As you know, the clowns of the demorepublican dictatorship didn’t mention the estimated 6 million Americans living abroad in their political campaign not one single time. Some even personally expressed to me that they neither had the time nor interest to campaign to those Americans living abroad that they are supposed to represent.
“Mexico, a country facing 100,000 deaths, neighbor to the United States, didn’t deserve one single mention tonight. A disgrace.”1
In the debates, the demorepublican candidates expressed, 34 times, their unconditional support for their beloved Israel with its apartheid practice in the nation of Palestine 2, but they didn’t once mention the approx. 2 million Americans living in Mexico and Canada in spite of their serious banking concerns and despite the historic violence playing out in Mexico, much of it along the 2,000-mile border that the US shares, which has already cost 60’000 lives.1
Of course, the homelanders are best informed on issues concerning Americans living abroad, as kindly expressed by some in Election 2012: Americans Living Abroad Report Difficulty Voting:
What would be fair is if American MONEY living abroad couldn’t vote..or Americans that MAKE their money abroad and then drop it off in offshore accounts to avoid taxes couldn’t vote. Don’t want to pay your taxes…You lose the priviledge of even being able to call yourself American. 3
Dear HP, I have no problems voting, but ever since this election began, I’ve been having trouble stashing my loot abroad. Getting all kinds of complaints. Had to close many accounts. Please help. Thanks, Mitt R. 7
I feel the same way about people who park their money overseas. Why should Mitt Romney be allowed to vote in American elections when he puts his money and his allegiance, elsewhere? 8
I’ve never understood why someone choosing to live abroad should be allowed to vote 10
While most of the commentators focused their energies on condemning the other evil member of their beloved demorepublican dictatorship, One commentator got it right:
We should be voting on the web.. this is ridiculous 4
It never ceases to amaze me that the most technologically advanced nation in the world ignores its citizens abroad on everything and anything including the important matters such as e-voting, e-filing, e-banking, etc. But, never mind that, as some commentators expressed. It worked for them so all is good and long live the demorepublican dictator!
Load of nonsense. Applied in October. Got electronic AND paper ballots and voted. 5
I live in Tokyo. Voted. Found those in Arizona completely 100% cooperative, and professional. Go Obama! 6
Maybe the problem is that Americans living abroad haven’t renounced their US citizenship yet, as this one is inquiring?
I’m a little puzzled. You live overseas, and have for years. Clearly, you feel that you have some good reasons to live outside the US.
I just wonder, why do you continue to maintain US citizenship, and vote in our elections, when you prefer to live in another country? 9
Well, folks, America still has a long journey to make to recognize the great value of its free little ambassadors working hard abroad.
*Americans Living Abroad now are seen as “tax cheaters” and a source of income for the USA, not for owing taxes but for draconian penalties for not knowing about the new forms they must file every year. In a Country with the high technology that the US have, they are lumped together with Americans in the mainland who hide foreign investments in order not to pay taxes. The USA of course knows better and could be doing better insofar as separating these two groups; But they hope to collect money by trapping Americans Abroad. These Americans have no representation but they must file IRS returns and pay taxes. The demands on them for reports has become incredible because they are now considered criminals until proved otherwise. The ones who can are renouncing their citizenship in order to survive, They can not even get in touch with the representatives in the last State they lived in the USA. And, as you said neither candidate addressed their plight even though they are millions. Their only hope: ACA http://www.aca.ch and AARO http://www.aaro.com.
Whenever someone suggests why if I don’t like paying US taxes I just renounce US citizenship, I tell them about the Reed Amendment which would ban me from reentering the US for doing so. It usually leaves them shaking their heads.
http://www.npr.org/2012/10/31/164040598/sandys-october-surprise-may-change-2012-race
Neal Conan on NPR promised to look into it. I have no email in my box regarding that.
@all- I never voted once after I left the U.S. because once I was gone I had absolutely no political or economic connection with anything that transpired in that country.
What I don’t get though is the linkage that people want to make between voting and paying taxes, for which I can see no evidence. The majority of people in America are actually running a negative account balance with the U.S. Treasury, hence the reason for the deficit, and yet they are allowed to vote. So why must an expat be willing to be subject to taxation in order to vote?
Personally if a U.S. citizen isn’t a resident of the U.S. I don’t think that he/she should be allowed to vote in any U.S. election because U.S. politics don’t really concern none residents. As a none resident all of one’s political representations are exercised by the government of your country of residency. I guess that I believe in a clear relationship between a citizen and his/her country of origin- you’re either in or you’re out.
Seems to me like the only reason for Americans to be overseas in the eyes of “homelanders” is for them to be doing a university semester abroad, volunteering in a developing country, serving in the US armed forces or doing missionary work. Any other reasons that aren’t treated with suspicion?
@Don Pomodoro- well FATCA is going to put a big crimp on even those activities.
Ironically the U.S. may eventually found that by embargoing its own citizens that it has succeeded in embargoing itself.
That would be a most fitting outcome for the rash and myopic Congressional members to have wrought for themselves.
^^ I’m really starting to think that FATCA ain’t going to happen. It’s too BIG, too ATROCIOUS. Maybe there is a milder form that will stick, but anything that would actually inhibit the “exchange student” from the US to visit Europe would bring too much negative publicity back home (their home!). But I don’t expect us bonafide expats to get any relief.
Seeing that this could possibly be the last US elections I could vote in, I tried to vote. I looked on the internet for voting references for US Citzens abroad and I found nothing. It’s not easy voting from a foreign country. Last check, I had to spend loads of money to go to the consulate to vote. Not cool. They want us to be slaves, but voting like the other slaves is even harder!! WTH is that!
I asked my kids to vote against Obama administration for illegally enforcing FBAR penalties on ex-pats living abroad for decades and also don’t own any taxes. No civilized person can understand enforcing such draconian law equally against innocent accidental US citizens and deliberate tax-cheats, since the law is intended for money laundering for criminal and terrorist activities.
How can a civilized administration offer such OVDI that rewards such criminal activity by just 20% of their offshore assets (often most criminals have 80% money within the USA), while threatening 20% penalties on 100% of the assets of innocent dual-citizens, even if they don’t own any taxes (and many cases entitled to substantial tax refunds).
Unfortunately my kids’ votes might not make any difference, since California and New York are overwhelmingly democratic, but explained to them that their first vote (after become majors) should be against ternary of Obama administration that is in clear violation of the great US constitution.
Story on the Marketplace, Morning Report, from PRI on voting excitement in China..
Good opportunity to place a comment and ask a question of the journalist doing the writing.
http://www.marketplace.org/topics/elections/what-obamas-re-election-means-china#comment-71736