I am posting this thread on behalf of Charl who is wondering if anyone would be interested in protesting at the US consulates. Her mission is to educate the public, and get much needed media attention.
Charl says:
Most Canadians fortunate enough not to have a US branding, if they’ve even heard of FATCA amd FBAR, likely think it does not apply to them. They don’t readily see that legislation to implement a FATCA IGA will allow the US government to rob Canada of a significant portion of its assets, and that the Canadian government is actually paying to allow the US to steal from the tax base of Canada.
We need to expose the real numbers of dollars that the US is attempting to extract from Canadians. For example, there are estimated to be over one million Canadians with ‘clinging US nationality’ (WhiteKat loves this term, but forgets who came up with it). Even if only half of these unfortunate Canadians are exposed, and each has an average of 3 accounts never previously revealed to the USA on FBARs, the penalties owed would be at minimum $90 billion dollars (3 accounts * $10K per account * 6 years * 500,000 Canadians). In addition to this siphoning off of wholly Canadian earned, already taxed in Canada savings, Canadian tax payers will be on the hook for the welfare support that will be required by financially devastated Canadians, deemed ‘US persons’ and thus US taxpayers by the USA. In addition, the Canadian banks are spending billions to become FATCA compliant; guess who will be paying the banks’ FATCA compliance costs?
I am thinking that a good venue for a public protest would be to hold simultaneous protests at all US consulates in Canada. If we can get large numbers of angry Canadians showing up at all US consulates on the same day to make a huge noise, perhaps we can get some major attention from Canadian media. Although it would be nice to have the consulates themselves hear us, that is secondary in my opinion. For some reason, despite many attempts by concerned Canadians, regarding the seriousness of this issue, the Canadian press is not picking up on this US attack on Canada to any major degree. I fear that most of our MPs do not understand the unintended fallout of the ‘wonderful’ deal our government has made with the devil, once it has exposed to the IRS, those Canadians whose dominant nationality is Canadian, but who USA claims as its own, in USA’s immoral quest to impose a form of taxation that drastically conflicts with internationally accepted norms.
For best effect, we should be BIG and LOUD, and do what is necessary to get lots of attention. Rally your friends, families, and neighbours to join us. Our government may be terrified of the US, but we little folk, afraid as we may be, realize what is at stake to ALL Canadians, and are brave enough to come out and push back at the bully to our south.
The world is watching to see how Canada will react to FATCA, as Canada has the most IRS targeted, so-called ‘US persons’ in the world. As such, our country has a moral obligation to be a world leader and to give other countries the courage to stand up to the US’s bullying tactics and extra-territorial overreach. Imagine all countries saying ‘NO’, if we can show them the way.
If you all think this is a good idea, we would have to choose a date, advertise the event, devise/modify and print out FATCA educational materials (update the FATCA fact sheet), create signs, see if other groups (perhaps those with protesting experience) will join us, etc. I have a few ideas, but need more if we have any possibility of doing this.
What do my fellow Brockers think?
@Petros – I have specifically not defended Obama or anyone else, just as I have not specifically criticized anyone else. It would help if people read for comprehension instead of just reacting.
@FromtheWilderness – I am a dual Canadian/US citizen who is extricating myself from US citizenship as I consider myself to be wholly Canadian. Have I experienced fear, anxiety, an anger? Of course, but that doesn’t mean I have to have every post filled with that fear and anger.
A suggestion that some organization of topics into those that are more fact-oriented and those that are more vent-oriented would be helpful in enlisting the support of at least some of the millions of affected persons in Canada is not acceptable here. As I said before: good to know.
Reading posts filled with fear and anger non stop can become so overwhelming that you sometimes have to stop reading altogether just to keep your sanity. I know I stopped reading these boards for a long time because I just couldn’t handle everybody else’s anxiety on top of my own.
If there is a way to set up certain threads that are edited or condensed so they contain fact based information only it would be good but who’s got the time to do all that?
@DM
I think I understand where u are coming from… stick to the facts… boom have all the info at your fingers… problem is… this is the only web site I use because whatever I post… there are some replies… or someone will point out things I mis-understood or whatever. No one bashes anyone… if u don’t like what u read.. u move on… or u can comment & no one judges. Other web sites… homelanders bash or ex-pat who knew the rules point out… u are a evader.. blah.. blah… I understand u think its a canadian site only… but its not.. its world wide… everyone who is slammed with this. My family & friends are sick & tired of hearing me or don’t understands my anxiety… fear… anger… everyone here understands… gets it… from personal experience… we share… personal & info… I am guilty of not sticking to the topic sometimes… but it allows us to be human… not filled with angst… we need to see the light at the end of the tunnel… humor mixed with different thoughts break up this hardship to all….
@DM
re:” .. I think it is difficult to even get people to come here to lurk, let alone participate for a variety of reasons.”
re: “… a real forum format with titles of individual threads would go a long way to clarifying where people need to go.
re: ” … I cannot, in good faith, tell a friend, colleague, or family member to come to this site and join in the struggle because there is much to put off Canadians who don’t want to engage in Obama bashing, hear the Nazi analogies, etc.”
re: “…IBS may want to look at evolving the format here to make the different topic threads a bit more obvious and easy to use and ask people to keep topics/comments that are mainly the sport of US bashing to specific threads”.
I repeat, how do your comments relate to this particular thread?
Do you realize that constructive criticism is a good thing, but there is a way to go about it without offending people?
Do you realize that everyone here is a VOLUNTEER, and that there is no IBS official organization?
The fact that ANYTHING AT ALL has been accomplished from people involved in this website is a testament to the passion, hardwork and conviction of many people’s synergistic energies. I for one am totally amazed, and grateful (forgot to add that to Calgary411’s thoughtful thread on gratefulness) that this site exists at all, and that it has culminated in a Charter Challenge (or WILL soon, once Arvay gets back to Lynne and Stephen and team).
Wow, this ‘place’ where diverse people have come together to fight against US oppression of those it claims as taxpayers living and earning outside its jurisdictions (and lets not forget the US immigrants with their legally earned bank accounts at risk in their home countries)is freakin amazing, and I would NOT hesitate to recommend it to any ‘US person’, caught in this mess. That you do not see this, and make a point of criticizing the efforts here, pisses me off, full moon or not.
@DM, this is a thread about potentially protesting at the US Consulate. That, by necessity will involve political criticism of the authors, implementers, enablers and supporters of FATCA and CBT. It is a fact that Obama is and was the President presiding over FATCA. And it is also a fact that in 2008 he promised that he would listen to and represent the interests of US Citizens abroad just as he would for US residents.
We don’t all agree completely on remedies, allies, tactics, or political worldview. Readers and participants are free to take what they find useful or not.
And, I think it is entirely legitimate to critique the US (and now Canadian) government’s policies and conduct on this and any related topic.
My practice is just to skim for what I need, ignore what I find irrelevant and ask questions if I can’t find what I am looking for, and read read read. I was not looking merely for information here, but for discussion and interaction as well.
I don’t think that the site can be everything to everyone who might find themselves here, but it requires an openness to explore and consider context and nuance and debate. It is informational as well as organizational. Advocacy is important. Critical analysis is important too.
@DM
Isaac Brock Society is not an organization with any kind of formal hierarchy. It is a loosely knit collection of people marked with “US indicia” (like you) who are being persecuted by the US government. Affected people from all over the world express their opinions here freely and voluntarily just like you are doing now. Isaac Brock Society is about as grass roots as it gets.
If you are offended by the comments of some of the contributors, perhaps you can start a site of your own and make it the way you have been describing? The more organizations out there fighting against the injustices levied upon Americans living abroad, the better.
@DM…
on this blog we are like family…. Every member in any family has different views and ways of doing things but families stand together when adversity happens. FATCA is our adversity.
I got down in the dumps the other day but my Brock friends lifted me out of them.
Obama was much admired by me at one time. Heck I have a pic of me raising a glass to him on his 2009 inauguration in front of his cardboard lifesize cutout. Unknown to me that the party I was at would lead me to find out about FATCA and then to Brock.. Life is funny.
Speaking of Moons…. Last night was the big full one… some info on it.
The full moon on March 16, 2014 has many different names due to its signifying changing from winter to spring. Winter is retreating and spring time is on its way! It’s Time to Set Yourself Free from the Restraints of Winter and Swim to the Moon!
Of course, the truest mark of spring doesn’t happen until next Thursday, March 20. That’s the vernal equinox, the actual first day of the season. The east coast of the United States officially switches over around 1 p.m. The days will grow longer and warmer.
Crow Moon or Magpie Moon. The Native American full moon names for March are largely based on these being considered the last full moons of winter; the crow caws its farewell to the season. The more northern tribes knew this Moon as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signaled the end of winter; or the Full Crust Moon, because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night.
Full Worm Moon – As the temperature begins to warm and the ground begins to thaw, earthworm casts appear, heralding the return of the robins. The Full Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is another variation.
To the settlers, it was also known as the Lenten Moon, and was considered to be the last full Moon of winter.
In Celtic tradition it is called Chaste Moon and Moon of Winds.
In Native American Medicine the Crow represents: Justice, shape shifting, change, creativity, spiritual strength, energy, community sharing, and balance.
The Flower associated with March is the Shamrock:
The Shamrock (also referred to as clover) can rock our worlds with symbolic insight. They are remarkable survivors and can endure seemingly insurmountable challenges in their stubborn determination to live and thrive. Through droughts, substandard soil and ravenous goat appetites, the shamrock is a champion survivor. This is the spirit of Mars coming through – fierce will. And, the Shamrock is a common symbol of St. Patrick’s Day (March 17th) – an icon of the “fighting Irish.”
I like that Shamrock… it symbolizes We Brockers., eh?
Does anyone know when the new US ambassador Heyman will be presenting his credentials to our Governor General? That ceremony might be worth showing up for.
I’m not sure that the “above” hair growth would work as a disguise against the IRS…they have their ways and means of determining WHO you are. ~smirk~
The Animal, best not to respond to spam, lest we remove it and no one knows anymore what you are talking about.