Regrets

Dutch immigrant Rogier van Bakel of Nobody's Business is having second thoughts.

This week marks the fifteenth anniversary of my emigration from the Netherlands to the United States. I've been in no mood to celebrate.

Truthfully, I'm not even certain I would still move if I had to make that choice today.

That's sad, isn't it? Sadder still is that if I'm honest, I can only promise him it'll get worse. But wait! There's an election next month, so everything's going to be just fine, right?

Comments

[nomorespin2005]

What is so bad about living in the United States? If it is as bad as he says, then why does he still live here? It proves a contradiction. Obviously it is not so bad, because he still lives here.

What horrible thing is happening in this country? Please explain, because I certainly don't understand.

[Richard Nikoley]

Easy for you to say, 'nomorespin2005.' Since he isn't your guest here, he has no obligation to explain to you or anyone why he might not make the same decision today and why there may even be some regret. If you read Rogier's blog, and this blog, then it's easy enough to determine "what's so bad."

I'm not doing your homework for you.

[Kyle Bennett]

What is so bad about living in the United States?

Here's the short list, just off the top of my head. There is, of course, much much more.

-- War on Drugs
-- Taxes
-- welfare state
-- border control as labor protectionism
-- seat belt laws
-- smoking bans
-- Democrats
-- Republicans
-- gun control
-- government schools
-- airport security
-- EPA
-- OSHA
-- Americans with Disabilities Act
-- endangered species act
-- anti-trust laws
-- corporate welfare
-- surveillance cameras
-- red-light cameras
-- political correctness
-- 10 commandments in courtrooms
-- Westboro Baptist
-- race pimps
-- anti-discrimination laws
-- civil lawsuits as institutionalized extortion
-- university education as collectivist propoganda
-- Cindy Sheehan
-- George Soros
-- tolerance of Muslim extremists
-- labor unions
-- eminent domain
-- ACLU
-- no-knock SWAT raids
-- decency laws
-- anti-gambling laws
-- mainstream media
-- anti-prostitution laws
-- drivers licenses
-- two-party system
-- IRS
-- McCain-Feingold act
-- John McCain
-- gun-free school zones
-- FEMA
-- The UN
-- subsidies to foreign countries
-- undermining the 1st amendment
-- abandonment of the 2nd amendment
-- abandonment of the 4th amendment
-- abandonmnet of the 9th amendment
-- abandonment of the 10th amendment and the doctrine of nondelegation
-- undermining of the 5th amendment
-- the 16th amendment
-- Weeks v United States (the exclusionary rule)
-- activist judges
-- the National Parks system
-- trade tariffs
-- the Federal Reserve system
-- National Firearms Act / US v Miller
-- the Communications Decency Act
-- the Digital Millenium Copyright Act
-- Paris Hilton
-- Michael Moore
-- speed bumps
-- zoning laws
-- the US Department of Education
-- the US Department of Labor
-- the US Department of Interior
-- the Clintons
-- sin taxes / blue laws
-- Social Security
-- FDA
-- FCC
-- seoverign immunity
-- George Washington's putting down the Whiskey Rebellion
-- roadside checkpoints
-- estate taxes
-- the Duke rape case
-- immigration quotas
-- the US Deaprtment of Health and Human Services
-- the US Department of Energy
-- the US Department of Homeland Security
-- anti big-box store ordinances
-- requirements for businesses to provide employee health insurance
-- anti Wal-Mart movement
-- alcohol regulation
-- militarization of police
-- Waco
-- Ruby Ridge
-- abandonment of jury nullification
-- regulations on things like toilets
-- legislative pork
-- the Clean Water Act
-- DEA
-- PETA and the ELF
-- Kelo v New London
-- the Bureau of Land Management
-- free speech zones
-- the fate of Carl Drega
-- school shootings
-- gangs
-- paparazzi
-- celebrity worship
-- CAFE regulations
-- the defacto ban on new building refinery capacity and nuclear plants
-- homeowners associations

and, for those advocating "love it or leave it", google for "american jobs creation act + expatriation or irs + expatriation

[Lydia]

Wow, that's an amazing list. Iconic. Glorious. I think "Legislative Pork" would make a good band name.

[Rob]

"Wow, that's an amazing list. Iconic. Glorious."
Posted by: Lydia

Kyle,
What Lydia said!
I hope you'll give that more exposure; it'd be a shame to let it die buried in the comments here.
Rob

[Kyle Bennett]

Rob, Lydia,

Thanks. Rob, go ahead and expose it. I could put it on my blog, but that would only expose it to 12 more people. It's less buried here than it would be there. Take it, if you like, go ahead and spread it around (and fix the typos in the process, if you don't mind ;-).

BTW, parts of this were incorporated into my 4th of July post "The Continuing Course of Human Events". It's still on the front page of my blog if you want to scroll down and look for it.

[James Skinner]

Very well said!
If your interested in UK/American politics as well then visit my site, at:
www.conservatives.co.nr