It was a sad, weird conversation I had with my younger son tonight.

[NNadir]

We talked about how lucky he is to speak French fairly fluently and soon to complete a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering.

He shouldn't have any problem getting out of the country, need be, highly skilled and bilingual. (He also speaks some Chinese, Spanish and even a little Japanese and Russian.)

I also learned how serious he seems to be getting with his girlfriend, also a nuclear engineer, who regrettably only speaks English. It's a concern. That he's concerned, says he's serious. They should have no problem getting visas into Canada, assuming Canada is safe with a huge huge border with a fascist state.

I quite like the young woman; she's obviously very bright; funny with a wicked sense of humor, and very easy to talk to.

Scary times, that I have to think of how my son can escape this country and get a resident visa elsewhere.

[Hope22]

1. They might want to consider Canada for the short term if they can't find another option.

Canada now has pickup trucks waving the Maple Leaf flag and signs of tensions that we experienced in the bud of Q Maga! One of my Canadian friends has poo pooed my frustrations from the Patriot Act years on. I told her that Canadians needed to understand that all of this was headed their way. This summer she told me how upsetting it is with those people driving around with the flags. They have stolen our flag she proclaimed. She is so angry! What could I say.

[NNadir]

2. Right now they seem to think Canada is the best option, because she's monolingual.

It's probably a good place to learn some French as well, need be.

They do need to stay in the US to finish their degrees though. She's just completing a Master's, but is in a Ph.D. program.

My son has a Master's in Materials Science, but the work he's doing on nuclear engineering is important. I hope he can finish. It all depends on the rate at which things go bad, I guess.

That they will go bad, very bad, is a given.

[Hope22]

4. Yes!

I agree that she can learn French in the meantime in case the need arises!

[Irish_Dem]

16. He may fit in well in Quebec since he speaks both French and English.

His wife can take French lessons and learn the language.
She is young enough to do it.

Of course spoken Quebec French is different from classical French, but I am sure he can
pick up the Quebec dialect since he is good at languages.

Quebec is a wonderful place. I love it.

[ancianita]

17. Would they consider moving to a blue state near the Canadian border, like Minnesota?

It's got a good university with a science department that networks with where they might want to either finish in a safe state, or work.

It might get bad, but this country's blue states can be havens, too, and offer a win-win to slow a talent drain, which is what happens with autocratic governments. Hopefully, this dark time will last only four more years.

[Hope22]

3. I'm so sorry that you have to have these conversations and concerns.

My heart goes out to you. If they have to get out they are young and educated. They shouldn’t have trouble relocating. My family is watching this too. It would be sad if our child and family move because there is no chance that my husband and I will make the age cut. It is insane that things have come to this. Take care. 💗🙏🏼

[defacto7]

5. Greetings NNadir

It's good to read your excellent posts again after my having been away for almost 4 years. Yes, these are strange days indeed. I'll PM you when I get the chance.
D7

[NNadir]

6. Welcome back.

[Doodley]

7. Please! Calm down!

[johnnyfins]

10. Curious response. Anything to add?

[Doodley]

22. I would add that we can face our fears or we can spread them to others.

[Irish_Dem]

15. Lecturing people with legitimate fear won't work.

Especially real fear about the future of their children and grandchildren.

[Doodley]

21. Since when has asking somebody to calm down been characterized as "lecturing?"

[Irish_Dem]

23. Women don't like to be told to calm down when they are upset.

We are allowed to have our feelings and express them.

It is now a crime to save the life of dying women and we don't like that.

And we are not going to "calm down" about it.

[Doodley]

24. I agree, but I'm talking about the context of even considering Canada is an unsafe place to escape to.

[NNadir]

25. I wouldn't call it lecturing but as a student of history...

...neither would I call it well advised.

In 1933 Germany there were even Jews who were calm after Hindenberg appointed Hitler. After all, how bad could he be?

Lise Meitner, the discoverer of nuclear fission, might have gotten out of Germany with more than a suitcase in 1938 if she'd started planning what to do in 1933.

As it is, we're lucky she did get out - it was a very near thing - since her world changing discovery took place in 1939.

You can remain calm if you wish, but my sense of history precludes me from taking what I regard as very poor advice.

[Doodley]

29. I have family who perished in WW2. My hometown was bombed. My wife's family fled Russia. I see history repeating, but

come on! Canada might not be safe? Really? That is spreading fear to folks who may not have the luxury of being able to flee America.

[NNadir]

30. As I indicated, it is your privilege and right to remain calm, and mine...

...to disregard your advice.

I am merely remarking that I'm happy that my son will have a shot at getting out.

[Doodley]

31. My advice is to please stop spreading fear. Saying Canada might be unsafe to go to is fearmongering.

[NNadir]

33. And my response is that you have a right to...

...your opinion and I have a right to mine.

Mine is based on a reading of history. Personally, I never believed that such a horrible person could be elected President, and then, after some of the worst performance in that office could be elected again.

Yet here we are.

My son also has a right to his opinion. In our discussion we certainly discussed Canada, and he's not precluding it, particularly because Canada has an excellent nuclear power program.

Personally, I'd prefer France.

As for whether I'm "scare mongering" I like to think that readers at DU are adults largely and they can decide, as you apparently have, to feel calm or otherwise.

[TBF]

8. I have a similar situation with my daughter

She was able to be mostly abroad in college (her program was through a US University). She still has her student VISA for a European country for several months. Friends of hers are still over in that country, doing internships and that sort of thing. She has been away the past couple of weeks, but we'll be able to discuss it with her soon. I think we should help her relocate over there - she'd at least have several months to try to find something in her field. The other option might be to relocate her to a blue state (she is in the arts so NYC, Chicago, LA, Boston possibly). Just trying to come to terms with all this and figure out how to best help her.

[brush]

9. With those credentials they won't have any problems.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

11. Keep in mind that the language of science around the world is English.

My Son The Astronomer is monolingual. He's brilliant at math and physics and astronomy, but is absolutely incapable of learning other languages. It was a problem when he was in high school, because he needed to complete three years of a language, in his case French, and I suspect his French teacher gave him a mercy pass.

Meanwhile, he's gone to conferences in various other countries and does fine with English only.

I am encouraging him to find employment elsewhere. He's almost done with his dissertation and should have his PhD at the end of the year.

[Jarqui]

12. My oldest daughter was inconsolable - in tears

"why kind of a world will my daughters live in?" she asked

This election result isn't just bad news for Democrats. It is bad news for the planet.

Twitter is the new Pravda

[Zambero]

27. And Crypto is the new dark money currency

Whenever good and decent people like Sherrod Brown and Kamala are taken down by it, the specter of bought-and-sold government gets closer to reality. Democracy loses in the process.

[moniss]

13. People have often

asked the question about Germany and why people didn't do this or that. The real facts are that many, especially the intellectuals and highly educated, tried in vain to stop the fascists until escape became the only sensible means of survival. But once the fascists cracked down on travel and ability to emigrate so many realized it was too late. Gifted people had to say goodbye to mentors and loved ones. Some could get out while at the same time others couldn't get their papers approved. Before you knew it you were trapped in the madhouse that was Germany then.

Like you I have had the talk with my loved ones but I did it in 2016. We had basic discussion about how not to wait too long. The need for advanced planning etc. Countries that would be easier than others to accept them etc. I think they sort of thought I was being too insistent about being aware so you're not too late. But they can't know what I know and the stories from some of my elders about their loved ones who waited too long in another time. But tears, regret and loss have a way of echoing through time.

[Irish_Dem]

14. Many parents are having the same thoughts and conversations.

Especially when kids and grandkids are members of various unwelcome groups in the US today.
Gay, racial, ethnic, religious differences, etc.

[ClarencesBrother]

18. Surprised

I have to say how the ignorance of other countries blows my mind.
I also learned how serious he seems to be getting with his girlfriend, also a nuclear engineer, who regrettably only speaks English. It's a concern. That he's concerned, says he's serious. They should have no problem getting visas into Canada, assuming Canada is safe with a huge huge border with a fascist state.
What the FUCK, I’m a Canadian who only has a minimum of the French language and what this person says and this angers me.

I also learned how serious he seems to be getting with his girlfriend, also a nuclear engineer, who regrettably only speaks English. It's a concern. That he's concerned, says he's serious. They should have no problem getting visas into Canada, assuming Canada is safe with a huge huge border with a fascist state.
Man are these guys fucked.

[NNadir]

20. My son spent a summer in France on a research grant as an...

Last edited Mon Nov 11, 2024, 04:02 AM - Edit history (1)

...undergraduate.

We was also invited to tour Italian industrial facilities for several weeks, so I wouldn't think he's ignorant of other countries.

He picks up languages quite well. He went to Hungary for just a week with his choir; when he came back to the US, he gave me a little lecture on the correct pronunciation of Hungarian words.

I spent quite a bit of time in France myself when I worked for a French company. I have always thought it would be a nice country in which to live. Many people there speak English. My French was poor, but they were always kind and understanding.

It's where I hope he'll end up. Their nuclear energy program is still top tier. They went through a rough period, but are back on track.

[SheltieLover]

26. Seems we are beginning to feel what our ancestors most certainly felt when they sent one person to the USA

[milestogo]

32. Its not that hard to pick up French or Spanish if you work at it.

There are a lot of good tools and apps you can use.

[NNadir]

34. My son used aps to learn Mandarin Chinese. My other son...

...spent two months in China this summer and got by with various aps having never exposed himself to Chinese.

I agree these tools make life easier.

Still I think there is an inborn facility for really grasping languages quickly and thoroughly. My youngest son clearly has that facility; less so in my case. I can speak some French, some German, but I'm nowhere near as proficient as he is.

I don't know where his girlfriend stands.

My wife's grandparents came to the US to escape Mussolini's fascism. They lived in the US for 50 years without ever learning to speak English.