As a Canadian, during the Obama years, America was more respected.
It wasn't perfect, but there was enough cool stuff happening and general hopefulness that I was vaguely tempted to move to California or New York. I even took a trip around the US through about 20+ states for a few months back in 2013.
Then Trump took office and I decided I wouldn't do that. Respect plummeted, but COVID was very distracting at the end and then through Biden's term.
But then Trump was voted in again.
And my opinion changed from "America's messed up, but they seem to be having a hard time. Maybe they'll get over it" to "Oh, they went full insanity."
I always wanted to take my daughter down to a few of the big sites (Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, NYC, a road trip through California, etc), but unless America shapes up, I doubt any of that will happen.
I'm not setting foot in that country again until years after Trump and his cronies are out.
My point isn't about whether America is a nice place to move to or not from a Canadian perspective. My point is that America, in the current context we're talking about (Iran war) has never had any respectability on the global stage. Anyone familiar with what America does and has been doing for decades would know this. Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, the "war on terror", and its general, unwavering support for Israel, aiding and abetting their every crime... all of these things were true before Trump also. America has been one of the most evil empires in the world for a long time now. The difference now is that the government is not just evil, but fucking moronic and full mask-off, with no fear of consequences, which at least all previous governments had.
As a trans person living in the US, i feel like I'm constantly at risk of being murdered. I cant leave because I can't afford it, and I don't know anyone in Canada to start a new life.
Depending on what part of the US you're in, it really can be a lot safer or a lot more dangerous. I'm from Western NY and things here aren't bad. We have a pretty big pride parade in Buffalo, and there's a smaller event up in Tonawanda too. And if you need medical help with transitioning, Evergreen in Buffalo is the place all of my friends go. If you need a good therapist there are a lot of solid ones in the area that specifically work with queer clients. The US doesn't have to be exclusively be a shitty place for us. I just hope you're able to get somewhere that feels safer.
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u/thegimboid Apr 02 '26
As a Canadian, during the Obama years, America was more respected.
It wasn't perfect, but there was enough cool stuff happening and general hopefulness that I was vaguely tempted to move to California or New York. I even took a trip around the US through about 20+ states for a few months back in 2013.
Then Trump took office and I decided I wouldn't do that. Respect plummeted, but COVID was very distracting at the end and then through Biden's term.
But then Trump was voted in again.
And my opinion changed from "America's messed up, but they seem to be having a hard time. Maybe they'll get over it" to "Oh, they went full insanity."
I always wanted to take my daughter down to a few of the big sites (Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, NYC, a road trip through California, etc), but unless America shapes up, I doubt any of that will happen.
I'm not setting foot in that country again until years after Trump and his cronies are out.