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Ten Reasons Not to Move to Canada
by Sarah Anderson
Ready to say screw this country and buy a one-way ticket north? Here are
some reasons to stay in the belly of the beast.
1. The Rest of the World. After the February 2003 antiwar protests, the New
York Times described the global peace movement as the world's second
superpower. Their actions didn't prevent the war, but protesters in nine
countries have succeeded in pressuring their governments to pull their
troops from Iraq and/or withdraw from the so-called "coalition of the
willing." Antiwar Americans owe it to the majority of the people on this
planet who agree with them to stay and do what they can to end the suffering
in Iraq and prevent future pre-emptive wars.
2. People Power Can Trump Presidential Power. The strength of social
movements can be more important than whoever is in the White House. Example:
In 1970, President Nixon supported the Occupational Safety and Health Act,
widely considered the most important pro-worker legislation of the last 50
years. It didn't happen because Nixon loved labor unions, but because union
power was strong. Stay and help build the peace, economic justice,
environmental and other social movements that can make change.
3. The great strides made in voter registration and youth mobilization must
be built on rather than abandoned.
4. Like Nicaraguans in the 1980s, Iraqis Need U.S. Allies. After Ronald
Reagan was re-elected in 1984, progressives resisted the urge to flee
northwards and instead stayed to fight the U.S. governments secret war of
arming the contras in Nicaragua and supporting human rights atrocities
throughout Central America. Iraq is a different scenario, but we can still
learn from the U.S.-Central America solidarity work that exposed illegal
U.S. activities and their brutal consequences and ultimately prevailed by
forcing a change in policy.
5. We Can't Let up on the 'Free Trade' Front Activists have held the Bush
administration at bay on some issues. On trade, opposition in the United
States and in developing countries has largely blocked the Bush
administrations corporate-driven trade agenda for four years. The President
is expected to soon appoint a new top trade negotiator to break the impasse.
Whoever he picks would love to see a progressive exodus to Canada.
6. Barack Obama. His victory to become the only African-American in the U.S.
Senate was one of the few bright spots of the election. An early opponent of
the Iraq war, Obama trounced his primary and general election opponents,
even in white rural districts, showing he could teach other progressives a
few things about broadening their base. As David Moberg of In These Times
puts it, 'Obama demonstrates how a progressive politician can redefine
mainstream political symbols to expand support for liberal policies and
politicians rather than engage in creeping capitulation to the right.'
7. Say so long to the DLC. Barry Goldwater suffered a resounding defeat when
he ran for president against Lyndon Johnson in 1964, but his campaign
spawned a conservative movement that eventually gained control of the
Republican Party and elected Ronald Reagan in 1980. Progressives should see
the excitement surrounding Dean, Kucinich, Moseley Braun, and Sharpton
during the primary season as the foundation for a similar takeover of the
Democratic Party.
8. 2008. President Bush is entering his second term facing an escalating
casualty rate in Iraq, a record trade deficit, a staggering budget deficit,
sky-high oil prices, and a deeply divided nation. As the Republicans face
likely failure, progressives need to start preparing for regime change in
2008 or sooner. Remember that Nixon was reelected with a bigger margin than
Bush, but faced impeachment within a year.
9. Americans are Not All Yahoos. Although I wouldn't attempt to convince a
Frenchman of it right now, many surveys indicate that Americans are more
internationalist than the election results suggest. In a September poll by
the University of Maryland, majorities of Bush supporters expressed support
for multilateral approaches to security, including the United States being
part of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (68%), the International Criminal
Court (75%), the treaty banning land mines (66%), and the Kyoto Treaty on
climate change (54%). The problem is that most of these Bush supporters
weren't aware that Bush opposed these positions. Stay and help turn
progressive instincts into political power.
10. Winter. Average January temperature in Ottawa: 12.2°F.
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