On Future Expatriatism

I look ahead to the next major step in my life, should I live so long, and it is known as "putting down roots". This, to me, is defined as establishing a permanent residence somewhere with the intent of buying a home. While I haven't lived anywhere else for any significant amount of time, I was always fairly confident that my choice for such endeavors would be New England, where I live now. There's a lot I love about New England, despite the outrageous taxes, sky-high housing costs, and piss-poor job market. I like the weather which is as it should be: hot in summer and cold in winter. I like the fact that I get snow during the winter months and I like the fact that I can get fresh seafood year-round. I take for granted that I live next to the ocean and I can't imagine living somewhere like Kansas (no offense to any Kansas folk-Kansasites? Kansasians?)where you're completely land-locked and in the middle of everything. (Possibly related: I can't sit in a seat in the middle of the row in a movie theater-I HAVE to be on the end, near the aisle. Draw your own conclusions.)

But I'm not so sure I want to live in New England anymore.

The other day I read that Bill Maher was called "treasonous" because he made a comment on his show regarding the difficulty the Armed Forces are currently experiencing recruiting for the War in Iraq. His exact comment was that they "already picked all the low-flying Lynndie England fruit, and now we need warm bodies." Lynndie England, for those who don't know, is that charming gal in all the Abu Ghraib prison photos holding leashed Iraquis and giving the thumbs-up sign.

Whether or not you agree with Maher's assessment of the military, the fact is that military recruiting is way, way down, a natural by-product, I would think, of being in a war that not everyone in the country is thrilled about. The Armed Forces have recently come under scrutiny for not being particularly selective in their screening process-there have been cases where people with known mental health issues have been accepted and practically rushed through before being halted when word got out to parents and relatives. Bill Maher is a comedian (with outspoken political views, granted) and it's his job to make jokes that not everyone will find funny all the time. But treasonous? You gotta be kidding.

Is Bill Maher sending copies of secret government plans to the enemy? Is Bill Maher deliberately giving our military misleading information so the enemy will have the upper hand? Is Bill Maher in a foxhole in Iraq with an RPG actively fighting against US forces? No. When he's not banging playmates at the Playboy Mansion, he's on TV, lampooning and criticizing the government and talking about issues no one wants to talk about. More important, he's giving voice to both sides of the issue, whatever it may be, by having people with differing viewpoints hash it out, unlike Bill O'Reilly, who basically calls everyone who doesn't agree with him an asshole.

But Congressman Spencer Bachus (R. Alabama), wants Bill Maher off the air, for remarks that he believes border on treason. Can someone do me a favor and tell me where the fuck I'm living nowadays?

It used to be ok to disagree with what people in power say, as long as you don't actively foment rebellion. Michael Moore couldn't get studios to release Farenheit 9/11 because of pressure from the government. Howard Stern was hit with more fines than anyone in the history of broadcasting last year, AFTER he started bashing Bush, then they practically went on a crusade to get him off the air, even going so far as to threaten fines for things he said YEARS ago. Trent Reznor (who I'm not a big fan of, incidentally) won't play the MTV awards because his latest song is a protest of American policy and he wanted a picture of Bush on stage, and they said no way. Whether or not artists should be touting their political views during performances is up for debate- personally I say it depends on how they do it. And to be fair, MTV has the right to refuse any political protests if it's supposed to be all about the music, but how long has it been since MTV was all about the music?

To quote a guy who wrote for the Phoenix a few weeks back (whose name escapes me), just because the Republicans won a close election last year doesn't mean they get everything their way. There ARE other voices. What's disturbing to me is the general policy of silencing anything that doesn't tow the party line by calling it unpatriotic and now, "treasonous." Disagreement is not a crime, and certainly doesn't equal treason by itself. I don't support our decision to go into Iraq but that doesn't make me unpatriotic or sympathetic to terrorism. I backed going into Afghanistan all the way. Just because I don't support the war doesn't mean I don't support the troops, who are sacrificing their lives over there for something they may or may not believe in. They're a hell of a lot braver than me, every single one of them, and I hope to Christ they all come home soon.

An American friend of mine of Scottish descent is considering moving to Scotland when it becomes a Commonwealth. I never thought I'd ever say it, but I'm considering putting down roots somewhere else too, because in a lot of ways this country, though I love it and have known no other home, is beginning to scare me. Nova Scotia looks to be the best place for my climate preferences (cold) and general interests (bagpiping and solitude).

Anyone know what Canada's policy is on emigrating? How about Free Speech?