@FareedZakaria Loved ur book "The Post – American World". Brilliant observation in Ch 7 pg 275 that US "needs to stop cowering in fear"!
— U.S. Citizen Abroad (@USCitizenAbroad) July 31, 2013
I have been reading a really good book by Fareed Zakaria called:
The book talks about a lot of things that are discussed on this blog. If nothing else I urge you to read Chapter 7 (the last chapter) titled “American Purpose”. In a general sense the book describes and offer specific strategies for what America must do to recover.
As Americans Abroad we observe what Homelanders cannot. We see time after time how the U.S. attacks everybody. What is the consequence? A rise in Anti-Americanism!
Here are six examples of U.S. attacks:
– the use of drones strikes which kill innocent people;
– the use of FATCA to attack the sovereignty of other nations;
– the use of Americans Abroad through the citizenship-based taxation to attack the economies of other countries;
– the brutal unprovoked, unprincipled, uncalled for and unjustified attack on its own citizens abroad;
– the use of the Patriot Act to end the constitutional rights of Homelanders;
– the use of PRISM to spy on the world.
The U.S. presumes everybody is a criminal. Now the U.S. has is the most frightened and paranoid country in the world (possible exception North Korea).
What does Fareed Zakaria say?
Before it can implement any of these specific strategies, however, the United States must make a much broader adjustment. It needs to stop cowering in fear. It is fear that has created a climate of paranoia and panic in the United States and fear that has enabled our strategic missteps. Having spooked ourselves into believing that we have no option but to act fast and alone, preemptively and unilaterally, we have managed to destroy decades of international goodwill, alienate allies, and embolden enemies, while solving few of the problems we face. To recover its place in the world, American first has to recover its confidence.
Chapter 7 – page 275
What is Senator Carl Levinreported to have written?
Senator Carl Levin is a living, breathing, example of the problem with America today:
@SenCarlLevin confirms victory of terrorism over US – If the terrorists change US way of life they win! http://t.co/ccBsQQH0Zw
— U.S. Citizen Abroad (@USCitizenAbroad) July 31, 2013
Here are the “reported words” of Senator Levin from his letter of January 11, 2012 to IRS Commissioner Shulman, and Ms. McMahon of Treasury.
RE: Notice 2011-34: Implementing the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
page 13 ……………”(7′) Treating FATCA Disclosures As Non-’l’ax Return Information”
Finally, one additional issue is critical to successful implementation of FATCA’s disclosure obligations: treating FATCA offshore account information as NON-tax return
information to ensure its accessibility to law enforcement and national security communities combating crimes OTHER THAN TAX EVASION.Although FATCA is structured to address offshore tax abuse, offshore account information has significance far beyond the tax context, affecting cases involving money laundering, drug trafficking, terrorist financing, acts of corruption, financial fraud. and many other legal violations and crimes. Given the importance of offshore account disclosures, FATCA guidance and implementing rule should create account FATCA forms that are not designated as
tax return infomiation but, like FBARs, may be provided to law enforcement, regulatory, and national security communities upon request. FFls are not, after all, US. taxpayers, and will not be supplying tax information on behalfof their U.S. clients; they will instead be providing
information about accounts opened by US. persons. The US. Supreme Court has long held that bank account information is not inherently confidential but is subject to inspection by law enforcement and others in appropriate circumstances. Foreign account information is too important to a wide range ofcivil and criminal law enforcement and national security efforts to be designated as tax return information bound by Section 6103′s severe restrictions on access.FFI forms, like FBARs, provide account information rather than tax return information, andshould he made available to the larger law enforcement and national security communities.
Similarly, FFI Agreements, auditor verification forms. copies of actual account documentation, and similar materials should be treated as non-tax return information available to the larger law enforcement, regulatory. and national security communities….”
What does Michael Ignatieff say?
@M_Ignatieff : If terror challenges democracy, the answer is more democracy, accountability and openness, not less! http://t.co/UmLkefEWej
— U.S. Citizen Abroad (@USCitizenAbroad) July 31, 2013
“If terror challenges democracy, the answer is more democracy, not less; more accountability and openness, not less. The question is whether the secret power we have allowed to spring up in our name is under any kind of democratic control. Do our elected representatives keep our secret agencies under sufficient scrutiny? Does the press know what is being done in our name?”
What does a U.S. Citizen Abroad say?
Simply incredible. A group of terrorists attack the United States. Presidents Bush and Obama (with a little help from Carl Levin) decide to defend American by destroying it!
Prognosis:
Unless the United States of America develops some awareness and develops its quickly, “The Post-American World” will NOT include America! The U.S. spends its money and its energy:
1. First creating more and more enemies; and
2. Then spending more of its money attempting to defend itself from the enemies it has created.
The United States is now creating enemies at rate that is faster than its ability to pay for its defense.
A message to President Obama:
If I felt under attack, I would do two things:
1. I would spend money defending myself (actually as a U.S. citizen abroad I am under attack).
2. I would also try to remove the conditions that made people want to attack me. In other words I would stop creating enemies. (But what do I know?)
What would Forrest Gump say about this?
You have made a good connection between the NSA & FATCA. Why wasn’t it more obvious earlier? This can help explain the complete and total media silence and shutdown of discussion on any and all forums. It also explains how FATCA has infiltrated each of the “executive bracnhes” of every country in Europé and of the EU Parliament.
After seeing the Picture of the head of the NSA and his haircut, I had to go back to the parliament video (at 32 secs) and recheck to make sure that the American working on the floor of the EU parliament during session was actually the NSA director, but it wasn’t.
The Connection between NSA, and the tracking of wealth of US Citizens, needs to be kept in mind while communicating. At passage, it was voted by all Democrats, but a lot of “Conservatives” will be delighted to have Another tool of fear to use in protecting US Citizens from finding out that they are t_err_orists.
I read this book a couple of months ago. There were so many potential posts to write, that I couldn’t decide where to start. Like USCitizen says, there are many topics discussed on our blog that this book touches upon. Definitely a must-read!
Wow! I will be getting this book. Thank you US citizen abroad for bringing this to IBS.
@Marktwain I agree with you analysis.
@nobledreamer you are right a definate must read.
“Guns kill more people. So why does terrorism get all the attention?”
Washington Post – March 1, 2013 – by Tom Diaz
“Between 1969 and 2009, according to a 2011 Heritage Foundation study, 5,586 people were killed in terrorist attacks against the United States or its interests abroad. By comparison, about 30,000 people were killed by guns in the United States EVERY YEAR between 1986 and 2010. … about FIVE TIMES as many Americans are killed EVERY YEAR by guns than THE TOTAL killed in terrorist attacks since Richard Nixon took office.”
“Every day, about 80 Americans die from gunshots and about twice as many suffer nonfatal injuries, often lifelong debilitation.”
“Americans suffer assaults on their privacy — groped in public and wiretapped en masse — and surrender their constitutional protections against unwarranted searches in the name of the war on terror, yet they cannot muster the will to protect children from mass murder with military-style weapons.”
“We have spent more than $1 trillion on homeland security since Sept. 11, 2001, yet have withheld annual funding of less than $3 million for research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on gun violence.”
http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-03-01/opinions/37364660_1_gun-violence-hadiya-pendleton-gun-industry
My comment:
The epidemic of gun violence is possibly the most serious domestic issue the US faces; it is a public health crisis. Its enabler is a mass delusion: a gun entitlement culture that equates unlimited access to lethal weapons with freedom.
“Illusory superiority” is a cognitive bias that causes people to overestimate their positive qualities and abilities and to underestimate their negative qualities. The gun-entitlement 2nd Amendment culture is “Illusory freedom”.
It is difficult for many Americans to obtain a well-paying and secure job, honest and effective governance, health care insurance, good public education, financial security, or a home not threatened with foreclosure. However, they can easily obtain firearms.
I”m ordering this book today! I believe many will see the connections between NSA spying and FATCA. I just don’t believe they will see it until it is too late.
Automobile accidents kill far more people than guns (about 40,000 per year) plus many more who are not killed but are seriously injured. Let’s ban automobiles and ride bicycles or horses. Sure, it will take longer to commute, but not that much longer than the time spent going through TSA at the airport.
This is shocking to everyone reading Greenwald and the comment section is amazing yet no one there has tied FATCA to it. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/31/nsa-top-secret-program-online-data?commentpage=2
@ Helen, Canada has as many or more guns per capita with far less gun violence than the U.S. The reason is proper regulation which the U.S. won’t do. I’m glad I don’t live there anymore. My family there lives in fear behind locked doors and has a routine in certain parts of town even in day light. “Roll up your windows and lock your doors.” and yes some of them have guns for “protection” I don’t feel the need to protect myself that way here. On this issue however I’ll let them sort out their own problems. I’m Canadian and don’t feel much angst over “the right to bear arms” issues they suffer. I also don’t feel the stress I feel when I visit there. Truly people are afraid whether they need to be are not. They live in fear of their neighbours, fear of malls and parking lots, fear of school shootings, fear of crime rates. I just can’t live that way and do feel for them but, it is their problem. In the city I’m from *back there* they have concealed carry laws. So just about anywhere you go there are multiple people carrying guns hidden on their person. That is disquieting to me. Thank god we don’t have such laws here is all I can say.
Actually I would much rather they be paranoid than become brave…because as paranoid as they are, the moment that they lose all fear, then the rest of the world suffers.
I’m glad I left there before it ever occurred to me that many whose path I’d be crossing would have the power to be both judge and executioner because they choose to carry a firearm. The innocence is gone from America.
I like Fareed and try to watch his show, Global Public Square, on CNN every Sunday. He’s a very entertaining wonk and has impressive guests. I keep hoping he’ll bring FATCA up. His book should be just as interesting, thanks for the recommend.
Originally published in 2000 so he’s been updating for the more recent editions I guess.
What a lot of people forget is that America was founded by people looking to escape persecution and that’s continued throughout it’s history. Of course it’s more fearful after 9/11, but the mentality of fear has always been there. Why do you think they make so much of how great America is and how wonderful American life is. Though they probably don’t realise it they feel threatened by the rest of the world who might destroy the life they’ve tried so hard to build.
Bubblespeak like “they hate us for our freedom” doesn’t help.