Close Reading

I’m Canadian, have lived in 4 countries,now back and retired in Canada.\nI used to visit Palm Springs, NYC, Boston; but stopped in 2015.\nI will never ,ever!, go back, not even just over the Border for a day out.\nI don’t even book flights that involve a change in the US when flying to Europe , even to save some money.\nI think the population of the US in general is becoming more and more brainwashed into warped thinking.\nMy theory is that it’s from keeping decent healthcare and education from the masses…..brains are becoming less and less developed, therefore ripe for ideas instigated by proven morons such as Trump, MTG and the awful Lauren Boebert, to name but a few.\nHarsh, but the US is now a failed place.\nIt used to be a great place…I’m sad now, as the ordinary nice people who don’t subscribe to the ever increasing nonsense there are being subsumed by the worst of humanity if you can call it that.\nWe lived there as children for a bit, but came back to Canada when my Dad got a job here.\nMy brother and I always thank our now long gone parents that we were not brought up as Americans.\n\nIt’s not God Bless America any more, but God Save America.?\n\nWell…you did ask….so there you go.

US - the problem is when there are obvious problems you have a system that allows big money into politics, which allows for lobbying, which in my opinion is legal bribery. The idea that politicians had ( or have ) NRA ratings for supporting openly guns and not implementing the most logical of common sense gun control. \nHealthcare - in Canada, not having the healthcare tied to your employer actually makes Canadians a more free country. There are a lot of Canadians in the arts ( musicians, painters etc. ) that have the freedom to pursue any employment that wish, and not worry about the health benefits. \nIt kind of surprises me that you were surprised about school shootings. From what we see, that is not happening all in big cities. Sandy Hook was the worst. To think that Congress didn't do a thing after that, is reason enough not to want to move there.\nAnd Donald Trump has soured my wanting to ever even go there on holiday. Unbelievable that after two years, so many Americans believe anything he says, when he claims that he won in 2020 with not even a ounce of evidence to the contrary. There is not even a theory that would explain his claims. The mistrust of Americans with each other stems from people like Trump and Fox news. \nI think as you said - Healthcare alone is enough for almost any Canadian. I don't know anyone that owns a gun, I don't know of anyone who has gone bankrupt for being sick, and I never worry my granddaughter going to school and being shot.

We have McDonalds and Starbucks here in Canada, even in small towns PLUS we have Tim Hortons everywhere! I have lived in both countries and much prefer Canada. The very idea of another Trump presidency makes me literally ill. In Alberta our healthcare is free, no monthly payment and there is affordable drug coverage both through private and provincial government provided. The Canadian education system is far superior.

Aren’t we fortunate in the US to have **none** of these problems!\n\nWe have no homeless here!\n\nTake a look at SF, LA (where all “solutions” are rooted in Bolshevism; “Hi, we’re from the government and will be taking over half of your front yard for homeless yurts (Ok, tents)--true story. Take a gander at any large, medium, and even a few small cities.\n\nHave you ever heard of Detroit (once proud home of my beloved Motown music), Baltimore (complete devastation), or Chicago (my home town—don’t make me cry)?\n\nThe entire homeless situation started when mental hospitals were snake pits and certain factions demanded that people be released.\n\nSure, it sounds humanitarian but they didn't bother to consider what would happen to mentally ill patients suddenly left to their own devices on the streets.\n\nThe do gooders actually were foolish enough to believe that the seriously ill patients (schizophrenic, bipolar, borderline, and plenty of others) would take their meds on their own. It doesn't work that way for patients who are not in contact with reality.\n\nNow we add extreme drugs (crack, meth, heroine, ketamine, whatever they hand out at parties, etc) and severe cases of PTSD/PTSS. It's obscene that we have veterans on the streets.\n\nHeath care--?. Pre Obamacare it wasn’t terrible but medicine had become a CYA project. We are so litigious (side eye to John Edwards ) that doctors practice defensive medicine and carry high limit malpractice insurance (guess who pays for that?). Every decision is driven by avoiding lawsuits, not proper patient care.\n\nPost Obamacare, US health care is an unmitigated disaster at every level. We’re short on doctors, too. Many quit and students are losing interest—medicine won’t pay enough anymore to justify $500K in loans.\n\nWe could repeal every bit of Obamacare tomorrow and still not be able to fix it. The leviathan grew tentacles that released toxins into every nook and cranny of the system. Now that they have buried themselves in critical layers, it would be impossible to yank them out.\n\nI have a good PCP who is booked 6-8 weeks out. Specialists? Hah. GI, neuro, and derm? Four to six month wait post referral.\n\nI never thought I would say such a thing but I would probably swap the Serial Sexual Predator occupying the WH for your Little Lord Fauntleroy.\n\nCan Canada compete with us in corruption? Government employees seriously tried to topple a sitting president and not only were there no consequences, they were able to retire on fat pensions that we citizens work hard to provide for them.\n\nOur government is run entirely by K Street lobbyists; our “representatives” don’t even draft legislation, that’s done for them by K ST.\n\nHow about crime? Do we even need to talk about it?\n\nHousing crisis? Prices were already too high when the regime (predictably) created runaway inflation and we saw the end of affordable interest rates. Even 0.25% increase will knock out many buyers; they won’t be able to qualify.\n\nWe are seeing huge jumps; young people have resigned themselves to never being homeowners.\n\nRacism? Again, look to the US. It’s nothing even close to what the make believe media caterwauls about. If white supremacists are behind every tree, where is the evidence? Surely, in 2023 has caught a cell phone video, right? Where are the videos? Show me the proof. There is plenty of footage of BLM destroying property and injuring, even murdering innocents. If we gripe about this behavior, we are raaayyyycccciiiiissssts.\n\nNo rational adult would claim that the US is not a violent country and becoming more so. Nor can we claim to have eliminated racism. That takes time; it cannot be done by force.\n\nOur economy went from smokin hot to dumpster fire in a short span of time. Pre election, head hunters were shaking the trees to find job candidates.\n\nOur unemployment is up as are our taxes with the stomping out of the tax cuts. \n\nDespite the endless sloganeering about how the Trump tax cuts only benefited “rich” people, it’s quite the opposite.\n\nHigh earners lost their pet deductions and lower income taxpayers were quite pleasantly surprised when they did their returns. The cuts were targeted to preserve wealth for the middle and lower classes.\n\nI could go on for another 100 pages but you get the idea and I get crabby writing for free.\n\nI will leave you with the caution that it’s best if you doubt and question any data and any stats coming from our government. Those are seldom legit. If the data comes from a study, always look to see who paid for it. And how large the sample size was; how were the participants selected? We are all on our own when it comes to ferreting out info.\n\nOh Canada!\n\nYou’re welcome.

See trumps idea isnt so bad now huh?

Was trumps idea of building that walll really so bad. like this is any better

Trump was right look at this everyone laughed at the wall that's good idea now ?????

Heh. Trumps idea to make a nice big wall doesnt sound too bad rn does it lol ?

Trump's wall now doesn't see to crazy idea does it

The wall sounds like a fantastic idea now but everyone was talking shit about Trump. Every country protects thier borders and they don't tolerate illegal immigrants and often send them right back meanwhile we put immigrants in high end fancy hotels and give them benefits

Trump had the right idea build the wall they want to come in do it legally

Will admit I initially laughed at the idea of the Trump Wall. Not laughing now.

Mexico has a wall tht was built to keep Venezuelan ppl out. Tht where trump got his idea from.

But trumps wall is a bad idea????

I bet that wall Trump wanted looks like a good idea now

Reading the comments of liberals cnn watchers is hilarious. These are the same people that thought going to a nursing home and picking out a dementia patient for president was a good idea. And they can’t defend him without trying to blame trump. Liberalism is a mental disorder!

Say what you will about Trump, but this shit would have NEVER happened if he was running the show right now. Just calling what it is. Ya'll voted for this. Wake up. Look at what's happening. This administration we have has other ideas..

There's a tour date for Austin but not one for Germany yet ?\nPlease don't tempt me to reconcile with my Right-wing-Trump-Q Texan family just to see you. \nGive me some news of when you'll be in Germany, please!\nMight as well check for hiking in Cork, before I get any stupid ideas

This Immigrant Left the U.S. To Seek Asylum In Canada And Regrets It... ok but well they all regret it? This might not be a bad idea for someone, well in his case he is separated from his child but damn. It would be just so perfect get into the US while air plane tickets cost less, over stay your welcome lol, and then get out of America even though Trump is no longer President because America is always going to be crazy and then stay in Canada. Really if they are fling they should just go to Canada.

Great idea! Build a Northern wall and make Trump pay. Pelosi will support the sequestering of brown Democrap voters!

America is not all about war war war and guns just because we have a big military jeez! And not everyone here has a gun, there are some people that just don't like them for different reasons.\n If you come to a place like Texas yea just about everybody here has one I do, but there are still people even here that don't like um. You can't be an expert on another country by being there 100 something days. And I don't understand where everybody has this impression that all Americans are fat. Americans come in all shapes and sizes the same as everywhere els and other parts of the country are more health conscious than others. In every state you will find hundreds of gyms and plenty of muscled up fit Americans.\n As for the health care thing, I don't get it either but that was Obama momma and his stupid ideas, he was trying to destroy this country on purpose you know he's a muslim and we will never let one of those bastards sneak their way in office again. Now that Trump is in office he is trying to fix that or make it better some how. I have often wondered why can't we have a healthcare system like Canada's but America spends all of it's money on so many things in the world because of our position on the world stage we just can't work that out, thats what happens when you're the world super power.\n Most Americans have health insurance through their employer, a certain amount is taken out of our paycheck every month and if I get sick or have an emergency I pay a small co pay at the doctors office which is 35 dollars and emergency room co pay is 150 the insurance pays the rest.