Leaving the United States

[Guest]

Just watched CNN Special “An American Coup” last night.  Jake Tapper interviews almost exclusively Republican politicians who pushed back on Trump’s plan to overturn the 2020 election.  Many of those interviewed are leaving politics due to threats of political violence - increasingly violent threats against them and their families.  It seems the US is headed for an eventual collapse of democracy & who knows what will follow.  Many think this could happen as early as 2025 if Trump somehow comes back to power.

The question is has anyone seriously considered leaving the US due to political instability and violence ?  If yes, where are the best places for a relatively peaceful retirement ? Spain & Portugal seem to be top of the list due to LGBTQIA rights and political stability.  Canada seems like an obvious choice, but what would happen there with an unstable superpower to the south ?

Never thought I’d see any of this in my lifetime, but here we are

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-the-american-polity-is-cracked-and-might-collapse-canada-must-prepare/

https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2021/11/06/alyssa-farah-trump-second-term-vpx.cnn
 

 

[RockHardNYC]

There are several in my circle, including myself, who have slowly and steadily prepared for the possibility of leaving. Considering all the metrics, America seems hell-bent on entering a dark period. It would be foolish to ignore the vast numbers of people who voted for Trump in the last election. Even more foolish to ignore what red states are doing with their laws to make it legal to "fix" an election they don't like.

None of the great thinkers in America know what to do with this problem. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom and lose everything to appreciate what you once had.

I don't think of myself as a quitter, but I'm only one guy who believes in democracy rule. I do everything I can to fight back, but at a certain point, you have to find a way to survive and be happy, living the life you dream.

[fedssocr]

If the US collapses I think the whole world is going to be in big trouble so there may not be too many places to hide.

[unicorn]

My sister moved to Portugal. All you need do is buy a $500,000+ home and live there, and you're on track to EU citizenship in some 5 years. The climate of Canada is so horrid, I can't imagine living there, except maybe Vancouver or Victoria. If you think you can learn Portuguese, Portugal is a great place to live. They're all fully vaccinated, have no problems with Covid or anti-vaxxer nuts, and the climate is decent. The only thing to be aware of is that the waters, even in the Algarve on the southern coast, are quite cold year-round. You have to be on the Mediterranean (Spain) to get warm waters, but I think immigration to Spain is more difficult than Portugal. I've thought of it myself. 

[fedssocr]

One of my friends is getting ready to spend a year in Europe starting in Portugal. He has Portuguese ancestry and is trying to learn the language. He even found some long-lost relatives. I think his ultimate goal is to emigrate

[unicorn]

19 hours ago, fedssocr said:

One of my friends is getting ready to spend a year in Europe starting in Portugal. He has Portuguese ancestry and is trying to learn the language. He even found some long-lost relatives. I think his ultimate goal is to emigrate

One of the problems my sister had in finding someone to tutor her in Portuguese is that in the US almost anyone teaching Portuguese will be teaching Brazilian Portuguese. To become a Portuguese citizen, one has to take an oral test to ensure Portuguese proficiency (strangely, unlike many countries, no test on Portuguese civics or history!). I don't think they'd bar you for having a Portuguese accent, though. I know some basic Brazilian Portuguese and was frequently corrected when I visited Portugal. No one was offended, though. Since there are over 20 times as many Brazilians as there are Portuguese citizens, I'm sure the Portuguese are used to it. I asked them if the Portuguese language from Mozambique and Angola were closer to Brazilian or Portuguese and was told it was in between the two. 

[fedssocr]

He speaks some Spanish and Italian so he's hoping that will ease the learning curve

[unicorn]

Oh, yes. It sure will. 

[msclelovr]

Just a gentle reminder that you can relatively easily leave the US…but it’s much more difficult to escape the reach of the IRS.
 

It’s well worth paying for excellent legal and tax advice before you change your permanent residence. There are several schemes, such as that for Portugal described above, in various EU countries. One important factor, among many, is to  decide whether you hope to work in your new country of residence.