I’m from New Jersey, and I realize that automatically gives me a penchant for sarcasm or exaggeration. But my message for you on this American holiday, which celebrates an alleged “indepedence” of some sort, is that I urge you to draw up a plan for leaving the country in the event that it becomes necessary.
I repeat. Plan what your exit would look like, if push ever came to shove. At your workplace, there is not doubt a little sketch somewhere of which exit to take in the event of a fire or other emergency, someone has laid out the plan for you, should that time ever come. And when a fire does happen, it is unlikely that you will sit at your desk until the flames spread over your body. NO! You would most certainly respond to signs or indicators, such as the smell of smoke or an alarm.
Now take it beyond your workplace, beyond the building you call your home, and look at the broader picture in terms of country. You’re probably often preached to about how you live in the greatest country on earth. A pleasant idea, surely, but there are a long list of reasons that tell another story… mostly a story about a country with plenty of bad aspects and good ones as well. And like any country, especially one where the government is very powerful, and a small percentage of people live at a super high standard while a much larger percentage teeter on the brink of poverty; the situation can become highly unstable, and above all, hazardous to you health or the future of your life or family. And like the possibility of an emergency occurring at home or at work, every American should now have a plan as to where – in terms of country – they would move to in order to escape the effects of such an emergency.
At this point, those in denial will stop reading. Those who are scared or blissfully ignorant will probably click over to some other site as well. Obviously the idea of moving your whole life, leaving the home you’ve probably had a hand in building, can be a very paralyzing and insane sounding idea. But you most find the strength to act; and the first, most basic act, is to make an exit plan.
Maybe you have friends in Canada. Perhaps the drive to Mexico isn’t a long one. A growing number of Americans are finding ways to get the passport of their heritage country, where their grandparents came from. Whatever your method, go over the steps in your head. Sources of money, how to meet the needs of you or your children. A contact you haven’t caught up with in a long time that would be able to help. Any and all of these are important.
Whatever your plan looks like, make no mistake that you need one. If you look back at history you’ll recognize the empires and you will realize the United States is the current empire. On the same hand, you may see familiar signs that led to the decline of past empires: military expansion and crusades to conquer foreign countries, lack of resources (fiscal control) when it comes to government spending, undermining of laws and legal decisions by the government or leader, etc. The list goes on, and a growing number of these factors can be identified as true for the present day United States.
So when you bar-b-q today and gather with family, blocking out all the bullshit and negative feelings that you can sense eminating from almost every statement or decision announced by the government at various levels. Forgetting for a brief moment about everything you notice on a day-to-day basis regarding the horrible state of the national health, education, and personal finances for a majority of the population. As you try not to think about the fact that even in the last week, elected officials have called for the free press to be arrested or shot, and to stop investigating and stop reporting on the actions of the government, because we are supposed to simply trust the government and fear an act called terrorism above anything else. When you have finished the watermelon and the veggieburgers, and succesfully blocked all this out today – start making that emergency exit plan.
Because if you take a deep breath, you might smell the thick smoke all around you.
But contrary to the neverending amount of writing about the games and the players and the stadiums, I will be doing no such thing. While I like watching the matches; I suffer watching Portugal, I root for the Australians, I love the Côte D’Ivoireans, there are many aspects surrounding the games that I do not like.
My initial impression of the budget is not all bad. Probably because there are some priorities and traditions in Canada that will not automatically change just because a new party is in charge. I’m referring specifically to childcare and education, both of which seem to get adequate funding and tax-credits within the text of the budget. 
