If you have the money to get out of the USA, why haven't you?

[Yimpa]

4 hours ago, oldhandle said:

You talking to me?

He didn't @ you personally, so good chance that it's meant to be a broad statement rather than a personal one.

Although, just like politics, the truth can be twisted and morphed into whatever you need it to be.

[Leo Gura]

7 hours ago, oldhandle said:

You talking to me? Politics hasn't rotted my mind and based on your posts you talk and think about it about 10x more than I do. And you haven't even moved to and lived in another country so I have no idea why you even weighed in here. 

I left USA and it's way fucking better. 2.5 years away from it. When you've done that it would be more appropriate for you to post in this topic.

I mean, don't let politics color your view of life. Despite whatever MAGA nonsense, life in America is virtually unchanged. America has a huge inertia that even a fascist cannot budge.

Edited Sunday at 11:59 PM by Leo Gura

[Basman]

I mean, Trump is not a permanent fixture. This will be his last term unless he coups the government I guess.

[oldhandle]

1 hour ago, Leo Gura said:

I mean, don't let politics color your view of life. Despite whatever MAGA nonsense, life in America is virtually unchanged. America has a huge inertia that even a fascist cannot budge.

I left during the middle of Biden's presidency. What are you talking about lmao

Edited yesterday at 01:11 AM by oldhandle

[Leo Gura]

33 minutes ago, oldhandle said:

I left during the middle of Biden's presidency. What are you talking about lmao

There has been zero noticable change in my life between Obama, Trump, Biden, and Trump other than what is happening on the internet.

Internet people create a bunch of noise but real life changes very little.

Edited yesterday at 01:45 AM by Leo Gura

[Hardkill]

42 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

There has been zero noticable change in my life between Obama, Trump, Biden, and Trump other than what is happening on the internet.

Internet people create a bunch of noise but real life changes very little.

But aren't millions of innocent people going to suffer and die under Trump if his administration and the Republicans in Congress cuts funding for essential government services like Medicaid, public education, vaccines, and medical research and guts important regulations protecting the environment, the economy, and human rights in our country this time?

Edited yesterday at 02:26 AM by Hardkill

[oldhandle]

1 hour ago, Leo Gura said:

There has been zero noticable change in my life between Obama, Trump, Biden, and Trump other than what is happening on the internet.

Internet people create a bunch of noise but real life changes very little.

This proves that you should leave - you are insulated with enough money to leave, it's easy to estimate roughly how much money you have based on your channel, courses etc., but you choose not to, unlike the millions of people who would like to but cannot and will be absolutely crushed by Trump's policies. 

[oldhandle]

31 minutes ago, Hardkill said:

But aren't millions of innocent people going to suffer and die under Trump if his administration and the Republicans in Congress cuts funding for essential government services like Medicaid, public education, vaccines, and medical research and guts important regulations protecting the environment, the economy, and human rights in our country this time?

He is banking on having enough assets and income from his YT for it to not affect him. I don't think he's thinking at all about the common man based on his post before, which is ironic considering his business is helping people who are suffering and in low positions in life.

[Leo Gura]

It's not about my being insulated. Most people simply aren't directly affected by politics, even by bad politics.

Am I insulated against a 50% market crash? Certainly. Because I am not foolish enough to invest in this overhyped market and I worked a lot to have some financial security. That's the point of hard work and saving money wisely, so you can withstand bad times and not have to flee somewhere.

Will people be hurt from Trump's policies? Certainly. But that is beyond anyone's control at this point and my leaving isn't going to change it one bit.

Edited yesterday at 03:09 AM by Leo Gura

[Hardkill]

5 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

It's not about my being insulated. Most people simply aren't directly affected by politics.

Am I insulated against a 50% market crash? Certainly. Because I am not foolish enough to invest in this overhyped market and I worked a lot to have some financial security.

Will people be hurt from Trump's policies? Certainly. But that is beyond amyone's control at this point and my leaving isn't going to change it one bit.

So, then how much was the idea of Trump and his party taking away your freedoms and opportunities overhyped?

In retrospect, I realize that even people in authoritarian countries like China or Russia have a lot of the freedoms that we have.

Edited yesterday at 03:16 AM by Hardkill

[Leo Gura]

6 minutes ago, Hardkill said:

So, then how much was the idea of Trump and his party taking away your freedoms and opportunities overhyped?

It's not overhyped at the level of them subverting democratic elections. That could get lost.

But that's not reason to flee overseas.

Edited yesterday at 03:18 AM by Leo Gura

[Hardkill]

1 minute ago, Leo Gura said:

It's not overhyped at the level of them subverting democratic elections. That could get lost.

Oh, yeah....

That definitely keeps me up at night. 

I hope that if that happens that widespread civil unrest, protests, and riots in Washington happen.

[Breathe]

4 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

I mean, don't let politics color your view of life. Despite whatever MAGA nonsense, life in America is virtually unchanged. America has a huge inertia that even a fascist cannot budge.

That's a bold statement.

When the UK isolated the economy their economy took a hit.

But they weren't threatening their neighbors or deporting immigrants to places like Gitmo and El Salvador's mega prison.

The UK just simply their borders.

We were the leader of the free world and now we are eating ourselves form the inside out.

Our economy is going to take a hit, but unlike the UK we brazen existential threat to the rest of the world.

What else do we even have to compare this to? This is a different beast.

I think we need wake the fuck up just like our allies have.

[Emerald]

2 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

There has been zero noticable change in my life between Obama, Trump, Biden, and Trump other than what is happening on the internet.

Internet people create a bunch of noise but real life changes very little.

That's only true for you because you're not in a vulnerable position financially or otherwise. So, for you it's just internet noise because nothing changes.

But before I had my business, we were on Medicaid. For a while we qualified for food stamps and I got WIC when my children were small. So, if we were still on Medicaid, we would have likely lost medical coverage without being able to afford a marketplace plan.

And I was just thanking my lucky stars earlier today that I'm no longer in such a financially precarious position under this administration... and that I'm self-employed. So we can get out if we need to.

Also, my mom and my sister (who live together because my sister mentally challenged) both get disability as their only income sources. So, there is a concern about what might happen if that is compromised by all this DOGE stuff. 

Also, for myself and my teenage daughter, I do have to worry about the state of reproductive healthcare as the stricter abortion laws makes it genuinely dangerous to even have a planned pregnancy.

And my husband is a permanent resident green card holder. And we see all the fuckery that's happening and talks of mass deportation... and how green card holders and even native-born citizens of the US in a couple instances are being detained and sent to holding facilities.

So, there's genuinely quite a lot to worry about if you happen to be in a financially precarious position or if you're an immigrant or if you're old or if you're a female of menstruating age.

You just happen to be in none of those vulnerable categories. So, it's the same for you and just seems like internet noise.

[Leo Gura]

52 minutes ago, Emerald said:

That's only true for you because you're not in a vulnerable position financially or otherwise. So, for you it's just internet noise because nothing changes.

But before I had my business, we were on Medicaid. For a while we qualified for food stamps and I got WIC when my children were small. So, if we were still on Medicaid, we would have likely lost medical coverage without being able to afford a marketplace plan.

And I was just thanking my lucky stars earlier today that I'm no longer in such a financially precarious position under this administration... and that I'm self-employed. So we can get out if we need to.

Also, my mom and my sister (who live together because my sister mentally challenged) both get disability as their only income sources. So, there is a concern about what might happen if that is compromised by all this DOGE stuff. 

Also, for myself and my teenage daughter, I do have to worry about the state of reproductive healthcare as the stricter abortion laws makes it genuinely dangerous to even have a planned pregnancy.

And my husband is a permanent resident green card holder. And we see all the fuckery that's happening and talks of mass deportation... and how green card holders and even native-born citizens of the US in a couple instances are being detained and sent to holding facilities.

So, there's genuinely quite a lot to worry about if you happen to be in a financially precarious position or if you're an immigrant or if you're old or if you're a female of menstruating age.

You just happen to be in none of those vulnerable categories. So, it's the same for you and just seems like internet noise.

I don't deny any of that.

Still, ask yourself, has your life really changed between Biden and Trump?

Yes, certain specialized groups like illegal immigrants will have their lives changed.

But don't forget, they are here illegally. They took that risk.

As far a females go, you can always fly to get an abortion. Is it inconvenient? Yes. Is it life-changing to spend $500 on an airplane? No.

Medicaid cuts? Absolutely. Government workers losing jobs? Absolutely.

Do not exaggerate the dangers. The dangers are real for very special cases.

Is there a danger of the market crashing? Absolutely. That will be the single most widespread effect of the Trump admin.

Edited yesterday at 05:29 AM by Leo Gura

[integration journey]

I’m so grateful to be in the USA compared to where I immigrated from. 

 

[Emerald]

19 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

I don't deny any of that.

Still, ask yourself, has your life really changed between Biden and Trump?

Yes, certain specialized groups like illegal immigrants will their lives changed.

But don't forget, they are here illegally. They took that risk.

As far a females go, you can always fly to get an abortion. Is it inconvenient? Yes. Is it life-changing to spend $500 on an airplane? No.

Medicaid cuts? Absolutely. Government workers losing jobs? Absolutely.

Do not exaggerate the dangers. The dangers are real for very special cases.

Is there a danger of the market crashing? Absolutely. That will be the single most widepsread effect of the Trump admin.

Certainly that will be a widespread effect if the market crashes, and it will affect a lot of people.

But just be honest that you're only registering that danger because it may affect you personally... while the other ones, you don't have to worry about as much personally.

So, the other consequences of the Trump presidency feel more "minor" to you because you don't really have to worry about them.

I also want you to recognize that this is just denial when you're saying "Do not exaggerate the dangers."

It's no exaggeration.

And even if it were, it's WAY worse to undersell it than oversell it. And I notice that those who are in less vulnerable positions tend to undersell it because they are lacking in empathy towards those in more vulnerable positions.

For them, politics is just something to debate about abstractly rather than something that impacts their own lives.

And its in these ways that I'm glad that life has blessed me with enough financial struggles and strife to pop some of my idealistic bubbles.

I'm personally the most worried that my husband (who has a Green Card) will also be on the chopping block because his status is still vulnerable in this administration even though he's here 100% legally.

Who knows what kinds of systems they'll erode and what kind of laws they'll pass? They've already invoked the same law they did during the Japanese Internment.

Most middle class Americans are spoiled on the current system. And they trust too much in the guardrails of the system and aren't grasping the precarious position that our country is in.

There's way too much in the unsinkable ship fallacy.

So, it isn't just undocumented immigrants that have to be concerned.

There are already American-born citizens being detained who happen to have Spanish names. And there are visa-holders and permanent resident green card holders that have ended up being detained without the usual legal proections.

And it isn't just deportation that's the worry for illegals and legals alike. It's in being sent to some detention facility for an indefinite period of time where human rights abuses are rampant. And they're talking about building these large camps to accommodate more people.

So, we do have to worry. It's just the vulnerable status of being a permanent resident Greencard holder  that makes you more likely to be a target.

Also, I'm not as worried about getting an abortion personally (though the right to one is very important). I'm more worried about all the health risks to all women that happen when abortion laws are strict.

Doctors wait until you're literally dying before taking the risk to give a life-saving abortion in order to avoid prosecution. So, every woman of child-bearing age is in a dangerous position with this current administration. And there have been women who have gotten into legal hot water for having a miscarriage.

All of these may not make such a splash in people's lives who are already well-resourced or not in a vulnerable position.

Like in the example of a woman needing to fly out for an abortion... that requires money. And having been poor, I certainly would not have been able to afford a trip out of the country... especially if I would have needed to do so on short notice.

But it will 100% impact the bottom 25% of society in very tangible ways. And when the market crashes... it will get to 99% of people.

--

Also, I'm just tired of having a consistently accurate read on the situation since 2015... and being told that I'm exaggerating and being unrealistic by people who are just too sheltered from the harsh realities of the world and human nature to know better.

Like, a close guy-friend of mine who co-hosted a retreat with me the weekend prior to the election, got a bit cross with me for my strong anger reaction at Trump's re-election. And instead of operating from compassion and deeper understanding as I usually attempt to do, I threw up my arms and was like "They fucked around with my family. And now they're going to find out."

I just needed to be angry at the people who voted for Trump.. or just didn't vote. But my friend thought I was being irrational.

He is a permanent US resident Greencard holder from Canada... and he basically reads as a white American male. So, even though he's in a similar legal position as my husband, he's never been on the receiving end of any anti-immigrant sentiment as most people assume him to be American.

But he refrained from voting because of the Gaza situation to vote his conscience. And I got a bit upset with him for not voting practically, especially since Trump will be worse for Gaza and said as much as he was campaigning.

And he was pissed off at me for "exaggerating the danger". And he said "Trump is just saying that to throw red meat to his base." He was so sure that things wouldn't change much immigration-wise.

And I just had a conversation with him a couple days ago. And he began the conversation by saying, "I have to admit, you were right. I'm currently terrified because I have to renew my paperwork in 2027."

So, he's having to seriously consider moving back to Canada before then, which will separate him from his four children. 

And I didn't even feel like saying "I told you so." I just got mad at him, because it's like "Duh. Of course I'm right. Do you not understand people and systems?"

But it's just because he was lulled into a false sense of security because he's a white guy with a good job... and didn't believe his own eyes and ears.

I swear, since 2015, it's just been me observing a situation and talking about it accurately and people being like "Don't listen to what your eyes and ears are telling you!"

And it just frustrates me to no end. I feel like Cassandra.

But that's the thing with Fascism (or other authoritarian patterns)... every step of the way is people explaining stuff away and trying to lull you into a state of normalizing what shouldn't be normalized.

[Joel3102]

1 hour ago, Leo Gura said:

Yes, certain specialized groups like illegal immigrants will have their lives changed.

But don't forget, they are here illegally. They took that risk.

 

Don’t forget innocent green card holders may have been deported to a prison in El Salvador 

[Leo Gura]

2 hours ago, Emerald said:

the other consequences of the Trump presidency feel more "minor" to you because you don't really have to worry about them.

Yes, of course. But this thread was asking why I personally haven't run away.

Every government policy hurts someone because there are 350M people. Obama deported a lot of illegals. Just because tens of thousands are hurt doesn't mean America is unlivable or even that anything major has changed.

People ARE exaggerating the effects of politics on everyday life in general. This is true while it is also true that tens of thousands are hurt. For American life to really change, tens of millions would need to be hurt. That's not even so easy to accomplish.

Even if Trump wanted to, he doesn't have the manpower to deport 10 million illegals. There are pragmatic limits to how much damage can be done how quickly. Which is not to say he can't do some very dangerous things like start a war. But aside from a war or serious market crash, most Americans will not feel anything. This is not me being callous, this is just how society works.

Don't forget that even during war, most people feel nothing. In Russia, most people are still living their lives business as usual. Even with 1M Russia losses. That's still only <1% of the population.

What you guys are missing is how robust society is. Even if 20% of Americans died tomorrow, life would go on. Sounds harsh but that's the reality. And yes, the rich are always insulated from the worst of it. Who do you think is dying in Russia? Not the rich. So it has always been and so it will always be.

The whole point of being rich is that survival is easier. This isn't an error. Those who work harder and smarter have more resources to shelter the winter. If you live alone in the wilderness and work twice as hard and twice as smart, your chances of surviving the winter are 4 times greater.

I have been very vocal about the dangers of Trump. But it's important to also keep that in realistic proportion.

Edited yesterday at 08:32 AM by Leo Gura

[Leo Gura]

2 hours ago, Joel3102 said:

Don’t forget innocent green card holders may have been deported to a prison in El Salvador 

Yes, stuff like that will certainly happen. There is always the chance that you will end up as collateral damage in society. That chance has increased under Trump.

You may catch a stray bullet in a protest.

Edited yesterday at 08:35 AM by Leo Gura