NationStates Jolt Archive

"...by 2008, most Americans who visit Canada won't be able to re-enter their country without a passport." (excerpted from: http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/04/05/passports050405.html )


There was a time, a time not too long ago, when there was one definitive aspect to American life, as opposed to life in the oft-vilified USSR of old; the ability of it's citizens to be able to travel without the need for travel 'papers'. This was the old chestnut on which wheezing Nixon-era conservatives would rely to decry the old Soviet system as authoritarian, dehumanizing, and needlessly restrictive.

It's funny that the surviving conservatives and their intellectual descendants have reversed their stance in this formerly-fundamental aspect of the American lifestyle. It's funny like a book by George Orwell.

George Orwell was damned hillarious!

dude. 1984 was hilarious. especially the thing with the rats, and dude's face. fyi, i saw the movie, and have yet to read the book.

"...by 2008, most Americans who visit Canada won't be able to re-enter their country without a passport." (excerpted from: http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/04/05/passports050405.html )


There was a time, a time not too long ago, when there was one definitive aspect to American life, as opposed to life in the oft-vilified USSR of old; the ability of it's citizens to be able to travel without the need for travel 'papers'. This was the old chestnut on which wheezing Nixon-era conservatives would rely to decry the old Soviet system as authoritarian, dehumanizing, and needlessly restrictive.

It's funny that the surviving conservatives and their intellectual descendants have reversed their stance in this formerly-fundamental aspect of the American lifestyle. It's funny like a book by George Orwell.
When America needed it's citizens united, alot of them proclaimed "IF G W BUSH IS ELECTED I'M MOVING TO CANADA!" When American was in desparate need to have her citizens united, the cry again rose "IF GW BUSH IS RE-ELECTED, I'M FOLLOWING MY FRIENDS AND MOVING TO CANADA."

Do we really want back the people who would abandon their country if things don't go their way?

There are many who stayed. and many more who remained after the re-election... but to those who fled... Meh... they made their choice.

"...by 2008, most Americans who visit Canada won't be able to re-enter their country without a passport." (excerpted from: http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/04/05/passports050405.html )


There was a time, a time not too long ago, when there was one definitive aspect to American life, as opposed to life in the oft-vilified USSR of old; the ability of it's citizens to be able to travel without the need for travel 'papers'. This was the old chestnut on which wheezing Nixon-era conservatives would rely to decry the old Soviet system as authoritarian, dehumanizing, and needlessly restrictive.

It's funny that the surviving conservatives and their intellectual descendants have reversed their stance in this formerly-fundamental aspect of the American lifestyle. It's funny like a book by George Orwell.

I can understand your view, however the rest of the article describes that we're doing this to be fair, since "...by 2007, most Canadians will need a passport to enter the United States."

I can understand your view, however the rest of the article describes that we're doing this to be fair, since "...by 2007, most Canadians will need a passport to enter the United States."

Well the writing's been on the wall for a while on that one - in fact, most Canadians already carry their passports with them to the States while travelling there. And yes, the focus of the article in the online version is skewed greatly toward the Canadian side of the issue - oddly enough, the broadcast version of the same news story had a different slant - it focused more on the American side of the situation. Hence a simple excerpting, rather than quoting the entire article.

Now that I think of it, it's puzzling that there should be such a discrepancy between the two.

Well the writing's been on the wall for a while on that one - in fact, most Canadians already carry their passports with them to the States while travelling there. And yes, the focus of the article in the online version is skewed greatly toward the Canadian side of the issue - oddly enough, the broadcast version of the same news story had a different slant - it focused more on the American side of the situation. Hence a simple excerpting, rather than quoting the entire article.

Now that I think of it, it's puzzling that there should be such a discrepancy between the two.
It's to prevent people who fled the us to come back just because GW Bush is gone.

2008?