabilitation, keeps most of its population in a constant sense of despair and helplessness…\n\nIt is no wonder the USA has the highest number of psychopaths(over than 3000 versus the second next at 166), have kids going nuts and shooting others at school.\n\nIt is not a sane culture, it is not a good place to live and if you are well informed you won’t.

Tyler, thanks for your entertaining and fun videos. My grandfather is a dual citizen but has never renewed his passport or anything and when asked to do so, he outright refuses. He says he hated living there. We live in the Vancouver area of Canada right now. My wife is finishing her registered nursing degree and we are considering moving to washington state, within an hour or so of the Canadian border on temporary work visas (TN1) for a few years. The main reason is the cost of living differences, mostly in housing but a lot of things are cheaper down there too. For example though, the costs of rent or to buy a house in the Vancouver area is insane - 1.5 million is generally a starting point. The cost of a detached house south of the border between Bellingham and Blaine starts around $400,000 ($500,000 CDN). If renting, it's crazy cheaper than here. \n\nThe area we are considering going to is very close to the canadian border, I've never heard of major violence problems in the area. Like one of the other comments you read, we're basically considering moving there to take advantage of a lower cost of living and higher salaries for a bit to try to get ahead. Living in the Vancouver area is such an absolute DRAIN on our finances that it is intolerable. If we didn't move to the US, we'd have to find another place in Canada to go to, but we do like the climate on the coast here. I'd actually just keep commuting to Canada daily to work in Canada since it's so close to the border, and writing the bar exam to be able to practice law in any US state except California, Massachusets, or New York is a pain in the backside to even be able to write it, let alone prepare for it. Just easier for me to keep working here unless we decided to try to make a permanent move somewhere further from the border.\n\nIf we decided to change our minds and apply to stay in the US in the future, there are a lot of the other considerations that other people have raised on top of my own ability to continue as a lawyer. Gun violence in the US is crazy, extreme polarized political views and increasing intolerance against diversity of race, culture, religion, (and while it doesnt affect us directly, it bothers us how LGBTQ people are increasingly targeted with backwards policies and by certain segments of the public), the health care system in canada has it's problems but it's also got it's strong points. We'll never go bankrupt because of a health care issue since we can move back to Canada IF it's ever a problem. Thankfully we are all pretty healthy so it shouldn't be much of a problem for a while at least. And we wouldn't even move there at all if her employment as a nurse doesn't offer health care and better pay than she can obtain here. \n\nOur kids will probably attend post-secondary (college/university) in Canada as dual citizens unless they get a scholarship to a top US school. The costs of post-secondary in Canada appears to be much cheaper than in the US and we have some good colleges/universities that consistently rank high globally.

I went to a conference in the US for training in body language, influence, and persuasion. We were able to meet with the presenters in small groups to ask questions. One of the attendees asked for body language indications that someone had a concealed weapon. After the answer, I said to the person who asked the question that I was glad I didn’t need to know how to look for concealed weapons because I’m from Canada. She looked at me in shock and said I really needed to know that. I emphatically responded, “No, I don’t need to know that because I’m from Canada.” She looked at me like I was the most naive and clueless person she’d ever met and walked away. I felt sad that Americans have to be so worried about guns that she thought that was absolutely essential knowledge. Quite frankly, I don’t even know what the answer was to her question since I totally tuned out because I knew I’d never need that information!

Most of the really negative comments come from lefties, especially female or gay ones. Not surprising, as Canada is more tolerant of such things. Too much so, if you ask me. We could do with more morals in Canada, as we've become very hedonistic and selfish under Trudeau's eoke socialism. I'm not a fan of American gun culture or the extreme political polarization. However, I do admire the fact that free speech seems valued more highly in the US. Also, Canada is over-regulated and over-taxed. Unfortunately, there's a large class of freeloaders in Canada as a result.

If you want US help then ask them to help you get your country back. Venezuela has the number one oil reserves in the world. \nI would let US get a small percentage of the oil but help me to export the oil and help to civilize the country. \nWhy not ???

Shoot first . Ask questions later. They are breaking into my homeland. Illegally. They are only comming for the freebees.Were not getting the good ones the doctors.lawyers.nurces.

Everybody knows why this is happening why do you ask such ridiculous questions Joe Biden wants this to happen my orcas wants it to happen he's a complete disaster he acts like he doesn't have a clue he doesn't even know what the armbands are they asked him last week one of these armbands that all these Mexicans are wearing across the border I don't know he's completely incompetent the whole group needs to go there just totally incompetent all the way and their bum rushing our border Millions at a time this is going to cause problems for 20 years

One of the best podcast….very natural, practical…inspiring.. I shared it with friends and family who hasn’t subscribed it yet.. plz Harmeet keep doing it and bring more podcasts.. one suggestion instead of making one video of more than an hour you can make episodes (1 or 2) but honestly you ask very good question so we can listen it for more and more longer time.. all the best ????

Once it happened to me as well as I was departing the plane a girl suddenly stand in the passage to remove her bag I waited for a bit as people behind me where also waiting I asked her to excuse to give some roam to go out of the plane she didn't respondthe first time. I asked her to 2 3 time more on that she replied that before her no one will depart . I in my mind said beep beep your are going home to sleep with no drama in between ??? and waited for the queen to depart .\n\nMoral of the story : Choose your battles wisely there are some peoples who are mad and ready for battles ???especially women they won't let you win???

I am asking again oo, please who knows if it’s a new bank statement issued within 30days of arrival that one needs to show at the point of entry.\n Or previous one issued months ago ?

Hi, your video is very useful and descriptive. I am applying for my parents and my little sister who currently is studying. I just have 1 question about funds. 1) My father is the only one working. My mom is a homemaker. And my sister studies. Should I click on YES when ask if someone else is providing funds? As they won’t have enough to show in bank account. And if yes then what should I provide under additional documents. And should i upload my father’s bank statements in my mom’s and sister’s application under proof of funds. Thank you so much

No, they do bring up questions such as where are you from and you respond to them then they ask you where are you from originally, they are very nosi and by many means want to find answers for their curiosity, in Toronto no one even do eye contact let alone to be friendly or socializing, if someone approaches you is not out of friendliness, it's out of their curiosity and finding out information about you. If they hear you speaking in your native ? get mad and tell you here is Canada. You should speak English, that's not the reason, the reason is that they want to know what you are talking about and knowing about your personal business and conversation

hello mamu gee. Hope you are doing well. As a kid dhuwaan was my most fav drama, other than ainak wala jinn. I liked you alot. i wept alot when you were shooted by the terrorists from inside the room. After some weeks when i saw that you were not killed it was like one of the most happy moments for me. it was because i used to call you mamu. I user to tell my friends that you were my mamu. i grew up, got busy in life, watched no dramas. After 15 or 20 years i heard about your story. i was shocked to hear about the tragedy you faced in pak. My sadness faded away when i knew that you have moved out of pak as our country is a wild barren land. Pay my salam to whole of your family please. i will be asking about your wellness now onward. Be blessed.

Well people who say just let them in this is what you asked for and now you can have them at your property provide and look after each one

Hello,pls want to ask are u the one to choose the city to reside also in terms of work is it wen u get to Canada u start looking for work or u get from home country before anything\nPls can I chat u up cos we need a guide..thank u

When I met one Indian guy here in Canada Ontario,I asked why Indians love to come to Canada he told me for us Indians Canada is paradise ?….I was like are you serious?…phhff

I have been told personally by illegal immigrants on more than one occasion that they are the reason America is so great. I always ask them if that was true, then how come their country is so F' ed UP?

As a Canadian I'd just like to say, she's so wrong. Africans love Canada, and we love them. Now, African Americans, thats a tricky one. Its not about the colour of ur skin, its about attitudes. 90% of the time when dealing with African Americans, u can tell their waiting and looking for racism, get upset when they dont find it. The victim mentality is a real turn off. Again, go ask some Africans about life in Canada, i bet u get more positive than negative. The American black culture is the problem for most people, in most places, including America itself. The inability of this show and its host to act like theres no legitimate reasons why so many feel as they do about American black culture, just makes this an echo chamber. \nI have African friends in Africa, i have African friends here in Canada. \nBut because im white, it must be a lie.?\nTell me my African American friends, are any of u deceitful, hateful, arrogant, nasty, vengeful? Or, are y'all perfect?

Bro. You don't need to make stupid videos about such type of agent company. It is very old way to get money from every individual person who wants to go in that country. Same in every country. Also in canada alot of lawyers and agencies are presently working like that. And in the last they will ask you money to pay their assistance. Reply isn't matter but job offer is matter which no one will get???

I applied for a visa to the US just to visit my relatives for one month but I was denied... after working for 32 yrs and I just want to visit my relatives in the states I was denied..coming to the states just to visit is like intering a needle..i was invited by the way.. sooo sad they interviewed me for just 2 minutes I was asked if I was retired and I told her yes and gave me a paper telling me I was denied?

She asked why is this happening, One of the first things Donald Trump did when he entered office was take away funding and change our foreign policies with south American countries, making their citizens lives worse than they already were. For many people leaving them little choice. Some are truely political refugees.

They are illegals not migrants. But I do feel bad for them, if I lived in that toilet down there I would run like hell also. I wish you all the best but don't think it is paradise coming here, different place, different problems, better but not perfect. Once you get here people will be like hey are you dumb enough to be a voter? You can earn money mowing lawns and cleaning hotel rooms and selling churros and candles and then another one of you will be just like you but in a suit asking for church money. You are still a slave just with some better conditions here and there so observe what is going on.

We got our own problems right now ,we really can afford to help any one , why can they ask their own government for help

Anything north of Boston, you got to be a damn fool to live there, but black folks do it to themselves. Can’t tell them nothing, so I don’t, and I don’t stick up for the ones who willingly put themselves in bad situations. Whether it’s creeping in the hood or having the insatiable need to be amongst those people knowing damn well they hate you. I’m not even going to ask why because I don’t care honestly. Do you and be held accountable for your own actions??‍♂️

Looks like a cattle stampede. They'll get free housing and medical care. Not to mention free SNAP benefits. Come one come all. No questions asked.

What are they running from? No one is asking

Reading everyones comments, I ask one question, what is the solution, and how do we enact it. We need a new captain, one that won't steer us into the rocks, and at the last minute jump ship. Because that's what we have.

My husband got a job via LMIA and my two children and I got sponsorship from the company to go along. I have an open work permit, my 10year old got a study permit but my 21-year-old son has a visiting visa and planned to apply for college. We are wondering if we should buy a one-way ticket and explain if ask by immigration that he plans to go to college

It’s so funny how ppl like to say fix America first but no one’s ever asking the wealthy people saying hey can you offer to fix America???……. but OK

Hi . It was really a very useful video. Thank you for makin this and covering all details.. i have one question, how about medicals.. when should we ask parents to go for medicals after submitting visa or before traveling only?

Did y’all seriously just ask “why are we seeing this right now?” Really y’all are going to ask that as if this hasn’t been going on the entire time Biden has been in office. What a joke. This has been going on the whole time y’all just ignored it and wanted to act like there isn’t a major unprecedented border crisis going on right now and pretend we don’t have millions pouring into our country from all over the world and we don’t even know who’s coming over but we know cartel and terrorists are definitely taking advantage of this we’ve caught many think about all the ones we didn’t catch. I’m actually shocked to see that y’all are reporting anything about the border crisis. Now if we could just get y’all to actually report just how bad it really is it’s so much worse than what you see in this video. The only time y’all showed footage from towns near the border was when the Biden administration had them clear the whole area of migrants and cleaned the streets so y’all could tell Americans that the crisis republicans say is happening at the border isn’t at all like what they are saying it is which is such a joke. My family has a ranch near the border and it’s been in my family since before Texas was Texas and what is happening today on our border is something we’ve never in all of history seen before and it’s never been more dangerous than it is now.

The town I live in and grew up in when I was in school. We only had one campus, now here we are 18 years later and my one high school now has 4 different campuses to compensate for the amount of illegals that have overtaken my town. I have no prejudice whatsoever towards these people but they need to do things the right way and become real taxpaying citizens. Meaning going about gaining entry to this country and having a life here the legal way. You want to be here? That's fine welcome to the USA but just do it the right way is all we are asking you're not paying taxes. You're not putting back into the communities. And more than half of them that come here end up breaking the law and becoming criminals and the other half are already criminals. This country's being running to the ground.

The homeless are drugged out burn outs you wouldn’t give them a damn dollar if they asked you for one ? these people will work the lowest jobs with the worst pay that so many homeless Americans would never accept, the homeless would rather beg for money cause they’re too busy shooting up drugs ?yall act like y’all give a damn about homeless yall just don’t like immigrants and use homeless as a reason to not let them in, when was last time you gave a homeless a dollar? And when was last time you PAID a landscaper to fix your lawn? How much does a dollar cost? ?

She seriously asked why are we seeing this right now. Your president told them to fucking come. Every leader on the left is giving them more benefits than our veterans can get. And no one's getting searched for fentanyl

Really there’s no difference between the people. The people are all the same whether you’re from Canada or the United States. All of your ancestors came from Europe. The only differences some of them chose to move to Canada, and some of them chose to move to the United States then you were born, under a certain government as the only difference is, you can go to any province or any state and ask people either say Europe, Asia this is how your government molds you just a toss of a coin, unless you’re from one of the founding fathers of that country

Over 300,000 homeless veterans wander the streets searching for food and shelter currently. Dying at an estimated rate of 22 a day due to self inflicted harm….the system in place to take care of them and provide comprehensive medical care is crippled and broken….every SINGLE ONE of these men and women has a head full of bad memories and experiences from defending their country in war (some missing limbs)….can’t hold a job and have trouble finding a job….NOONE is making substantial and reinforced efforts to care for these brave men and women. Yet, if you cross that border illegally you’re given shelter (free stay at 5star hotels in NYC sound nice)…comprehensive medical care…food stamps and even job placement for some. And in some cases, we’re providing that help to individuals who are simply making a pit stop between Mexico and Canada because it’s better for them there according to some. Frankly, we have enough issues that are swallowing us whole and need to focus on building up and caring for our own citizens and force stop mass migration, strongly enforce deportation as well as employing more case workers to help with legal immigration process. We spend all this money sending to Ukraine and yet here we are, cutting our own throats to save someone else’s hand. I have no issue with legal immigration and asylum but you need to go through the process like those before you. I know this is asking a lot but it IS possibly to make it work

Let’s trade our socialist liberals for people fleeing Venezuela. One for one swap. Ask a person fleeing Venezuela what they think of communism.

No one is asking for free shit especially housing stop talking about that stupid shit

I'm homeless, Navy Veteran and work full time. If housing programs can't help homeless Americans, how can we help immigrants. I want a home too. Update: I'll elaborate more on my situation. I served for four years. I lost my job as an Uber driver in 2018 after my car got repossessed. I live with my fiance who has PTSD from her family upbringing. She tries to work but she doesn't last long. We have gone to 3 different housing programs and they prove to be unhelpful. You make too much money from working they can't help you, if you make too little money they can't help you. WTF!!! All housing that is offered is usually in areas that are in high theft and homeless areas. People steal from you and you up right back in the streets. One program helped me become a fully trained security guard. We have also been in two car accidents, none were our fault. But now I'm stuck just living in a car and working full time. After I work all night I drive around at gas stations, asking people for money for gas and food. Every check I get goes to gas, food and bills. We manage our money wisely. Our money last a day and then we have to go straight back to asking for money again. Everyone I have asked for help is always a broken promise. I don't know what to do anymore.

OMG! CATHOLICS!!@ OH WAIT ✋️ IM CATHOLIC. CHRISTIANS ARE THE ONES IM SUPPOSED TO H8 THEY DONT RESPECT THE POPE THEY ARE NOT BAPTIZED THEY THINK MOTHER MARY IN YOUR GARDEN IS A SIN IF YOU ARE CATHOLIC YOU ARE SIDING WITH HERITICS OVER THE FAITHFULL. YOUR TOLD TO H8 GAY PEOPLE BUT WE WAS BURNING ? THESE PEOPLE YOU ARE HELPING CRAP ON YOUR RELIGION. ALSO IF YOU THINK RICH PEOPLE ARE NOT PAYING FOR THIS TO HAPPEN IF THE NEWS WAS REAL THEY WOULD INVESTIGATE WHO PAID FOR POOR PEOLE TO GET THERE INSTEAD OF ASKING WHY YOU SUPPOSED TO FIND OUT ITS LITERALLY YOUR JOB ??????????????

Every single one of them didnt ask permission.

Can.any one that Travels abroad n when You come back Tru Customs how many times these Custums give us a hard time to come back in asking stupid questions,,whT did u do? How many days were u abroad? Useless stupid questions n here these people coming in like a damn stampede..

As a Hispanic that lives in the mentioned area these damn people need to go and do this kind of bullshit revolutions over in their country, in my opinion that was an invasion and invasions are repelled with force. Mexico is fed up with them as well ask any one in Mexico and they’ll tell you how they tear shit up anywhere they go

Why are you seeing this?? Hmm ask the ones who voted for Biden.

i lean more democratic. but I find it interesting that not too long ago the Mexican Government said they are safer than the US. but the Border shows thousands of their citizens trying to come into the u.s. one has to ask them self if they are so much safer why are the citizens fleeing?

I watch the Congressional hearings with the director of Homeland Security repeatedly when asked if this was a problem he would not answer he would just diverting the question with statements that have nothing to do with the question asked.\nBut the one thing he kept repeating and making a point was that border patrol has apprehended countless numbers of Cuban and people from Venezuela and has denied entry into the United States she kept making the point of these two countries because he knows it's been especially and Venezuelans will definitely vote Republican because they come from communist socialist countries.\nIf I am wrong why would it be these were the two that he made the biggest point about just to let you know he also was talked about people from Haiti\nGo watch the videos of the hearing they were a joke