Hate America? Want To Leave? Here Are Some Options

Wow. What a week for America. For some, this will be one of the greatest weeks ever in their version of American history. For others, this will be a terrible memory etched in their minds forever. Regardless of how US citizens feels about the election results, this is still their country. The US has still elected an African American president and eradicated laws that discriminate by race. The US is still a nation that stands for freedom and the pursuit of happiness and gives individuals every opportunity to thrive.

It is okay to be angry and sad. It is okay to be displeased with or not proud of the direction this country is going in. It is NOT OKAY to burn the American flag, curse America, and essentially spit on all that our veterans have fought for. If your disdain for the USA is so great over an election, please let me help you find a new place to call home. Here are some options for you, but, I warn you, they may not be what you think they are.

1. Canada

Oh, Canada. Celebrities' go to destination when making a threat about leaving the US. Sure, this could be a fairly easy transition when you have endless amounts of money, but what about an average American citizen? The truth is immigration to Canada is extremely expensive, $550 just to apply for permanent residency, requires employable skills, and takes years to obtain. It also wont help to put those Tinder skills to use and marry some Canadian sucker either, marriage citizenship laws don't apply there. So if you can't find a job in an economy with a two percent increase in unemployment rates compared to the US, your stuck trying to maintain a cost of living that is SIGNIFICANTLY higher than in the US. A liter of gasoline is on average 129 percent higher than what is in New York.

2. Sweden

There's no denying it, Sweden is an aesthetically beautiful country. It also has universal healthcare and free college tuition which, essentially, is a progressive's dream world. But what's the truth about the life of an immigrant in Sweden, a place with the highest amount of asylum seekers in the world because of the open border policy. The truth is that 48 percent of immigrants in Sweden do not work but receive a very modest welfare check. The immigrants that do work receive 40 cents per dollar in comparison with Sweden born workers. The job market is extremely competitive and hard to penetrate without a high level of skill and experience, sound familiar? Oh, and want to feel safe walking the streets at night alone as a woman? You can't. The rape rate in Sweden is ranked third IN THE WORLD. Two times that of the US.

3. Belgium

Belgium is another aesthetically beautiful country with an open border policy, but guess what has happened as the result of this? A flood of terrorist attacks and a rise of Islamic extremists that even the most optimistic cannot refute. The cops there can hardly cope with the influx or crime and threat to the nation. Economically, Belgium has the highest income tax in the ENTIRE DEVELOPED WORLD at 42 percent or higher. There are many complaints about US jails, but the jails in Belgium have been compared to torture chambers. The conditions are so deplorable that guards refuse to show up to work. Sounds safe, right? And, if the threat of impending prisoner escapees don't sound all too alarming, Belgium's nuclear plants and the reactors within are in complete disarray. If you head there, just remember, you are leaving a country where you can have whatever values you please for one that requires you to sign up for European values on a dotted line.

4. United Arab Emirates

Because of the need for skilled workers, and the easy visa and permanent residence process, the United Arab Emirates is an increasingly popular destination for immigration. It also has a lower unemployment rate than the US at 4.2% and substantially lower income taxes. The crime rate and the amount of drugs distributed is also very low in comparison to the US. And, to top it off, the cost of living, in general, is much cheaper in UAE. This just sounds wonderful, right? There's a catch. You cannot go around burning the nation's flag, cursing a presidential elect in the UAE, or really even complaining about the government in public. In fact, you'll be thrown in jail for it. There are many laws filled with discrimination and if openly gay in public, you may face a sentence of 10 years in prison. Women are also treated as being inferior to men and are expected to dress very modestly, meaning no crop tops or short shorts, all of which is completely protected under their laws. America sounds pretty good right now, huh?

5. Australia

Australia is another place that, in much of the country, is breathtaking. I, myself, cannot wait to visit there. Key word: visit. I'm pretty confident in saying that everyone has seen memes, pictures, or videos of the incredibly dangerous wildlife that lives there, but there are potential issues when migrating to Australia that really matter. One being the job market. Unemployment is currently hovering over 5.8 percent, almost an entire percentage greater than the US. While the type of jobs available to migrants may be diverse, there is certainly a lack of diversity in the workplace or, really, in general. Australia is 92 percent white compared to the US's 63 percent. On top of that, 85 percent of fathers with a young child age 5 or younger holds a full-time job compared to only 19 percent of females. Healthcare, while free, is a disaster compared to many parts of the US. It is either unobtainable without a plane ride, or you'll be stuck waiting in very longggg lines for appointments or ER visits. Oh, and to get dental care you'll be paying an arm and a leg or, more realistically, a kidney. I could go on about the extremely high cost-of-living, but I'll stop here.

My point here is, America is flawed and by no means perfect, but if you stop and look at other comparable countries, they also have their fair share issues. Stop fantasizing the prospect of leaving America because you are unhappy who the president is. Or better yet, please leave and experience living and working in another country, but I'm sure you'll be back.

After all, there is a reason why people are banging on the door to get into the US and not out. There is a reason why people sell everything that they own and put their life and their lively hood at risk to sneak into America from another country. Be grateful for where you live and where you came from. Focus on fighting a policy and not a person because, whether you like it or not, Donald Trump will be our president for the next four years.