Liberty and justice for all United States persons abroad

The Isaac Brock Society

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Cross posted from RenounceUScitizenship

To the readers of the Isaac Brock Society blog. I recognize that many of you are no longer U.S. citizens. As a result, the November 6 Presidential Election may have no direct effect on your lives. Nevertheless, as citizens of other countries you have a clear interest in stopping the U.S. plunder of other nations through citizenship-based taxation. Therefore, I suspect that citizens of all free nations have an interest in putting an end to citizenship-based taxation,  FBAR, OVDI and FATCA to harm other sovereign countries. Although, Barack Obama is not the architect of citizenship-based taxation, his administration has used it in new ways to harm other sovereign nations.

Last night the Economist Magazine ran an online debate, on the issue of whether Barack Obama should be re-elected president. The debate allowed live comments. There were a total of 92 “registered” comments. Of the 92, approximately 7 were attempts to comment that never became comments (unless the absence of a comment was intended to be the comment). In any case, of the 85 substantive comments approximately 7 were from U.S. citizens abroad. The agony of U.S. citizens abroad is real. Their pain can be heard. The simple fact is that the Obama administration has made life for U.S. citizens abroad a life of agony. In order to spread the word, I created a number of tweets which link to the cries of anguish. Here they are:

Barack Obama began his road to the presidency by being a community organizer in Chicago. We must end his presidency by being community organizers in the Expat community. The Obama administration has destroyed the health, wealth and life of U.S. citizens abroad.  Michelle Obama credits the Obama presidency with allowing her to feel proud of America.  I credit the Obama presidency with creating conditions that make me ashamed to be a U.S. citizen. Renunciations of U.S. citizenship are soaring under Obama. People are desperate to renounce U.S. citizenship – and renounce  they will!

The only way to end the Obama presidency is for people to vote for Mitt Romney. In October I wrote a post which I titled “An open letter to Mitt Romney“. My letter included the following:

Governor Romney, I am writing to you for two reasons:

First, I believe that you are the most likely candidate to be the Republican nominee for President, and that you will likely be the next President of the United States of America.

Second, I strongly urge you to make FATCA an election issue. President Obama has been bad for America. I agree that “Obama means not working”. But, if FATCA is the legacy of the Obama Presidency, FATCA is the seed that will destroy the United States.

Governor Romney: I don’t want you to ever be in a position where you must “apologize for America!”

I am an expat American Patriot. But, America is no longer the country that you and I grew up in. I am not leaving the United States of America – The United States of America has left me!

I am of the opinion that Mr. Romney would be a good president and would be much better for U.S. citizens abroad. My reasons are captured in this comment to the post:

I have always felt that Romney (of all the candidates) is the one who would be most sympathetic to this. My reasons are:

1. Both he and his wife’s fathers were born outside the U.S.

2. I have speculation that Romney may also be a citizen of Mexico.

3. Romney has a family summer home in Grand Bend Ontario giving him a life long connection to Canada.

4. Romney clearly has to file FBARs.

5. Romney is (in truth) an “Independent” who is a pragmatist. Therefore, if given the proper education, he would see how much citizenship-based taxation hurts the U.S.

I have always felt that we should attempt to engage Romney. If we educate him, it will give him an issue to attack Obama. I have yet to meet a person who does not see things our way, once it is explained. Furthermore, it will portray Obama as the thug that he is.

In addition, we should reach out to Ron Paul – who very clearly is opposed to the Ex-Patriot Act. I noticed that he used the words “Trojan Horse” to describe some aspects of citizenship-based taxation.

At the very least, Romney should receive the very strong support of U.S. citizens abroad.

I commented further that:

How about pick up he telephone and tell him that U.S. citizens abroad would like to organize to throw their support behind him – I am very serious.

At the risk of oversimplification, you will find that in life there are three kinds of people:

1. Those who make things happen

2. Those who watch things happen

3. Those who ask – What happened?

Because we live outside the United States, we are able to observe the world and the United States in a much more objective way than those who live inside the United States. The common “Homelanders” and the “Homelander Elite Core” are captive to U.S. National Narcissism. They are in the third category – at the end of the day – as we watch the daily erosion of the United States – they will just ask “What happened?”

There are many U.S. citizens who read and comment on blogs and wish things were different. They are in great pain, but they are really just watching this happen.

It’s time to make things happen! If you don’t take steps to “make things happen” then who will? If you are an American Patriot, then I suggest you have a duty to get involved in the upcoming election. Find a way to help spread the word. Do everything you can to keep Barack Obama from enjoying a second term.

Now, I want to point out that the “Obama Central Command”, has created a sham organization, called “Americans Abroad For Obama” – americansabroadforobama.org.  This is their attempt to manufacture the  “illusion of support” for Barack Obama. This has also meant that Obama has inadvertently opened a dialogue with U.S. citizens abroad – an opportunity that we must take advantage of.

Conclusion: Democracy assumes that citizens (and that’s what we apparently are – or maybe not) assume a level of responsibility.  Assuming a level of responsibility means participation in the upcoming election. There are many U.S. citizens abroad who believe (a belief that I share) that through OVDI, and the FBAR Fundraiser, that the Obama administration has launched a vicious unprovoked attack on U.S. citizens abroad and on other countries. FATCA – the U.S. Berlin Wall – is simply icing on the cake. It is commonly said that U.S. citizens have two choices:

1. Renounce U.S. citizenship (the renunciation of U.S. citizenship might be the most patriotic thing you can do); or

2. Comply

This is true, but there is another possibility. That is to work as hard as possible to get Mitt Romney elected president. We cannot know for sure whether Romney would reverse any of the destructive policies of the Obama administration. But, we do know that nothing could be worse than four more years of Barack Obama. Our ability to survive as U.S. citizens living outside the United States is dependent on getting rid of Barack Obama!

This requires that you become a community organizer. As U.S. citizens abroad it means that we must become a larger community of smaller communities. Once we become that larger community of communities, then we make that telephone call to Mitt Romney. Community organization made Barack Obama president. Community organization is what is required to end it. Are the organizer for your community?

Can we as U.S. citizens living outside the United States make a difference in the November 6 election?

“Yes we can!” – Let’s effect some “change we can believe in!”

While you are at it, you might spread the following message:

Stop citizenship-based taxation – Repeal FATCA

78 thoughts on “Yes we can!! – Change we can believe in – Organizing the community of U.S. citizens abroad – One community at a time!”

  1. *This concept is more true in politics.  The decision makers are not looking for the best laws, they are looking for the laws which will satisfy their current and future constituency base.
    In this sense it is against Romney’s interest to fight for the expats and be labeled as a friend of Switzerland.  Romney will have to walk a fine line to keep his shaky expatriate friends from being angered, but he cannot risk loosing his main voting block.  However, it would be in Rubio’s interest to fight against the FATCA persecutions of his Florida immigrant constituency, and also to fight for the interest of all immigrants who might vote for his potential 2012 ticket.
    A possibility exists in the media, to be able to show thes things regarding FATCA:
    -That the 30% FFI provisions will destroy foreign investment in US financial instruments.
    -That Obama (Schumer and Carl Lenin) are vindicative little ____s, working to split and demonize the 1%’ers, 2%’ers (expats), and 13%’ers (immigrants) in his efforts to trash Bain Capital.

  2. *Sweden’s 60 minutes (Kalla facta, cold facts) now has my tip about FATCA, 30% confiscations, persecutions of US persons, and the requirement for Swedish CFO’s to report all of their bank account details to the USA where a US person has signature authority.

    The Swedish CFO of one of the largest Swedish corporations now knows that he is obligated to provide his US person employee with a signed written statement that he has already reported the bank details of all of the US-person-signature-authority-accounts of his multi billion dollar coporation to the US Treasury.  It is most likely that he doesn’t care, but the US person is probably now beginning to worry.

  4. @All

    Thanks for all the great thoughts/comments. With the greatest respect to all, I would like to express my view that the real issue is:

    That the election is the only forum that we have to educate Obama and Romney. It is the only opportunity we have to get this issue on the table. I agree it is hard. I agree that expats are not liked. I agree that it is frustrating. But, is the only chance we have.

    Now, as I am sure you have figured out, I have a very low opinion of Obama. But, that is not even the issue. Nor is the issue whether Romney would be better. The approach – they are both bad candidates, – so who cares is off the mark.

    Because Obama is the President and because he has been the architect of so much misery: I remind you again that our problems fall squarely on his administration. This is the first administration that has launched a public and frightening assault on U.S. citizens abroad. Obama is 100% accountable for this – he controls, Geithner, the IRS, etc.

    The problem is that we have not and will not (in the general scheme of things) be heard. We have no voice. Not even ACA (in spite of all it’s great work) has been able to make even one bit of difference to the government. They have done a good job of educating expats and we owe them a great debt for this remarkable achievement.

    The only – and I repeat only – weapon at our disposable is the fact that this is an election year. This means far more than that we can vote. It means that we can get this issue on the table. It means that Obama will be under the microscope. He himself (with all his social media stuff) has opened up channels of communication. The goal is to get citizenship-based taxation and the gross unfairness that results from it on the radar. In a practical sense this can be done in at least two ways both of which should be done at the same time and with equal conviction.

    1. Attack all things Obama – keep the attacks coming and coming – every tweet of lies that his people send should be replied to and questioned. The only thing that Obama understands is votes.

    2. Support Mitt Romney – Even if you don’t like Romney (and I can see that most of you don’t) the principle is simple: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Let’s get some organized support. Let’s make that phone call. For God’s sake let’s try.

    It is no more complicated than that. We must use the fact of this election to use the only opportunity we have to GET THE ISSUE OF CITIZENSHIP-BASED TAXATION ON THE RADAR!

    Attacking Obama and supporting Romney is the only way to do this.

    Therefore, with the greatest respect, to consider this question is terms of “Well, I don’t Romney or Romney is no better” or something like that is (IMHO) irrelevant and misguided.

    What we do know about Obama is that all the world is political stage. If he perceives the negativity from this as a problem that could gather momentum, I believe he is likely to respond. Now, holding Obama to a promise may be difficult. His website “promises kept” is the greatest Freudian slip of all time.

    What we know about Romney is that he needs to get votes and support from all places. If he perceives this as an issue that could generate votes for him he will respond.

    Let me try this another way: We need to use the election to create conditions so that these people will see that ignoring U.S. citizens abroad may be costly to them.

    Although I have always had a low opinion of Obama (he is nothing but a media creation) and a fairly high opinion of Romney (hey at least he has accomplishments), at the end of the day:

    They are responsive only to votes. It is this fact that we must take advantage of.

    So, for those of you who are thinking:

    1. Who cares, Romney is no better; or

    2. Well, I can’t make a difference anyway

    You have surrendered the battle. And that is of course your right. But, you have spent a lot of time suffering from oppression and persecution, you continue to be treated unjustly. You have nothing to lose by simply transferring some of your emotional energy (that is gong to spent on this anyway) to something that could be productive.

    Thanks for reading this – I respect you matter what your views.

    and because he has forced so many people to renounce as an act of self defense, he needs to go. We don’t know where Romney would be on these issues. But, it is inconceivable that he could be worse.

    https://twitter.com/USCitizenAbroad/status/213260455991451648

  5.  “In the long run, Americans will always do the right thing-after exploring all other alternatives,” Winston Churchill.

    I’m sorry I can’t share Mr Churchill’s optimism. 

  6. *Personally, having day to day involvement with this has the potential to make me crazy.  My time and emotional energy — and perhaps that of others — is better spent talking to my elected representatives in Canada.  I have no doubt that Republicans when presented with these issues and forced to take a stand will be even more rabid in their attitudes towards expatriates. Recall the Brock posting about the Democrat with the secure House seat whose raising the issue of expatriates cost him his seat.  If after 40 years of Roger’s efforts and those of ACA, things continue to deteriorate the solution is to establish the conditions HERE — if this involves expatriation or staying hidden — that we can be safe abroad.  The USA will never change their form of taxation.  They are similar to the Soviets in believing that anyone who is unhappy with the USA or wishes to to leave the nation must be experiencing a psychiatric disorder or worse yet be a TRAITOR .  Your efforts are certainly understandable and commendable, but we should be focused on OUR political parties and our elected representatives no matter where outside the USA we are.

  7. How can immigrants help on this matter. We’re “in the wrong” and we can’t vote.
    It’s not a good situation to be in…

  8. Pingback: Use this election to draw awareness to the unfairness of U.S. citizenship-based taxation « Freedom from the tyranny of U.S. citizenship-based taxation for U.S. and dual citizens outside the U.S.

  9. @Joe Smith

    You are 100% correct that we must focus our efforts on politicians in Canada. This should include encouraging them to stop allowing U.S. citizens to immigrate to Canada. The toxicity  of U.S. citizenship makes them a danger to any nation they inhabit. Again, you are totally correct and I hope that you are doing that. I seem to recall that you are in the riding that just elected that new NDP guy. So, maybe a good start ..

    But,that does NOT mean that we don’t use the U.S. election to our advantage. It’s not either or – but all of the above. For this most people this just requires a redirection of energy they will focus on anyway.

    So, yes how about the Isaac Brock Society consider a game plan to get Canadians involved.

  10. @Christophe

    U.S. citizenship-based is not only a vicious attack on U.S. citizens directly, but is an attack on all sovereign nations. To allow a U.S. citizen to reside in the country will harm that country in two ways (at least):

    1. The IRS will attempt to plunder the wealth of the country through its PFIC rules and the like.

    2. Through the use of Mr. FBAR the U.S. will extract information from the country.

    U.S. citizenship-based taxation is a vicious assault on all free people and all nations everywhere. There is not a person on the planet who is not harmed by this – including the homelanders. Even they are harmed by the harm that citizenship-based taxation does to the economy.

    So, I come back to this is a question of community organizing on a micro level leading to something bigger.

    If you breathe you are being damaged by U.S. policy in this area.

    I believe (based on your previous posts) that you what to live in the U.S. and that have family. An investment in this issue will improve the lives of your children.

    So, you tell me – what specifically can you do to grow an organization?

  11. I sadly have to agree with renounceuscitizenship. From a purely tactical perspective, Romney is easier to influence than Obama. Like the joke goes: “A liberal, a moderate, and a conservative walk into a bar. The bartender says: ‘Hey, surprised to see you here, Mitt, can I get you a 7-up?’.” The only thing is that he may be reluctant to take up the issue because it’ll be perceived as a conflict of interest, given his “blind trust” in the Caymans.

  13. Just a cross link to some recent discussion of the elites of our political process.  I understand Renounces very basic tactical perspective, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”. I think I voted on that basis in 2008!  So now, here I am facing the same decision now, but wondering….do I think Romney would leave the extra cookie on the plate, or eat it? 

    I think, under him, inequality in American society would continue to escalate, and nothing would change for US Expats. However, given the limited choices of the political process our society creates, I might be persuaded, holding my nose, to vote for the Romney, He may be the only HOPE for change in the citizenship taxation issues, so I take Renounce’s point.  However, I remain undecided. I hate being a one issue voter! 

  14. I think that as important as our issues here at IBS are to me, to my husband and to our collective sanity, if I had a vote (which I don’t) I would probably abstain. By far the most critical issue for me right now is the constant drum beat for war, war and more war. I do not want to see more countries demolished by the might of the USA’s military machine or by the slight of the CIA’s hand, aiding and abetting internal insurrections.  Romney and Obama should both have Extreme Hazard warnings pasted on their foreheads. The only small flickering light I saw was Ron Paul but we all know they would not let that “Revolution” happen. It would have been bad for the corporation which is the United States of America. For all I know, Ron Paul may have been playing Lucy with Charlie Brown’s football to keep the disgruntled occupied for awhile, only to be inevitably dumped into Romney’s lap.

    Sorry to be a cynical Canadian neighbour but that is the way I see it. The presidential election is a pageant to trick the masses into believing they have a voice but they do not. Presidents listen only to their master’s voice and all the rest is merely babble from the peons. So, what it boils down to for me at least, is that I do not look for help below the border. If anything is to be done about FATCA it will have to be Canada and other countries pushing back and frankly I don’t think our Conservative government has the backbone to do that. In the end I know that my husband and I will have to extricate ourselves from the clutches of the IRS as quickly and painlessly as possible and luckily we have the best of advice available here at IBS to show us how to do that.

  15. @All

    I think that some of the basic assumptions in this discussion are wrong.

    My belief is that both Romney and Obama are actually “Independents” who have decided that it is expedient to tie their fortunes to a political party (hard to be elected as an independent). Very interesting book on this by D. Schoen.  The reason that Obama got the nomination over Hillary was that the rank and file of the democratic party were sick and tired of the Clinton brand of the Democrats. Although it appears that the nomination of Obama was a vote for Obama, I see it as a rejection of the Democratic Party and what it stood for at the time.

    Furthermore, there is little doubt that it was the Independents who elected Obama.

    Romney is a man of conservative principles but he is clearly not a Republican. That’s why it was so hard for him break away from the pack. In his case everybody else just ran out of money. Like Obama, Romney is an Independent.

    The difference between them is that Obama’s one accomplishment in life is to have allowed the media to create him as a candidate, define him as a candidate and ultimately win the election. Romney, on the other hand has actual tangible accomplishments in the real world – strongly suggesting that he has a better skill set to be president.

    In fact the existence of the two main political parties in America (two parties are one party removed from a one party state) has resulted in the problems. I think subconsciously, both parties recognize this and are actually nominating candidates, who really could (at least based on initial impressions) be the nominee for any political party (although after 4 years of Obama, he would not get the republican nomination any time soon). Romney was the Republican governor of Mass. (an extremely left wing state) and appears to have been quite effective (to the Obamaites, I understood he was not universally popular).

    All of this is to say that both Candidates are extremely dependent on getting the votes of independent voters (who are now a majority in America). This means that the conditions for listening are better than they have been.

    So, come on everybody – let’ not assume the worst (recognizing that is what we have until now). Let’s use this one opportunity to get this message out.

    Some specific thoughts for members of Democrats Abroad:

    The best thing you could do for Democrats Abroad is to make it clear to Obama that you will not be supporting him without a commitment (and evidence of same) that he will be responsive on this issue. If any of you Democrats Abroad (Mr. Green and co) honestly believe that Obama deserves your support – then do your thing and vote for him. But, by your admission, you have tried to engage the government on all of these issues – with what appears to be no success.

    Again for those who just feel: I was born a Democrat, lived life as a Democrat, etc:

    Obama is not a democrat anyway. You are not betraying any of your principles by NOT voting for him.

    As “Democrats Abroad” you have every reason to take this rejection very “personally”. So, “personally”, I think you should send a message to your “Media Creation” president that you will taking your support to any other (as Bill Clinton has noted) very credible candidate.

    Want public health care? Why not for the candidate who has actually accomplished it.

    But, hey what do I know?

    Let me try it another way:

    Since you have a choice between two candidates who are independents – why not vote as an independent?

  16. @Em

    You say:

    “The presidential election is a pageant to trick the masses into believing they have a voice but they do not.”

    Democracy is NOT a spectator sport – except of course in America!

  17. For those Canadian’s who are setting
    on the fence on renouncing, ask yourselves “What is the real benefit that
    I derive from having US Citizenship”? As a Canadian holding a Canadian
    passport I can go anywhere in the world.  Or, I can continue to pay
    thousands of dollars each year to have my US tax forms prepared for me…I
    think we can all see that’s a bad investment. I’m not advocating not paying
    your taxes but I am saying that as a Canadian with no investment in the US and
    an income sourced only in Canada , it would be a bad
    investment to pay $1500 every year for the next 30 years of my life to have
    this work done for me. Or I could believe the Consul at the US Embassy here in
    Calgary when he said, “keeping your US citizenship doesn’t cost you
    anything”.

    The last thing, remind yourself
    that if you’re a Canadian citizen with dual US citizenship you can never be
    fully engaged in Canadian society or any other society. Canadians who know they
    will be exposed to the IRS through a US citizen filing the FBAR don’t want any
    part of that.

  18. @Christrophe…

    You ask…

    How can immigrants help on this matter. We’re “in the wrong” and we can’t vote.  It’s not a good situation to be in…??

    Immigrants have their heads down and are more fearful than even Expats living overseas.  That certainly works to the IRS advantage as it knows there is no one to counter their narrative about this effecting only the Rich.   With every journalist I talk to, I do mention the bigger untold story is that of the immigrant, but how you get one to raise his head from the weeds and say, “Here am I. I will tell my story,”  even anonymously?   The only ones that might, are those that have left the US for good, and never plan to return, like Moby.  That said, why would he even want to bother, as he is done with America!  The US loses again.    

  20. I challenged Kalla facta to cover the story. I wrote to them that there is indeed a hushup block at the media, which is spread between the ambassador and the parliament and extended out to the media channels.
    Taxation and penalties are funding instruments in the bills on the Senate–those penalties are there to avoid giving the majority voters higher taxes when the spending bills are passed.
    The European nations have it in their interest to cooperate on international tax collections.
    The Swedish media tells the politicians what to do, and the politicians use the media to reinforce it.
    But those media’s will all soon be embarrassed by the small outlets such as the Vancouver Sun who will pop up one-by-one with the real story. The momentum will come, it is only a question if the bubble can pop before November election day.

  21. @Just Me, thanks for mentioning the immigrant when you speak about it.

    I feel like there is no one to represent us, no one to turn to and that is very depressing.

  22. The Republicans Abroad Europe, based in Paris, seem to understand the devastating impact that FATCA is having on US citizens abroad and will have on the American economy. Please see below:”Republicans Abroad Europe Statement on Expat Taxation

    Republicans Abroad Europe is working directly to raise awareness among party leaders, policy makers and US Presidential candidates about the adverse impact of Expat Taxation and the recent FATCA legislation on the US economy and Americans living overseas.”

    Please click on link for more on their position:

    http://www.republicansabroadeurope.org/expat_taxes

  23. @Innocente…

    They do, but I am surprised that they haven’t done more to make it politically apparent. They are not tweeting about it. They did not put in any submissions to the FATCA public hearings. There have been no written policy / position papers.  No letters to the editors that I have seen.  I have not seen one letter they have written to any politician, nor have I gotten them to respond to questions about what they are doing.  So, a bit mystified. Maybe I should try again. I would really like to see how they are trying to influence leaders 

    This should be a natural club to use against Obama, and they are not wielding it, in my opinion. Any ideas why?  

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