The problems with love it or leave it

I have seen numerous articles where people respond with a comment that can be considered un-American. People are quick to insist that this is a free country, and we can always leave if we are unhappy. It's remarkable how many people can repeat such a clearly flawed sentiment.


There are actually several problems with this kind of argument. For starters, leaving the country is only one part of relocating. Another part is entering the foreign country. Even if America is free, that doesn't mean that we are free to move elsewhere. We would need to find a country that would accept us. Our freedom is irrelevant to immigration laws in foreign countries.

Another big issue with this mentality is the language barrier. Very few countries actually speak English. For me, that's the only language I know. Someone like me would never move to a country where they would have to be a burden due to the inability to communicate. For people who are bilingual or trilingual, language still greatly reduces options for where someone in good conscience can live.

Expenses are another factor in relocating. It is expensive to move to another country, and this become even more difficult if you are uncertain about quality of life in a foreign country. This brings me to my next big point.

A lot of people who tell others to leave the country insist that this is the greatest country. I haven't spent much time in foreign countries, so I have no way of knowing whether or not this is true. You will never understand what a country is like to live in unless you actually live in that country. It is not easy to justify trying out foreign countries when doing so requires a great deal of expense, making it through the immigration process, and dealing with language barriers. Maybe this country is as free as it gets (that is a terrifying thought since we are clearly not free), but I am not going to throw away all of my money and jump through all sorts of hoops to find out.

There is one last thing that I wanted to bring up. As I have already stated, un-American is good for Americans. These are people who want us to pursue something better than what we already have. By comparison, people who mindlessly push the current greatness of America are not interested in making changes for the better. It's a horrible idea to ask people who want us to become a better country to leave.