Because Hong Kong was to be turned over to Chinese control in 1997, from 1991 to 1996 “about 30,000 Hong Kongers emigrated annually to Canada, comprising over half of all Hong Kong emigration and about 20 percent of the total number of immigrants to Canada.”
…”The great majority of these people settled in the Toronto and Vancouver areas, as there are well-established Chinese communities in those cities.”

See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Chinese_immigration_to_Canada

southpaw says:
…”Does he believe these policies are correct – you better believe it. Does he care if he’s right? No, not as long as he tried to be fair.”

I think it’s a mistake to assume that BHO does anything to make a better America. His sole motivation is to enhance his Great Man status, and part of accomplishing that is to speak of wanting to make society “fair”.

His goal is, as we know, to transform the United States, but what he hasn’t let us know so far is the extent of the desired transformation. If, when he leaves office, America has become one monolithic, top-down bureaucratic state, with hundreds of thousands more federal workers and of course with a single payer health care system, he will have succeeded.

Also, since he is bent on taking down our defenses and reducing America’s military and economic status in the world — in short, make us as unexceptional as possible — I assume he wants America’s humiliation; all this in service of showing him to be the Great Power he believes he deserves to be. In his own mind, he’s always been greater than the country he purports to serve.

When circumstances have shown him to have made a mistake, sometimes you can glimpse his anger, but he seems to sweep aside any notion that he’s wrong. I know only one other person I would call a narcissist, and she (like Obama) will never blame herself for anything or take responsibility for a serious mistake, is incapable of self-deprecating humor but does enjoy jokes at the expense of others, and loves the spotlight.

I’m no expert on narcissism, that’s for sure, but I can’t look at Obama without seeing him or interpreting his actions in that light.

Maybe I’ve finally gone off the deep end…

That was true in the past, however, I live just 60 miles from the B.C. border. We have Canucks by the thousands down here gobbling up our low priced goods. In our local Costco half the license plates in the parking lot are from B.C. On the inside of the store a great many of the shoppers are Chinese/orientals who don’t speak much English. When we see them out in the parking lot they always get into cars with B.C. plates. The conclusion I draw is that the Canucks are accepting a lot of orientals. Canada used to have a rule much like New Zealand about only accepting occupations that they needed. Are these orientals in needed occupations? My guess is no. But it could be they have enough money to support themselves or deposit with the Canadian government to be admitted. I guess I need to do more research on that one.

I’m with you. There’s no country I’d want to live out my twilight (golden?) years in other than right here. Of course, if things get worse, I could change my tune.

Another thing is that if all the older conservatives move away, the country will move even further to the left.

I’ve been to Panama, Costa Rica, and Argentina (not Uruguay). Not for me at all.

Mention of Uruguay makes me think of this.

Costa Rica is a socialist country that is becoming more socialist with the passing years. (They nationalized most of their private companies some years back.) Their newest scam is selling carbon credits to countries as a way to increase national income. You can retire there fairly easily but beware of the private property laws. Especially as to real estate. You may be sold land and not receive a real title. You may buy land and find squatters moving on it with no way to remove them. There are many pitfalls that we Yanks may not see until too late. Not my cup of tea.

Panama has a tropical climate – with all the issues that entails. Cheap and possibly exciting place to live as long as you are healthy and have a certain amount of vigor. Visited there and saw nothing that attracted me. But your mileage may vary.

Uruguay is a possibility. They are looking for well heeled retirees to move there. Their primary industries are cattle ranching and fishing, so they see expat retirees with a decent income as a source of capital. It has escaped the progressive excesses of Argentina, has a pleasant climate, no earthquakes, and the people are relatively welcoming. Decent Spanish skills would be a plus. It is, however, a long way from the U.S. and, being a South American country, could be subject to government instability without notice.

Canada might be a better bet for most Americans. Of course the weather there is colder than down here, and other than Alberta, they are a high cost of living nanny state with a bilingual culture and a separatist province. They have their problems just like we do.

IMO, it is better to try to change things here than to escape. But that’s just me.

“I do not want to trade one stifling, know-it-all government for another.”

I’m thinking Uruguay. They have national healthcare; but unlike here you can buy your own insurance and there are private hospitals (ours will be absorbed in ACO’s and not be independent).

Sane tax levels, sustainable spending, private gun ownership is allowed, you can show up as a tourist and apply for citizenship… et cetera…

The prez is a socialist but he seems reasonable. He is even the kind that leads by example… he donates most of his salary to charity.