I recently celebrated my fifth anniversary of freedom from all things “American.” Ironically, it coincided with the inauguration of Donald J Trump as POTUS. I’ve been a bit distracted by the confirmation hearings and the immediate movement via Executive Orders on some of the less than charming policies that to my mind and heart, are completely un-American. Oddly enough, it reminds me of the beginning of my expat saga, with the all-too-familiar horror of how vicious and unrelenting the US has become. The main thing that becomes apparent, is how important Brock has become, not only to all of you, but also, to me.
Looking back, it is hard to imagine any part of my expat experience that does not include Brock (probably about 6 weeks total). The site has been so much more than we anticipated. We developed our knowledge and outlook through combined research, in order to protect ourselves from the “alternative facts” being promoted at the time by the tax compliance industry, the media and government figures like Levin and Shulman. Secondly, it was the ONLY place expats could go for support; to get reassurance that this was not imagined or exaggerated. Everything about the OMG moment was 100% true. People leaned on people for the support they didn’t get from their spouses, parents, families, friends, employers or representatives. Without Brock, I don’t think there would be ADCS-ADCS or the Canadian lawsuit. There would not have been the network of people to help with and promote the Information Sessions. There would not have been such a massive submission to the Senate Finance Committee. No Brock SWAT team on the endless comment sections of articles. (SWAT=”Special Writers and Thinkers). No expansion into the various FB groups and Twitter accounts. No ADCT. No mini
protests. No “We Are Not a Myth.” No submission to the United Nations. No campaigns to reach out to journalists, mayors, other expats, etc. I am probably missing things but you get the idea.
Perhaps one of the most unexpected directions Brock took was to be the focal point for donations for the ADCS-ADSC lawsuit in Canada. It is probably this that changed Brock more than anything else; Brock is not at all the same as it was in the beginning. This is hard to explain to newer people but it is true all the same. And over time, Brock has developed an international visibility. It is a place where letter writing campaigns and Twitter rallies are organized. It is a place where the more “shocking” ideas are explored (shocking to the Homelander-American exceptionalist viewpoint). It was, I believe, from Brock, that the strongest “screaming” became evident and which helped push certain changes that have occurred in the last five years. The fact we were not “politically correct,” not afraid to speak out against US policy, Shulman, Levin, Obama, et al is what made us different. Things we started with (renunciation, remaining full-ostrich) were so taboo five years ago. I remember being shocked at renounceuscitizenship’s blog -wincing at the very title (even though I had already decided that was what I was going to do)! These developments were what didn’t happen in the other expat forums, groups (or considered by the professionals) and absolutely what needed to happen. There is not one shred of doubt in my mind that Brock is what made the now common renunciation movement, possible. We own that.
As is to be expected, whenever a group of people interact, there are problems, issues, difficult moments and so on. There have been a number of situations in the past few months that have motivated the Committee to review and re-evaluate what is happening here. We recognize that we’ve (everybody) all worked hard to make Brock what it is. There have always been (and still are) only two main “rules” here.
1) Use only one alias. When people write under multiple identities, they undermine the integrity of our conversations. It is dishonest and shows a callous lack of respect for the other people taking part. There have been incidents where such a person “talks” to him/herself as a different person. This is simply misusing precious anonymity (which most here rely upon) as a way to promote one’s own way of thinking. If you decide you want to change your alias, just let us know and then use the new one (only).
2) No personal attacks. This is an area where we have not always “been on top” of what has gone on. In the past, many such exchanges have taken place. Going forward we all need to be on the same page, being aware of two different situations before letting loose.
Firstly, we have attacks that occur within our Brock community (which naturally extends to our broader sphere such as “lurkers” and people who drop in to check out the site, look for info etc). Comments where one person swears at another, threatens them or their family, is aggressive, makes accusations, harps on endlessly with non-constructive intent etc, will be removed and ongoing comments put in immediate moderation. (Moderation does not mean changing content; it means future comments have to be approved; we do not make changes to comments unless asked to by the author). These types of attacks are negative, unsupportive and generally not the sort that lead to more understanding or knowledge. In other words, they serve no real purpose other than one asserting themselves against another person. Often the same people pushing the same people’s buttons over and over and over again…….
Secondly, we have the issue of real persons outside of our immediate community and the issue of defamation. Tax compliance professionals, judges and lawyers involved in our case, etc. This is where we need to take note of the fact that things everyone says makes Brock (i.e., Peter and possibly the rest of the Committee as well as the commenter) liable to be sued. Should that happen, it would likely be the end of Brock. “Real people” means those whose real names are used, reference made to their profession etc. Singled out, not protected by an alias. People some of us will run into in the course of things. No matter how justified one may feel, to call such a person a derogatory term, criticize without direct proof etc, puts Brock in jeopardy. In this regard, the risk Peter et al. takes is similar to that which Ginny, Gwenny and Katia take. All are taking a chance of being personally financially responsible for an undefined level of punitive action. No one would do anything that would put our plaintiffs in a compromised position. It is reasonable for the members of the Committee to take steps to protect themselves. So please, before making any kind of comment that could be defamatory, make sure you have real, true information (not just opinion) and that you demonstrate/reference it. If there are substantiated facts to support criticism of a point of view, that is one thing. Developing a sound well-reasoned perspective need not involve any sense of attacking someone else. Calling someone a degrading name, threatening to harass them or their firm, will result in the comment being deleted and ongoing comments put in immediate moderation. That kind of behavior has nothing to do with improving our situation.
What is wanted is to create a place where people want to come to, participate in, and hopefully, become more involved in what we are doing. The tone of comments and type of language used has affected things such as donations to the lawsuit. People have given so much in terms of time, energy and money. In other words, Brock is bigger than any one of us-why hurt the cause?
Much is expected
Brock has played a large role in the expat movement over the last five years. It might be that we sometimes don’t appreciate that because we are so used to having it at our fingertips. But please do consider whether your words and actions are positive in tone and intent-this is how we can have the greatest impact on this ongoing dilemma of unwanted U.S. persecution.
Well said Tricia! A great reminder of what is important. We all have the same end goal so let’s not get bogged down. Surgite!
@ Patricia Moon
Well said and gratefully read. It’s probably obvious that I’m not too into all the technicalities of this CBT/FBAR/FATCA dilemma but I am always touched when someone shares their situation with us and I positively beam with pride when Brockers step in with understanding to offer their best attempts at advice. When someone receives their CLN I’m as happy as they are that they will soon be leaving their costly paper burden behind but yet I feel sad that for many it is very difficult to lose the nationality of their birth. Brock is at least 99% of the time a good place to come to and when it does get a bit rocky I can sidestep around, knowing that things will settle down soon. We’ve all felt, to varying degrees, a sense of being suffocated by the weight of US tax policy and as long as we vent at that injustice and not our fellow sufferers then we’re good to go towards the goal of obtaining fair treatment by our home governments and the US government. Thanks be to Brock, its creators and its contributers.
very well said patricia…….
were it not for this website I fear I would have made some major mistakes going forward with my life in a post fatca world….
the knowledge that were I to get a letter from a 3 letter agency from south of the border it best be added to the bottom of the bird cage is now at the forefront of my thinking and has put my mind at ease
thank you and all the administrators for this site in helping to keep me sane in and unsane situation
Thanks so much to all of you at Brock! Rules are needed to be a good community. We truly appreciate all of the Brock leaders and our plaintiffs, the risks they take for all of us and their time and dedication! Let’s be good to each other since we are all involved in this fight! We must stand united not divided!
Thanks for all you do, Patricia Moon.
This is an important and timely look at where we’re at and how we can stay relevant, respectful and be a continuing resource and support for the liberty and justice due all United States persons abroad affected by a however-deemed US citizenship, FATCA and extra-territorial taxation in our own countries of residence.
Continued appreciation to Petros for allowing us to have our conversations at this site!
Tricia – Great post! Thanks for stating this so clearly. I have “borrowed” the two rules over at Fix The Tax Treaty. Our site wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Brock paving the way and demonstrating that grass roots groups like this can provide valuable information and a focus for organised activity. Thank you to everyone on the Committee, the plaintiffs, and all the commenters here. Brock has grown into an invaluable resource for the affected US Persons everywhere in the world.
I check in every week and so appreciate this community even though I don’t post very often.
Well said. I don’t post often either, but do follow the main topics and appreciate Brock very much!
Well said and thank you. Brock is a lifesaver to many people. This site has brought out the fighter in many of us in a good way. When something happens that destroys innocent lives and is incredibly despicable such as fatca, we need to help each other. From a meeting in Toronto where I met Gwen, John Richardson and others, my fight was just the beginning. Telling our past Prime minister in person what he has done to Canadians was just one thing I felt I could do for everyone here who is a victim of the Canadian government’s treason. My family has been affected in ways most people would never wish on anyone on this earth. For this reason and all of your family’s well being, I will continue the fight and stand by you all. Working together is how we will get our freedom back. Keeping the faith in each other will beat this government’s infliction of second class citizenship and make Canada a country with only one class of citizenship. Thanks again and we are still working hard here……
Thank you for taking the time and trouble to write this thoughtful statement, Tricia. I am deeply grateful to this community. Taking a stand side by side with all of you here is the best thing I have ever done in my life.
Thanks to all for the courage of speaking out in the open about these fascist FATCA, FBAR and CBT laws that I will never obey !
It has been proven here and elswhere that Obama’s administration has violated human rights and the US constitution.
A gouvernement is supposed to protect their citizens not treat them worst than their ennemies !
Nevertheless, the US gouvernement has been treating US expats like dirt.
That movie on You Tube named “America from freedom to fascism”and many others really explains it well.
Now, people all around the world are waking up to fight the corporate globalist corporation.
Humans just don’t accept tyrannie and will allways fight it.
Freedom to all and high hopes that the republicans will repeal FATCA to make America great again 🙂
Meaning making USA a country to be proud of instead of a country to be ashamed of.
Less tolerance for adhominators? Depending on who gets personally vilified, and who does the slagging? Like always?
Libel fears? Out of direct personal acquaintance with three such situations, a few handy rules. (1) Say nothing about Israel. Nothing. (2) Never mock anything that has to do with a major media cartoon character. Never. (3) Avoid all comment whatsoever on Canadian mining corporations. Your facts and research do not matter. Avoid.
Mods now seem poised to become the compliance arbiters of “free speech.” Worrisome.
Maybe relieve those authoritarian urges by pushing other kinds of compliance? (Pay can be way better.)
Thank you for reminding us to keep things civil here Tricia. I second what 2terrified2sleep says: “Let’s be good to each other since we are all involved in this fight! We must stand united not divided!” Much appreciation to you and the other members of the Brock committee for all you do to keep this site going.
I’ve stated many times on these pages what an absolute lifesaver, sanity-saver, and even marriage-saver this site has been. Immeasurable thanks to all who keep the site going, and more so to those who’ve risked their finances and their sanity to take these issues to court. Bless you one and all.
@Gwen, “We all have the same end goal so let’s not get bogged down. Surgite!”
That is indeed all part of it and that is staying focused like a laser on the common problem because that is what keeps everyone together. Above the fold and below the fold being focused and not being distracted.
Obama and crew brought us FATCA and it does not matter if he helped keystone or stopped it.
Trump may be the vehicle to stop FATCA and it does not matter if he cuts UN funding or raises it.
And between the lines what P Moon writes, there is the matter of remaining POSITIVE and being encouraging to everyone.
ACA and DA fought for SCE and I always felt it was wrong to discourage them because it was another front in the battle.
Discouraging those that are fighting for TBT instead of RBT is wrong as well. I think that was very discouraging to Keth R. when he needed to be encouraged.
Allies are what is needed and encoragement is the psychological supply line that needs to be there.
We need Bopp fighting in court with RO!!
We need ADCT doing their thing due south.
We need ADCS doing their thing due north.
We need Keith R. back in the saddle again.
We need to encourage our friends in OZ doing it is whatever it is they are doing…..but it is OZ and well life is different in the land of OZ. 🙂
ACA appears to be engaging in the fight again and we need to encourage them too even if it is SCE 2.0!!
Major battles are only won when there is a concerted effort to the same cause and the same cause is defeat of FATCA followed by defeat of CBT.
We can not be herding cats we need to be functioning as a wolf pack.
Peace
Lastly……as an outsider….far far away…….I do believe that ADCS is the best functioning entity that is engaged in the overall battle right now.
With ADCS….all eight cylinders are humming along in a well tuned engine.
Slip ups will occur and have occurred but forward is the direction and forward it has remained.
@Trish
Thanks for this post.
I’m so grateful Brock’s been there almost all the way for me, from the terror and anger I felt in the beginning to the outrage and anger I feel today. I am at least no longer scared thanks in big part to the sharing of information and insights by the many knowledgeable, wise people who have contributed to this amazing blog. It’s funny that I stayed away in the beginning thinking it was a little too subversive for me only to end up pitting myself against the Canadian government in court. Five years can make a big difference in the minds of people and the building of a movement, especially one that’s overdue.
It’s no surprise that Isaac Brock Society is gaining notoriety – even with its warts, the occasional profanity and frequent friendly fire, Isaac Brock Society is still a tough act to follow.
If there is a blessing in this, it is all the friends I’ve made around the globe through Brock and other blogs! Thank you social media, and Brock specifically for always being there.
Surgite!
@Bubbles…..I am rolling on the floor. ……”thinking it was a little too subversive.”
The imagery was one of the cover of the book “Pollyanna” and then later Pollyanna has morphed into Che Guevara and you are waving the little red book.
Yep you went from “I do not know about THESE PEOPLE” to “see you in court suckers.”
Serious note and your words were correct……friendly fire is in the air and it KILLS.
George TOR
I always looked good in pigtails or berets.
Bubblebustin and others write about being scared or fear. I actually endured that devastating emotion for two plus years. The first degree of relief came when, with Brock’s help, we maneuvered my husband to his CLN and his final filing. It wasn’t my freedom but it helped knowing he was free. That’s essentially when I, myself, became a Do Nothing because the alternative was not acceptable. This Canadian was not going to hand herself over to the IRS gang of thieves.
Then came the fund raising for ADCS which gave me something so positive to focus on that it took me through many more degrees of relief and now I very seldom have relapses. (A Do Nothing had been given the chance to do something.) The effect of that fear-filled period of my life convinced me that the physical damage would shorten my life by at least a year and that’s why I so easily relinquished a year’s worth of OAS/CPP cheques. It made me feel I was getting back at ‘them for the grief they were giving me and so many others. As a bonus I gained strength I never thought I’d have and developed some patience where very little existed before. (Even with the cautions from the ADCS team I had to see it to believe it. Justice is a very slow process here in Canada.)
The past five years has upped my EQ (Empathy Quotient) for all the people of the world who to this day are living in fear of much more than we have ever faced. They have lost their homes, been exiled from their countries, ruthlessly genocided and starved. If they can hang in there under those conditions then we, with our lighter load, can too. Surgite!
Thanks, Trish for this memory post. Someday before I head into the big cloud drift in the sky I hope to be free too. I am so happy you and others are.
I also want to thank our third plaintiff Kazia, for joining our cause and law suit. This has meant so much to Gwennie and me and eased our load considerably. I can’t say enough about that. She certainly didn’t have to stick her neck out after our claim was launched. We are so glad she did as her circumstances have highlighted another example of this overall injustice.
It’s hard ( for me at least) to be patient in the face of continuing injustice. Reading here has often helped. So many people have graciously shared their painful stories and every one touches me.
As a litigator, versed in the black and white version of law, I have been forever changed. I am thankful for this experience because of so many of you: a gift not taught in law school but one I share with law students whenever I can, especially when they ask that question: so what is it like being a plaintiff?
So I see this as another educational opportunity and gift that Brock has provided.
Thank you, one and all, for the useful information here that has helped me through a very difficult time. I would have compounded my problems immeasurably had I not come across this site. And it was a comforting feeling to know I was not alone.
‘There have always been (and still are) only two main “rules” here.’
Wilful violation of the rules is punishable in the amount of six times your net worth. Unwilful violations are only punishable in the amount of three times your net worth. An exceptional exception will be made for people who were unaware that they were Brockers: 5% of your net worth.
If you discover that you obeyed a rule, don’t fret about it. Another rule will be found that requires the exact opposite of what you did. So if you obey both rules, you break both. Off with her head! Glue it back on so it can be chopped off again!
@Pat Moon, I do not do twitter or facebook. I would not even know where to start. 🙂 BUT I do lurk at the Expat Facebook page and the open twitter feed on Fatca.
You wrote a stunning “tweet” if thats the right term on 25 January stating that if POTUS can get the world to pay for FATCA then POTUS can get Mexico to pay for the wall.
That was brilliant.
I renounced 3 years ago and the info provided here was and still is invaluable. A simple thank you isn’t even close to the degree of gratitude I feel for your help – all the contributors and comments guided me through a difficult decision and process. Keep up the good work!