Should we pay for our own evacuation?

[Lise]

Watching the mass exodus of Lebanese Canadians from Lebanon, I wonder if we should pay for our own rescue? I mean, not to sound bigoted, but I think if you get your Canadian citizenship then decide to return to a volatile country like Lebanon (with no intention of ever settling in Canada), shouldn't you be liable for your own rescue?

  Should we, as taxpayers, be responsible for their rescue?

  And I don't understand why the complains and bitching about how slow everything is. Yes, I understand that it is hard but hey, to rescue that number of ppl takes time. You don't just drop everything and head over. You try and organized something. At least you're coming out with your lives intact.

  I don't feel that the Canadian Lebanese are being very grateful about the whole situation. It's hard - I guess I'm not there to experience it myself - but if I was being rescued, I'd bite my tongue and be grateful about it.

  What are your thoughts?

[Sportsdude]

Well Lise. What about this. Say your you had a job that could make you move out of the country and oh back to Austrailia. You are a Canadian citzen but you have to live in Austrailia. Something happens down under and the you need to be evacuated. Some people I've heard say you're not a citzen unless you live in the country. If that was the case about 3 million Canadians aren't Canadians because they live in the U.S. and don't forget about those snow birds during the winter.

  Oh and don't forget the people who were trying to rebuild beirut. Beirut was the Monaco of the East and was a very fashionable place to live. I bet a lot of people were moving there because they were trying to get the place up and running again.  Or they fell into the student catagory of they went to school in Canada got a job became a PR and then decided to move back. This is common among the indian community here. They come for schooling here stay awhile and then move back to India.

  But hey if you think about it there Canadians now because all those people aren't going back to Beirut anytime soon.

[soapbox]

[FONT size=7]NO,[/FONT]

  citizens of various nations SHOULD NOT be paying for evacuation.

    notice the swedes and danes had it together given their experience in 2004 with the tsunami.      

[Lise]

Well, SD... I supposed you're right... but Australia is different from Lebanon. It's not a country that's fraught with uncertainty and war. If I had a good job offer to go to Australia, I still wouldn't go. Canada is my country and I'm proud to be part of her. Why should I move?

  What I'm trying to say is that if you return to a country and have no intention of returning to Canada.... why should we be responsible for your own safety? I'm not trying to be mean or anything, it's just that when you leave Canada and don't return, is it up to the government to care for you after you leave?

  Just my two cents.    

[Sportsdude]

Well what about this situation:

I end up working for a company that is rebuilding Beirut. Its a job they tell me that I might be there for a while. I end up staying there for 15+ years. Am I still an american citzen? Whats the line between not being a citzen and being one.

  Millions of Canadians live permanently in America (mainly florida). Are they Canadian's? Some Quebecios have french passports (Gov. Gen had one) is she a Canadian?

  Millions of brits, americans, and Canadians live in Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong and probly are going to live there for good. Are they citzens of there home country or adopted one? Dual citzenship is the issue at heart.

  I don't know you're situation. I know you were born in a differnt country then went to another one for a while then settled in Canada. Don't know if you are dual but here's an example of what I'm talking about:


Kiefer Sutherland.

Born in Britain (parents where on stage in in London at the time) grew up in Canada. Now he lives in the U.S. most likely is a PR here. So he's a

1) British citzen

2) Canadian citzen

3) and soon to be American citzen

  There's no law that says you have to reneg on any of those two countries. Is he ever going to live in the UK again? Never has, but he has a british passport.

Problem is dualies create logistic problems. But if you think about it all those people who are now in Canada who will most likely stay in Canada now. Sure a couple will go back but I think people are tired.

  And if it wasn't for Stalin my family would have been back in Hungary, we had land there.  My grandma was born here grew up here but went back to Germany/Hungary before the war. They were going to stay there. She would still of had her U.S. citzenship. In fact her U.S. citzenship was the sole reason she got out of one of the forced labour workers camp's in Siberia.  

  So this they aren't real citzen's hits really close to home for me.  

[kitten]

Many Canadians have relatives living in other countries.  Should we tell them they can't go visit their families because there might be a war?  Does that make them less Canadian because they want to visit where they grew up before choosing to live in Canada?  When they left Canada Israel was at war with Palestine, NOT Lebanon.  To say that they have to pay to return to their adopted land is cruel, when they weren't at fault to begin with.   They were trapped in a bad situation.

[Some Chick]

I have to agree with Lise on this one.  If you're a follower of the almighty dollar and it leads you to places that most of the world recognizes as unsafe, there will ultimately be a price to pay.  That price may be your life, or it may be the cost of getting out of there.

  I didn't have a big issue with Canada paying to get Canadians out, at first, but when I heard the whining and complaining from the evacuees, I started to feel differently.

  When you're making your own reservations to save your ass, you can complain about the service.  If this country is paying for you to come back safely, suck it up and shut it and be happy you didn't have to make your own arrangements.

[Lise]

I still feel that if you're leaving your own country for good, you don't deserve to call your original country your home still. I'm sorry but when you leave a country and apply to become a citizen of your adopted country then you should honor that priviledge by staying put and contributing.

  Perhaps the money is so good that you leave your own country and work somewhere else. There's nothing wrong with that. But when you decide to stay there for good, you take the risk that country face.

  Regarding Lebanon. Isn't there a risk when you visit the Middle-East? You take that chance when you go there. Lebanon is close to Israel, close to war..... you risk that when you go there. The country is not exactly 'safe'. When something like war or other disaster happen, you call on the aid of the Canadian government to come and rescue. And then to top it, you bitch and whine about how slow everything is.

  I am sorry for those who are caught in the middle. I don't wish that situation on anyone but when you are ungrateful to the help sent... well, that sends a powerful message to the Canadian ppl. To boot, we taxpayers will have to pay to aid those who have not set foot in Canada for ages and have to help intergrate them. Money, money, money.... that I feel should be better spent elsewhere.

  As for the issue of dual citizenship, well.... my sister holds two citzenship but I gave mine up because I had no intention of ever returning to my country of birth. (except for pleasure visit) Part of me feels it's wrong. When you become a Canadian, it's one of the highest honor. You don't abuse it by going somewhere else and then have no intention of returning to your adopted country and then expect your adopted country to pull you out when something bad happens.

  Sorry but it feels so damn wrong.  

[Sportsdude]

I feel the same way about the dual thing. When I get to Canada I probly will renounce my american citzenship (I want to do the way with big fire works: going to a judge in the states and basically telling them to f-off and blah blah good bye america. Then rip the american citzenship up at the Peace Arch and walk  all the way back to my home from the border like Superman walked to the fortress of solitude from Kansas in Superman I.) Thus starting my new life as a Canadian. Been having dreams like that forever as it seems.