November 09, 2004

Political Refugee Marriages... This site is a satirical site, but there are quite a few profiles of people who seem to be taking it at least semi-seriously. Do you think this is something that may actually gain momentum? I'm thinking that US/Canadian relations will get even wonkier if it does. Would you do a politically-motivated citizenship marriage? They are actually pretty damn difficult to set up - I had a "proposal" from an American when Clinton lost, years back, so I looked into it a bit.
posted by moneyjane 20 years ago
  • Clinton lost? I don't remember that. To answer your question, hell yeah, I'd marry someone to get her into the U.S. permanently or to get out of the U.S. I don't think we're quite at that stage yet, though. And it's my belief that we need the smart folks to stay and fight the good fight.
  • Sorry - that should have been "if" Clinton lost; essentially the guy's feeling was that if Clinton didn't get in when he ran for his first term, then a citizenship marriage was an option to get to Canada...or so I was lead to believe; turned out it was this guy's very elaborate version of a pickup line. I'm really more interested in the idea of how people feel they could/would/should manipulate the system for political reasons in such a personal way as marriage, rather than the specifics of this particular political event - in other words, going for the sociological rather than political aspects of the question.
  • A friend of mine knows the people who set up the site, and apparently it was all a big joke that may now be taking on a life of its own.
  • Right. I should maybe read the post more closely. Just pretend I said simply that the site now had a life of its own.
  • Hey Tracicle, do kiwi students still marry each other in order to get more money from the government? I remember flyers all over the Massey campus that said "Marry me for money!" Or was that just us farmers?
  • Marriage has always been political. This is new?
  • Why would they they difficult to set up? You don't have to start from scratch. Spring Street Networks has many different faces -- they do the Straight, Onion, Salon, Nerve, etc. personals. There are a few other sites that license similar code out there. And If it came to that, I have the skills to make a suitable website. I had the idea to do such a site on Nov 2nd. I was a bit disappointed Marry A Canadian stole all my Google AdWords riches. But seriously: a) Personally, I think liberal Americans should stay right where they are. b) I doubt there's a real business model here anyway. If there was money in it, the other personals sites could simply add a geographic-marriage search faster than we could duplicate all their features. (I guarantee you they are thinking about it.) Internet personals are pretty mature. The major sites have the most important asset, name recognition and a vast catalog of singles.
  • Oh man, lost in my thoughts, I completely misread your post, moneyjane. By "setting up" I thought you meant what I was thinking, "setting up a web personals site focused on this topic". I'm not sure I'd do a political marriage. Maybe if the draft were on, and I had a good friend over there. For the moment, I think most people who are trying to leave the USA are being melodramatic. I can sympathize with lesbians or gays, but everyone else? They're just quitters. And why should I invite American liberals into my country, so they can fuck up the left like they have in theirs? What if Harper wins the next election, are they off to Finland?
  • I wish I could delete posts. :( re: the sociological question -- are we talking about a relationship where the Canadian gets paid, in money, for being a spouse? Generally I'd say that it's not the government's business what the relationship really is, as long as all requirements are fulfilled. But compensation makes it feel a lot less right, somehow. Maybe that's not a consistent moral position.
  • fUCK mORAL cONSITENCY. I want the h4wt 4meric4n ch1xx0rs I so justly deserve RIGHT NOW!@#
  • Heh...wait for the reality show. "Ten Hottie Canadian Bachelorettes...One Studly American Democrat...but only one of our Canadian vixens is the real deal; the other nine are Red State Correctional Facility temptresses awaiting sentencing and looking for a parole board-bait husband! Tif'ne, Bambi, Farrah-Leigh, Destiny, Harlee, Mitzi, KCee, Chaztidee, Kustody, and Louise...will he pick the real Canadian Cutie who can make his Wannabe Canuck dream come true?"
  • You should sell that idea to a network. (Seriously.)
  • moneyjane: Ratings gold! Call my people.
  • verbose: The American Liberals one is kind a valid concern, mostly because the US left is generally middle or right in much of Aussie, Canada, New Zealand, or Western Europe. But then I have similar concerns with reugees from anywhere - "Perhaps you think it's dreadful we don't share your cultural or religious practices. Has it occurred to you the reason you're a refugee is that your country is a shithole? Has this ever made you wonder about the value of some of those practices?"
  • Dear Alex, I authorize you at once to act as my agent in this matter; future royalties to be split 40/40/20, being me, you, and Monkeyfilter "bananas and ponies for all" fund. Moneyjane "Bruckheimer" McMonkeyfilter
  • Dear Verbose, Expect a call from my agent Alex "Where's My Money Bitch?" Reynolds. Moneyjane "Kiss the Ring" McMonkeyfilter
  • My money's on Louise and Tif'ne.
  • I'll settle for nothing less than an assistant producer credit, or I walk.
  • Sooooz, I don't think it's as useful any more. It was slightly before my time, so I don't know the details - presumably married students can draw more student allowance. I'm guessing they closed that loophole fairly quickly, probably when it became a storyline on "Shortland Street".
  • If any hot undergraduates would like to marry me for money, my loopholes are still gaping.
  • i'm not hot and i'm not an undergrad (i'm an MBA student) Quid...do i qualify for your looping gapeholes...or is that gaping loopholes?
  • I LOVED Shortland Street! One of those "it's so bad it's good" type of shows. My friends and I watched it from the very first episode. Is it still on?? (Sorry for the derail!)
  • It's totally still on, and only Nick, Chris and Waverley are left from the original cast. I don't watch it because the Simpsons reruns are on the other channel. :)
  • Oh great! Now you've totally killed the thread. It was supposed to be about hot 'merican chicks hooking up with some grade-A Canadian meat (not unlike myself) on the pretense that they'd be safe from dubya's jack-booted thugs. Now it's back to the singles bars! Hey baby....how YOU doin'?