Here’s a resonant paragraph from Kalí Tal’s Worlds of Hurt: Reading the Literatures of Trauma (1996) Cambridge University Press. A footnote suggests that the material has been summarized from another book. A heuristic for self-analysis?
In a social system that supports the systematic oppression and persecution of a particular minority group (such as Jews in Nazi Germany), the victims of persecution have a limited set of available options. They may capitulate, which will result in continued suffering and perhaps the eventual death of all members of the targeted group if the intent of the oppressor is genocide. They may resist by appealing to existing legal, moral, or ethical structures in the dominant society (i.e., litigation, religious arguments) and use tactics such as passive resistance or nonviolence. They may respond with force — intending to change the power structure. Or they may attempt to escape the confines of the oppressive social structure, either by relocating to a less hostile environment or by “passing” as a member of a nontargeted group. (p. 8-9)
The ability to escape from Tyranny with one’s assets or a reasonable part thereof is the very option foreclosed by bad and unjust laws like FATCA.
Yes- I feel that I have escaped too but that doesn’t end the story because it is so unjust, and I fear for an escalation if one doesn’t continue to oppose these ideas and practises. If there is no opposition, who is to stop the government from going further in their maltreatment of expats- or others for that matter? The exploitation of innocents could grow wider and wider. So no matter how this story ends in the next 3-5 years – one cannot stop opposing injustice. One just cannot.
@USX
Various interesting – thank you for this. The United States is attempting to impose slavery on groups of people – primarily those born in the U.S. They call them “U.S. persons” which means owned by the U.S.
The excerpt you quote describes the following categories:
1. They may capitulate, which will result in continued suffering and perhaps the eventual death of all members of the targeted group if the intent of the oppressor is genocide.
The intent of the U.S. government is NOT genocide, but it is control and the ability to define citizens of other nations as “U.S. Persons”.
“U.S. persons who capitulate agree that they are U.S. persons and do NOT take the obvious step of renouncing/relinquishing. Furthermore, they simply accept their fate.
In 2011, this was not as well understood. It’s now 2015. The reality is clear. There are no reasons to remain a U.S. citizen.
2. They may resist by appealing to existing legal, moral, or ethical structures in the dominant society (i.e., litigation, religious arguments) and use tactics such as passive resistance or nonviolence.
Yes, this is the gentleman’s way of getting the law changed. Although the Isaac Brock Society is regarded by many as some sort of “fringe group”, the reality is that many are using the legal structures (contributions to the ADCS lawsuit, etc.) to attempt to raise awareness and change the laws.
Passive resistance = not entering the U.S. tax system and/or not agreeing you are U.S. person.
Civil disobedience? Democrats Abroad has recently recognized that “civil disobedience” is a American characteristic.
https://twitter.com/USCitizenAbroad/status/623158065525878784
I assume that Democrats Abroad would think that civil disobedience was NOT appropriate in the case of important American values like: FATCA, FBAR and CBT. That said, Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” is an interesting and important read.
3. They may respond with force — intending to change the power structure.
This will surely come. The simple fact is that there is a “witch hunt” for people born in the U.S. It is impossible to persecute a group based on the immutable characteristic of “place of birth” and expect all to happily comply. But, Americans abroad are only the “canaries in the coal mine”. What is happening to Americans abroad will happen to Homelanders. There is plenty of force in the Homeland. I see “force” coming from Homelanders and NOT Americans abroad.
Let’s not kid ourselves. The United States of America came into existence through forcibly evicting the British. At that time the weapons were guns and cannons. Today the weapon is finance. By moving away from the U.S. dollar as the world reserve currency, the world will forcibly eject the USA.
4. Or they may attempt to escape the confines of the oppressive social structure, either by relocating to a less hostile environment or by “passing” as a member of a nontargeted group.
Well, that’s what renunciation is all about. After renunciation those with a U.S. birthplace will have relocated their citizenship and can now be members of a non-targeted group.
A final thought:
You can do more damage to yourself than any person or country can do to you. It’s all about they way you think. Most people are in situation where they don’t have to participate “Yes, I am a U.S. person” if they don’t want to.
Hmmm…how about ALL of the above? My job’s only half done it seems.
For non-residents, wouldn’t moving to the US also be considered “relocating to a less hostile environment”?
With any luck(feeling vengeful today), hopefully certain Canadian and US politicians who had a hand in accusing innocent people living their lives in non-US countries of being ‘US tax cheats’ – thus forcing them into various “slots on the spectrum” – are caught up in this mess:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/ashley-madison-infamous-infidelity-website-target-of-data-hack-1.3159643
I’m with Polly and the rest of the gang commenting here. Can the Brock organize a rally, say in all of the major Canadian cities on a particular day? That’s how we’re going to get the attention we “ex”-Americans need to put our case in the Canadian public view, especially where there’s social injustice concerns over.excessive government spending, corruption and national sovereignty .Public protest is, and has always been, the only way to stop injustice, eventually. We (maybe only me) no longer want to be considered on the fringe. Please…tell me what some of you think about this. Thanks.
Bubblebustin- you are correct. Relocating back to the USA is moving to a non/less hostile environment. You become assimilated back into the Borg. Just also relocate all assets back to the USA and don’t have any non US bank accounts
@Steve
Is that really such a safe haven? I don`t know if the future looks good in America.
@usxcanada;
Appreciated the quote – much food for thought.
Thank you.
Oh, this just gets better…hehehe…maybe certain Canadian politicians have had their identity stolen, or at the very least will be sweating a bit while conversing with their significant others. Apparently, Canada’s capital, and particularly the area surrounding Parliament Hill, is a “hotbed” for adulterers. Sweet revenge….oh wait…I live in Ottawa…lol.
“One in five Ottawa residents allegedly subscribed to adulterers’ website Ashley Madison, making one of the world’s coldest capitals among the hottest for extra-marital hookups — and the most vulnerable to a breach of privacy after hackers targeted the site. According to previously published figures from the Toronto-based company, some 189,810 Ashley Madison users were registered in Ottawa, a city with a population of about 883,000, making the capital No. 1 for philanderers in Canada and potentially the highest globally per capita. The hotbed of infidelity was also the seat of power: The top postal code for new members matched that of Parliament Hill, according to Avid Live chief executive Noel Biderman in a newspaper report published earlier this year.”
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/ashley-madison-says-1-in-5-ottawans-subscribed-to-adulterer-website-1.3162638
@USX
Excellent passage you quoted. Really hits the nail on the proverbial head. And you won’t get any flack from me about the Nazi comparison. The parallel is real, just nobody wants to admit it.