"First God and Then You"It's understandable that many pro...

For instance, the official motto of Cuenca is "First God and Then You" and they mean it. This absolutely is not separation of church and state as expected in a Blue State. In fact, the city's official crest actually contains -- stateside hipsters won't believe this -- an artistic representation of a Christian cathedral, replete with crucifix atop for all to see. If this wasn't insulting enough to North American progressives, Cuenca regularly - any chance it gets - celebrates Christian feast days with uber-religious parades right out in the open, right down the main streets, with government troops providing security for the events. It was beautiful seeing the outdoor Mass in El Centro during the Corpus Christi festival and the military guard participating in the ceremony, throwing rose petals onto the Blessed Virgin statue from the roof of the church. I can hear the progressive gasps and groans from here - "How can people be so backward - it sounds like a fly-over state!"
Cuenca's progressive faults don't stop there -- so beware. Ecuador has a border it shares with Colombia and Peru. In no way does Ecuador consider this an open border. Immigration into the country is strictly regulated and people not abiding by the laws of ingress and egress are deported. There are no privileged exception classes for this. And surprisingly enough, you can't camp out in any Ecuadorian city to avoid this -- Cuenca is not a sanctuary city. As shocking as it may seem to North American progressives, no city in Ecuador is. I know from personal experience that you can get a three-month tourist visa but after that, you better have a cedula or a valid application submitted for residency. Getting a cedula is not an easy process by any means. If you don't meet strict requirements, no deal. If you don't pay a lot of money, no deal. If you don't have gobs of paperwork - notarized, translated, and apostiled marriage certificates, birth certificates, divorce certificates, name-change certificates, FBI criminal report, criminal report from your U.S. state of residence, college diplomas, ETC., forget it. And even if you obtain a cedula, that document doesn't make you a citizen. You have to wait three years after you get the cedula to apply for citizenship. And -- the most egregious insult to globalism of all -- Ecuador demands you pass a Spanish language test before you can be a citizen. How UN-progressive can you get! Some others might say, how sensible. Like me.
It's true, Ecuador grants asylum status, as they did for Julian Assange. Their principled action is one of the reasons I chose to move to this beautiful country. But such status, like basic residency or citizenship, is not given automatically just because you show up. Such things must be applied for and vetted by the Ecuadorian government. This is done on a case by case basis. I seriously doubt Ecuador will grant a blanket asylum status for millions of Blue State Refugees simply because it's the inclusive, progressive thing to do. In fact, I have never read in El Tiempo about any Ecuadorian program to accept Syrian refugees - I can hear the North American progressives now, "If they were good global citizens, shouldn't they be doing that too?" If Middle Eastern refugees aren't pouring into Ecuador, why should Ecuador consider a blanket asylum for disgruntled North Americans? Ecuadorian officials are not about to let an unlimited influx of foreigners come in -- just think of the destabilization and cultural impact that would have. Of course, thinking this way is anathema to North American progressive principles. I don't see how any progressive could live in a place that is so "un-inclusive." In other places, progressives have called this behavior racist. I'm definitely not saying that - but the progressives do. I think it's just good common sense to consider these things.
I don't like to be a bearer of bad news, but it's a fact that Ecuadorians have a strong sense of family values. You might say family is all - family comes first to the people of Ecuador. And they have a strong work ethic - they have to because there is no big government social entitlement services to cater to them. Ecuador also does not allow elective abortions, even in the case of rape. There are no mandatory vaccinations of the population according to Big Pharma's latest schedule. No federal regulations mandating the composition of playground equipment. No transgender bathrooms in the Mercados. No affirmative action quotas. And Ecuador makes extensive deals with China to export its fossil fuels. Need I go on? Maybe Blue State Refugees could try Argentina instead - except aren't they big with beef?
While I'm sure the progressive transgressions I've touched on here might make any progressive North American run in the other direction away from Ecuador, I'm just the opposite. I find the beauty of the country, its people, and the natural pace and civility of life here a refreshing counterpoint to some other places I could mention.

Published on November 09, 2016 12:14
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