(2010-11-27) Orlov Leave America

An anonymous guest-poster at Dmitry Orlov's blog suggests leaving the US.

*Whether the Collapse is gradual or gut-wrenchingly sudden, the results will be chaos, civil strife and Fascism. Let’s face it: the United States is like the former Yugoslavia – a collection of mutually antagonistic cultures united in name only. You’ve got your own version of the Taliban: right-wing Christian Fundamentalist-s who actively loathe the idea of secular Constitutional government. You’ve got a vast intellectual underclass that has spent the last few decades soaking up Fox News and talk radio propaganda, eager to blame the collapse on Democrats, gays and immigrants. You’ve got a ruthless ownership class (Oligarchy) that will use all the means at its disposal to protect its wealth from the starving masses.

On top of all that you’ve got vast Factory Farm-s, sprawling Suburb-s and a truck-based shipping system, all of it entirely dependent on Cheap Oil that is about to become completely unaffordable. And you’ve got guns. Lots of guns. In short: the United States is about to become a very unwholesome place to be.

Right now, the government is building fences and walls along its northern and southern borders. Right now, the government is working on a national ID system (soon to be fitted with biometric features). Right now, the government is building a Surveillance State so extensive that they will be able to follow your every move, online, in the street and across borders. If you think this is just to protect you from “terrorists,” then you’re sadly mistaken. Once the shit really hits the fan, do you really think you’ll just be able to jump into the old station wagon, drive across the Canadian (Canada) border and spend the rest of your days fishing and drinking Molson? No, the government is going to lock the place down. They don’t want their tax base escaping. They don’t want their “recruits” escaping. They don’t want YOU escaping.*

If you’ve already got some real work skills, you can apply to emigrate to any number of countries as a skilled immigrant.

Here is an Ex Pat info guide site. Though I think there's lots of room to argue with its country rankings (Mexico is #1?!?). Such rankings are heavily dependent on your own circumstances (e.g. how would you try to Make Money living there).