Mario - U.S. Election

The U.S. election impact on my life

 Why would I care about who gets the chair in the next American election, what's in it for me?

Well, how about everything?

There are 3 important aspects that affect my life and that might change my life due to the outcome of this election. The necessity that a new government has of doing things differently can impact the surroundings of an immigrant-to-be like myself. 

1. Economy

Being a Brazilian living abroad is a complex experience with a lot of issues. The slightest change in the world economy can tilt the balance and change the environment that I have right now, making it more or less difficult to find a job that allows me to live in Canada.

But not only because the United States is Canada's number one partner in business but also because they are the number one partner of Brazil, making the connection very important.

At the same time, with my roots and financial base still in Brazil, I'm also dependent on what happens there, making life a bit difficult to manage.

2. Travel 

Brazil has accomplished a lot of improvements in the last 20 years, getting good reaction from foreign countries, especially in one particular manner: travel visas. A simple thing like a travel visa may look even silly to be regarded at the same level of a country's economy, but there is more to it than it looks.

The Brazilian economic turmoil of the 1980's caused a massive wave of immigration to the United States, often illegal and big enough to perpetuate the perception that every Brazilian is a potential illegal immigrant.  For many people in Brazil, being a country that suffered major cultural influences from the Americans since the 1940's, it is natural to have the desire to visit, study and work abroad. The last 20 years have been an everyday struggle to change that perception and recently the American government has given indications that the change will be official.

3. Foreign policy 

I don't agree with almost all aspects of the past foreign policy exercised by both American and Brazilian governments, the former used shady reasons to employ military engagement covering for economic purposes, the latter was too soft on terror to the point of looking stupid on the world's forums and thereby losing credibility.
I believe that is very unlikely that the United States will engage in any war anytime soon, and we may be looking at a decade of massive diplomatic effort to solve problems and minor military action, and for what this is worth, I think that these two countries could benefit from having a common understanding regarding the foreign policy.

In a nutshell, I believe that if the actual American government stays in power, it will have positive effects on my life, because they would keep their politics as they are.