Some Americans disturb me. Yesterday, a commenter told me to eff-off on my timeline on Facebook. I had expressed opinions at Think Progress that he didn’t appreciate so he came over and told me to eff myself (but he used the real f-word). Later he took down his comment. Still, we cannot judge an entire country on the basis of isolated trolls on the internet, who may only be interested in writing offensive comments in order to piss you off. However, some months ago, I received from a former US government employee a private email that mocked me because I am a Christian. Of course, this same man also scorned my views on his own blog (without mentioning me or the Isaac Brock Society by name), but to take it to the level of sending me a taunt to my personal email is somehow barbaric. This former government employee undoubtedly has a very high opinion of himself. But why do these Americans drop the level of conversation to a child’s game, whereby they get their five-year old jollies? The man that told me to eff-off on Facebook claimed that he represented the majority of Americans, judging by the last two presidential elections. So alleged US persons, please meet your persecutor: the Obama voter.
These Neanderthals elected the Obama regime, the same regime that enacted the HIRE Act (2010) with its FATCA provisions. These are the same Neanderthals that are telling Canadian citizens that they must cross the border with a US passport, then entrapping them with FATCA into paying taxes to the US Treasury, in violation of the Master Nationality Rule. But what makes us think that these cavemen would understand international law when they don’t even understand their own laws? Insisting that a Canadian citizen cross the border with a US passport is a clear violation of that person’s right to expatriate, a fundamental right. They should be saying, “Sir, if you have relinquished your US citizenship, you need to inform the US Consulate nearest you and obtain a Certificate of Loss of Nationality.” But instead they act like total prats and say, “You are an American until we tell you that you aren’t!” Well actually, sir, that is not what the law says. The law says that a person that commits a relinquishing act with the intent to lose US citizenship is no longer an American–it is not a question of whether they have informed a US State Department, and you would know that if you weren’t an imbecile. But how can we expect the Neanderthals who guard the border to know the law when their counterparts at the State Department are such ignoramuses? Here are some comments yesterday at Isaac Brock from MyKitty (emphasis mine):
I had my appointment at the U.S. embassy … and it didn’t go well.
Just a recap – I am a dual citizen by birth (us/can). I worked for the federal government. I requested a CLN backdated to when I began working for the government. I had the contents of my employee file, including the oath that I signed.
I was told that the only way a dual citizen by birth could get rid of U.S. citizenship was to 1) renounce 2) commit an act of treason.
Has anyone else been told this?
The agent told me that she was going to recommend that my request be denied. I insisted that she send all of my documentation to the lawyers in Washington anyway. She said she had denied three of these cases recently. …
I don’t think the agent even knew of 4(a) and/or 4(b) of the Section 349 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1481).
MyKitty did the right thing. Stand your ground! When you go to the US Consulate you must know your rights and the law, because you can’t expect those who receive a full-time salary from the US government to know them. They have violated one of the oldest principles of common law in the English-speaking world: those who enforce the law must know the law. But these American enforcers are dumb and dumber. And this has caused them to become international rights violators of the first order: by denying the Universal Human Right to change one’s nationality.
In 2010, I first learned of the construction of the New Berlin Wall, a provision to tax citizens who relinquish their US citizenship whose wealth exceeds US $2,000,000. This law, called HEROES Act, made me so angry that I decided then and there that I would expatriate, and applied for Canadian citizenship immediately. On February 28, 2011, I became a Canadian and filed, in June, 2012, my final tax forms (2011 1040; Form 8854); I managed to stay well below the $2,000,000 dollar threshold. (One must relinquish citizenship and file the final forms only after receiving the CLN.) Adios, America!
While I was preparing to relinquish, it was only when I learned about FBAR and then later FATCA that I became panicky. I experienced many of the symptoms about which many of our readers complain after learning: stress, panic attacks, sleepless nights, weight gain. I especially felt the indignation of becoming a targeted, oppressed person abused by a country which was out of control. This country abuses its expats but considers itself superior to everyone else, and so condemns the only other country with citizenship-based taxation, Eritrea. This is hypocritical to say the least, but I doubt that the average policy maker in the US even is aware of the contradiction. Even the average elite student, who thinks he or she is smarter than everyone else, isn’t nearly as damn smart as she thinks she is. Consider the following question: What is the capital of Canada? Do you think that the elite students at Harvard should know the capital of Canada? Harvard is America’s most prestigious institution, the alma mater of Obama, Bush, and Kennedy. Well, these Harvard students themselves think they should know it, judging by their embarrassed responses:
Americans are not nearly as smart as they think they are. And this is an extremely volatile situation: arrogant ignorance is the worst kind. Finally, I want to apologize for calling these Americans Neanderthals, because it is an insult to the true Neanderthals.
The level of conversation in the U.S. frightens me too. There are very little facts discussed in a reasonable manner. The posts pointed out by Deckard at Huffpo and Wonkette…a LOT of ignorance there yet they picture themselves as highly educated. Why not then look into the objections with FATCA and not just knee jerk think it’s great because now you learned the Republicans have opposed it. Why not ask “What do other countries think of this?” “Is there anything negative about it?”
Then further to the comments section I saw the term “expat f***kers”
They despise all expats and think everyone of us are rich overseas tax cheats who live on islands. Nothing could be more ignorant than that. They sound exactly the same as they accuse the far right of sounding who they despise. Because you know every expat must be rich, must be wrong…because well…WE are right about everything…end of story!
I’ve seen this on both sides down there. Blogs are not really a representation of everyone, that is true but, god it gives the rest of the world a terrible impression of Americans the way they carry on at Huffpo and Sodahead. Ignorance is not bliss.
@atticus, thanks for the comment. The problem isn’t that isolated commenters on HuffPost etc. are arrogant pricks. The problem is when these people work for the Federal Government, and when they are the policy makers. Then, either they don’t know that they have become rights violators of the first order, or they don’t care. The former is stupid but the latter is immoral. I think that many of these elite policy makers, whom we are told went to the best schools, are just simply immoral and they don’t care that they have become rights abusers. Meanwhile, the rest of America remains in willful stubborn ignorance.
@Petros
I fully agree with your comment above. Not to sidetrack things, but this is coincidentally something Edward Snowden touched upon yesterday in his live chat as well. These policy makers, whether for the IRS, Treasury, State Dept. or NSA, are certainly not our freinds and neighbors, as Mr. Obama would have us believe. To them, constitutional rights and the rights of sovereign nations around the world are meaningless. These people are extremely dangerous.
@notamused, that’s not sidetracking things at all.
I just watched the video again. Some gave the name of a province rather than a city. Perhaps some people can understand how “Vancouver” is a better response than “Alberta”. A lot of policy makers go to Harvard. When I was growing up, you had to have straight A’s and a very high SAT. I wonder how the hell they found so many dumb Harvard students for that video.
Wonderful post, Peter. Some of the conversations I’ve had with homelanders about taxation, citizenship law and other topics are positively surreal. They don’t know their own laws though they’ve heard of “anchor babies.” Oh yes, THAT one stuck. 🙂
In every country there is always some poor SOB who didn’t get the memo about this or that. It happens. God knows I’m no intellectual giant. But the response to information that conflicts with one’s model of the world that says “I’m right, you’re wrong and I don’t want to discuss it any more” is really dangerous when the person is in a position of power.
Well, not to be speaking for “expat f***kers” everywhere, I am very proud to be an expat f***ker. I will claim that label as my own. As for ‘expat f***ker’ with a CLN, I’m working on that.
I mean really, the arrogant ignorance of that statement, the sheer hubris and envy of the words, it really says it all, doesn’t it?
Granted, I wish I was on a tropical island, sipping piña coladas, and rolling around in my own money like an ungrateful tax dodger, because I would still have a moral high ground in the argument, compared to the idea of treating citizens as subjects, and as tax chattel slaves. Meanwhile, I’m looking out my window, watching the snow fly, pulling lint out of my pockets where a couple of toonies used to be, and I’m wondering how I can really be a tax cheat when I pay more in taxes here, and the only answer I can think of is that I don’t want to pay for bullshit wars of imperialism, a crooked, fraudulent banking system run by thieves, a tyrannical post 9/11 police state, and a vast, entitled underclass that wants the government to take care of them. And how dare I protect my wife from the same shit, too?
Now, who’s got the entitlement mentality here, and who just wants to be left the hell alone?
Needless to say, one really shouldn’t argue with stupid. Especially stupid with an Ivy League degree. In fact, one shouldn’t even bother. You can have more fruitful discussions simply by arguing with a brick wall.
But why discuss anything with them? They hate us. I say, “F***k them!”
@Petros,
During my last visits I found many Americans did not know their own capitals or geography of the world. They knew practically nothing about Canada. I was educated much better in the USA when growing up, but even then I knew very little of Canada. In 1969 when I first came to Toronto I thought I had to speak french. I was amazed their were tall buildings a big city similar to NYC and the streets had sidewalks and there was no Sgt Preston and his dog, King patrolling I came in August and marvelled there was no snow.
As for the ravving crude and abusive comments on blogs about FATCA I had that experience.
12 days ago I went on what I nowcall Demons Underground, which I was a member since 2009. I started an op about FATCA that had 2759 views, 8 approvals…and a 143 comments.
I was kicked off half way (5 -1) because I said “This is the kind of response I would expect from a Republican tea bagger
Are you republican. I find there is no intelligence in this response. ” .
I responded with this to the remark that put on the op “You can’t file electronically but you can prepare the forms.
The you have to walk your ass to the mail box. and the commenter put on this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMaSh20qBbg
.I had a couple supporters but most really,, really hate us as very rich tax evaders. their response is file on turbo tax or renounce. That we should pay for Uncle Sam to save us in disaster time and for protecting us with their military. I would give you the link but don’t know if that is a good idea. I am so turned off to all the American political parties now. We must keep from being like them.
“That we should pay for Uncle Sam to save us in disaster time and for protecting us with their military.”
Is that the same military that sends drones into pretty much any sovereign nation and kills random people that may or may not be terrorists? And that the president may or may not even admit that it’s even happening like with the NSA’s PRISM program?
I don’t want their protection! If anything, I want to be protected FROM these people!
@mjh49783
I absolutely agree with you..
How does the US military protect an American in Canada or a European country but not their non-US spouse?
“expat f***kers” How DARE anyone be born abroad to one or more US parents?
The commenters are idiots, which there may be quite a few of. But the writers are idiots, and they work on their headlines over and over, sometimes with multiple editors, in order to get one that they want to use.
They DRIVE ignorance and profit from it.
If the Repugs get their sh_t together and start talking about human beings while they talk to the media, then some of these sh_thead writers might start getting off the tax evader line. So far they haven’t gotten it, but the guy at the Washington Times did for the first time.
Expect to see a lot of shit starting right now because the resolution passed according
Cynthia Dillon @DillonCynthia 30m
Resolution to repeal FATCA (out of 11other R’s), passed by RNC at General Session #FATCA
Cynthia Dillon is Republicans Abroad Radio host
I just want to say “F*&K ‘Em” too (not Em from Brock)….don’t really have anything else to add to the conversation.
Carry on.
@all, some of you who have been around Brock for a long time may able to figure out who the former US government employee that sent me the mocking email was. At the time I was warned by friends not to retaliate, which I did not–though I can only retaliate in words. Not only could I be cast in a bad light, but this former government employee still knows powerful people in the government and I know that his resources exceed mine.
The slave dare not speak back to the master. In Rome, they had professional crucifiers who would take care of a slave who gave lip. In America, they have the NSA, CIA, FBI, DHS, DOJ and IRS. How do you spell “fucked” with only three letters? Take your pick.
I believe our friend Adam West at ThinkProgress hasn’t responded since Julian and I set him straight about the difference between CBT and RBT, and how the US keeps company with Eritrea in how it taxes its citizens. Maybe he’s had an epiphany – its been known to happen.
Oh yeah, he also thought that FATCA doesn’t apply to green card holders, called others “liars” for saying so. Maybe he decided to google “FATCA” after shooting his mouth off for a couple of days.
“The commenters are idiots, which there may be quite a few of. But the writers are idiots, and they work on their headlines over and over, sometimes with multiple editors, in order to get one that they want to use.
They DRIVE ignorance and profit from it.”
Which is why when people in the USA talk about their ‘free press’, I just can’t stop laughing my ass off!
The so-called free press there essentially tells people what to think, and the lemmings, well, they just swallow the bullshit hook, line, and sinker. The popularity of sycophants such as Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh are no accident. I’ll wager that the ongoing failure of the US education system is no accident, either.
How else can you explain the ‘free press’ working collectively to destroy the likes of Ron Paul, and the people just buying the bullshit without at least giving some critical though as to why they even should?
Their ‘free press’ is about the same as their political process. That is to say, it is hopelessly broken, and that it doesn’t work for the people. Not at all. It answers only to money.
I almost forgot…..
And if an ‘expert’ on TV makes an opinion, who in the f***k are we to question it? Especially when they’re flat out wrong, or even some obvious paid shill out to manipulate the public discourse?
Well, how in the f***k are we supposed to know if we don’t ask questions in the first place?!?
And that, is the third problem I have with the USA: rampant anti-intellectualism.
I’ve been kicked off enough blogs to know about the suppression of free speech that’s rampant in America. All for speaking the truth.
@bubblebustin,
After calling Raymond Lusk an idiot at Alan Pyke’s article, all my other comments got deleted, and no further ones were accepted. Well, he was an idiot! Its OK for him to trash Americans who live outside USA, but I cannot call a spade a spade without getting booted out.
Yes, he is an idiot, and we aren’t liars, yet no one got booted off for calling us one.
@bubblebustin
Same here. ;^)
But that’s just the thing. They don’t want to hear the truth, let alone an inconvenient, dissenting opinion. They want to hear what they want to hear, and that’s it. Far as they’re concerned, they’re the ONLY ones that are right.
I still remember from my experience nearly three years ago of being terrorized by a US border agent for trying to LEAVE my own country in order to visit my wife. (as I hadn’t even landed yet) ‘Well, you must’ve done something wrong…’ would be all I would ever hear from the homelanders. I even got the same grief from my own family, whom I thought knew me well enough to know that I don’t ever go out looking for trouble. What did I do wrong other than to get on a fucking Canada bound bus?!? What was my crime that was so bad, that the guy had to have his hand on his gun, ready to point it at me?
Yet I’m the one that is overreacting?!?
It’s the same tired story every time I get subjected to some substantial level of injustice in the States, that I’m the one that is overreacting. I’m the one at fault for daring to stand up for myself. I’m the one that is ‘creating a scene’. Funny that one, as I don’t understand how I can be ‘creating a scene’ long after I left the situation, and chose to talk about it calmly with people.
Sad thing about it all was that I knew the ‘war on terror’ was all bullshit, but I never in my life thought I’d ever be a victim of it, though I’m actually one of the lucky ones. Other people got it much worse than I did.
http://www.policestateusa.com/
I have to wonder, are all of those people overreacting, too?
(and people wonder why I don’t like the States anymore)
@ brockers… you guys are inspirational….
esp petros quote .”The slave dare not speak back to the master. In Rome, they had professional crucifiers who would take care of slave who gave lip. In America, they have the NSA, CIA, FBI, DHS, DOJ and IRS”
this rang so many bells I felt like I was in Big Ben!!! at least here in the UK the tax form is only 8 pages and I can do my and my husbands’ UK tax in few hours…. and with queries you can ring HMRC and usually they are pretty good,……the moron level at HMRC is statistically insignificant….
i remember MonaLisa1776 post after she attended the ACA town Hall in London late Nov 2013 that the IRS is watching the site and considers us radical and that if we speak up we will be singled out for audit and penalties etc…. familiar tactics for conservative charities or what? shades of Lois lerner…..
bit of schadenfreude here… in few years time there will be so few Americans left abroad that are happy to be identified as such. the rest will be in theyears long queue to renounce/relinquish OR hiding their USP status due to foreign birthplace .or having renounced still hiding due to still mighty American power in the workplace/SOL on FBARSetc ……. so very very sad to see the end of an empire that was unique in the world and produced giants like Lincoln, Washington, Franklin , Jefferson, Thomas Paine etc etc.
“The fact, therefore, must be that the individuals, themselves, each, in his own personal and sovereign right, entered into a contract with each other to produce a government: and this is the only mode in which governments have a right to arise, and the only principle on which they have a right to exist.”
the government loaded my contract with terms so unfair I had to renounce……God Bless all of you at IBS, keep up the good fight .
” The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what we do here ….. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work,…….here [that we have] have thus far so nobly advanced [by renouncing/ relinquishing to free ourselves for the fight ] . It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — [to remove CBT , continue to work to liberate those who have not yet renounced and to remain American in heart and soul and mind without the blue paper and re-awaken the great American spirit to the wider world ] — that we here highly resolve that [these ex-citizens shall not have renounced ] in vain — that this[ global community of expats and ex Americans] , under God, shall have a new birth of freedom
make no mistake-renunciation is indeed “un petit mort”. it changes your life… for the better… but it is a massive dislocation that brings its own trauma and resultant ripples. my heart goes out to everyone who has had to make that decision and also to my hundreds of millions of fellow americans who are trapped in the venal coils of thecurrent system
@WhiteKat
Gotta love that mentality of, ‘Do as I say, not as I do’, huh? Also, I never knew a hypocrite that EVER liked being called a hypocrite.
@crystal london
Well spoken. I appreciate your words.