Yearly Archives: 2012
Isaac Brock Society search engine optimisation report
Inspired by Petros’ observation about our Google ranking for “Bruce Ackermann” (though unfortunately not for the correct spelling “Bruce Ackerman”), I decided to check out how we rank for other search queries. All results come from anonymous Google searching over Tor, without any Google tracking cookie, so the results aren’t being influenced by my browsing behaviour (e.g. going to isaacbrocksociety.com and pressing “reload” 10 times a day).
Canadian Billionaire Giving It All Away
Here’s a fascinating article about a Canadian billionaire, who has lived in the US for years and has become a dual citizen. He’s in the process of giving much of his fortune away.
Why is the Quiet Disclosure (QD) so controversial between Practitioners?
I am admittedly way behind in reading the many recent good posts and comments here at Isaac Brock. I also have had a couple subjects I have wanted to weigh in on, and create new posts, but for the past couple weeks my time has been seriously constrained. However, this morning a previous post by renounceuscitizenship caught my attention. It was entitled Steve Mopsick – On the “coming into compliance dilemma”. I have been thinking about it all day, and why it is that this QD dilemma is so difficult for so many benign Minnows with the conflicting advice being provided by practitioners. Continue reading
Chuck Schumer lashes out at Petros on Senate floor
Okay, not by name, but he did decry the American Thinker, where Petros published an article just a few days ago. Anyway, in case you missed the news, Chuck Schumer hijacked the Senate floor on Thursday, claiming that he planned to discuss S.A. 2146 (which criminalises certain synthetic drugs), but instead giving a three thousand-word declamation about his Expatriation Prevention Act. Coincidentally, S.A. 2146 has three well-known anti-expat Senators as its cosponsors: not just Schumer, but Reed Amendment author Jack Reed (D-RI) and Foreign Earned Income Exclusion foe Chuck Grassley (R-IA).
Anyway, Schumer’s speech begins on page S3548 of the Congressional Record of 24 May 2012. I’ve reprinted the whole thing below (the Congressional Record is not an object of copyright) with my comments.
Article 8 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United States
Here is Article 8 of UDHR with my original commentary:
- Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.
Article 8 makes a bill of attainder an illegal act internationally and protects all people from punitive treatment without a fair trial.
I am sorry to say that I had completely misread Article Eight, and I now offer a new understanding of how the United States abuses expats under this article. Continue reading
Anti-Americanism in Canada
It is difficult to think of another group in Canada in the particular and peculiar situation of Americans
— J.M. Bumsted
“U.S. persons” in Canada face difficulties that are encountered nowhere else on earth — at least not to the same degree, due to numbers and history and geographic location. A lengthy academic encyclopedia article touches on many strands of the complex web that ensnares American-Canadians. Brief excerpts from most of the ten sections are provided in the appendix below. The existence of that article in that collection was a landmark — a recognition that Americans are in fact one of Canada’s peoples! (By the way, nobody ever refers to an American-Canadian in the routine multicultural obeisances, do they?)
Civil Forfeiture and Boiled Frogs
Is it bad in Obama’s America? Yes it is, very bad. Monty Pelerin who wrote with me the article “When government turns predator“, has written another post, “Government Extends Its Tyrannical Role As Predator“, in which he features the question of civil forfeiture. Reading about this subject makes me wonder if God has put me in Canada for the same reason that he put Joseph in Egypt, “You intended it for evil but God intended it for good,” he said to his brothers who had sold him into slavery. For Joseph went to Egypt, and as a result, was able to save his entire family–his aged father and his brothers who hated him, their wives, children and all the servants in their households. Am I in Canada to be able to save my dear dad and my family from a crisis in the United States, when things go really bad there?
Canada’s Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP): Canada’s Finance Minister Flaherty responds regarding this, as well as the RESP and TFSA
I have today received a letter dated May 16, 2012, from the Honourable James M. Flaherty, Minister of Finance. I had no idea why I did not get a reply to my correspondence when I knew others had, so I am very pleased to finally get Mr. Flaherty’s letter. It does not give me what I’d like to hear, but it stops my guessing regarding the use of the beneficial Registered Disability Savings Plan for my son and the disabled family members of other such Canadian-American families.
He has confirmed that the RDSP (as well as the TFSA and RESP) are not recognized in the Canada-United States Income Tax Convention but that my concerns on this matter will be considered when the Convention is next open for renegotiation.
Misunderstanding the Ex-Patriot Act
This is my first post here and I want to give my huge thanks to Petros and all of the contributors to the Isaac Brock Society. You’re doing great work and I and many other expats appreciate it. I know some of you are already familiar with me due to reading my Overseas Exile blog and I have a confession to make: I steal stuff from you guys. You’re awesome 🙂
Please note regarding the following: I am not a lawyer and this is my interpretation of the law. I think it’s correct, but if I’m full of it, please feel free to tell me why.