I am someone born in the USA and white and male, so I am less at risk of harassment and brutality than others.
My take on things is that Trump is probably a Russian asset and Russian leadership probably wants a US civil war (but I don’t have proof).
Midterms are still many months away. I am pretty sure Democrats realize that Trump wants conflict and they are trying to just wait for Midterms.
I am scared and feel like civil war could still happen. I have no children, few ties to any area, and only work remotely. I live in a very liberal area. I am mostly a poor person and have less than $25,000 saved.
I also have been arrested and held in terrible conditions in a notorious jail, experienced physical and emotional abuse there, and fear being arrested again and experiencing more abuse. Some of the things I experienced meet definitions of torture although not egregious physical torture (iron maiden type stuff). I am also gay and effeminate and worry I could receive worse treatment if involuntarily held for mental health reasons or for poverty because of homophobia by religious people.
Should I be trying to flee the USA now? If so, would Canada be safe? Is there anywhere else I could go to? I could claim asylum in a Northern European country but am concerned about the Russian War of Aggression.
I do not know if I am over-reacting. Will I still have time to flee if I wait and the situation gets worse?
Everything is relative. I currently live in Southern California in an area where the median home price is $930K USD ($1.565M NZD). A $1M NZD home is only $590K USD, which would be a “steal” here. Accordingly, housing, the biggest expense in the cost of living here, seems like a relative bargain in NZ.
Yes, other things may be a bit more expensive, but overall I’d be looking at a reduction in the cost of living. As far as “standard of living” goes, it depends on what you value. Personally, I love nature, the outdoors, and am an avid surfer and mountain biker. From my perspective NZ’s less crowded waves and spectacular natural beauty makes for a very attractive standard of living.
The challenge for me is that given my age (~60), I am not a preferred immigrant, so residency offers some challenges, as I am not yet to the point financially where I can spring for the golden visa (though I should be at that point in not too long of time). Accordingly, if I were to move there I’d have to implement other strategies. I’d probably start with a tourist visa to check it out and see if I wanted to live there, then perhaps enroll in some classes and apply for a student visa to buy more time.
It’s a different proposition for someone planning retirement to someone earlier in their working life.
If you’re not reliant on income then yes, NZ is a cheaper place to live.
If you need a job then your earnings in NZ may not go as far as they do in other countries.