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If Atlas Shrugged In This Country

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dadmonson

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To answer the question, you have to assume the premise that the U.S. is no longer the best country to live in. In that case, I would guess Australia or Hong Kong. Switzerland wouldn't be too bad, either, although their zoning laws are horrific compared to ours. Even Canada is conceivable, if things got so bad that the able had to leave and every other country stayed the same. Not too many other places to go.

The best solution, in my view, is not to look for a country that will allow you to live free, or to try to turn a bad one around, but to create a new one.

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To answer the question, you have to assume the premise that the U.S. is no longer the best country to live in. In that case, I would guess Australia or Hong Kong. Switzerland wouldn't be too bad, either, although their zoning laws are horrific compared to ours. Even Canada is conceivable, if things got so bad that the able had to leave and every other country stayed the same. Not too many other places to go.

There's also Dubai. Ireland might not be bad.

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The best solution, in my view, is not to look for a country that will allow you to live free, or to try to turn a bad one around, but to create a new one.

That may be so. However, one should not feel bad for not being totally dedicated to the cause of turning America around. One may want to just go off an pursue ones life privately in somewhere like Singapore, and hope that things stay stable for long enough, or maybe even spend a good portion of ones life in one of these countries, building up material wealth and enjoying the relative freedom, before returning, sleeves rolled up, ready to slay the dragon.

I think a minor example of this is Frederick Douglass, who spent a few years abroad in England, which, ironically, was a relief from the repressive, slave-holding society of America. However, in spite of this, he loved his country and was dedicated to changing it, on the basis that it was only in the context of the ideals on which America was built, including the monumentally revolutionary Constitution, that he could truly achieve his vision of a free, equal society.

So, I think there is a case for looking for a country to live free. Those countries aren't free in principle, and probably have little chance of moving towards a principled Capitalism without America leading the way, but one can move there and enjoy them for what they are worth. With the current rate of change, and the way things are going, I couldn't imagine leaving the still (relatively) free England for Singapore or Hong Kong, or maybe even Israel, for anything longer than 10 years (except, maybe, Ireland, but even that is showing signs of receding its pragmatic Capitalistic expansion, which in itself was predicated on the inflationary boom in Construction, which has burst with the credit crunch).

Edited by Tenure
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Depending on your taste...I might move to Ireland if I had to. It's economy is growing and only becoming freer. It has cities, but it also has a nice, bucolic feel. New Zealand is also realistic. I find moving to Hong Kong would be very difficult, and I don't know how socially free they are. That matters to me.

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Yes, we could buy one of those uninhabited islands. However, transport costs may be huge to get there.

Henderson Island, the only one big enough to support a group of any size is a designated world heritage site. The island won't be sold and if you were to try to take it over, the army of the Pitcairns is Australia's and you'd lose.

Does it show that I've already put far too much thought into this? :read:^_^:D

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There is no place to go. Without a massive (at least 2/3) reduction in population there will not be anywhere to go in the forseable future either.

Hence the signature

Paul

People have been saying that since the 1700s.

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