From: Conclusion – Listen to Canadians in OpenMedia: “Canada’s Privacy Plan – A Crowdsourced Agenda for Tackling Canada’s Privacy Deficit”:

Behind the backs of their citizens, governments have been building surveillance tools unparalleled in their invasiveness, scope, and power. Our oversight mechanisms, designed for a different era, need to make sense in the 21st century. It’s remarkable that much of what we now know, we owe not to our official oversight bodies, but instead to a single NSA whistleblower, Edward Snowden.

This project came in response to these revelations, and to the perfect storm of legislation being advanced by a government seemingly determined to sacrifice Canadians’ most basic human and democratic rights on the altar of an increasingly powerful and unaccountable security bureaucracy.

As an organization, participatory values are at the heart of everything OpenMedia does. We don’t just want citizens to have a seat at the table, we work to place citizens at the heart of decision-making. That’s why we’ve tried to reach out to the broadest possible number of Canadians to help shape this report. This open, participatory approach is all the more important given the government’s efforts to conceal the dramatic expansion of its surveillance capabilities from Canadians.

Canadians are clearly deeply concerned about their country’s continuing evolution toward out-of-control government surveillance. This is borne out both by our own crowdsourcing work, and by opinion surveys conducted independently.

“Canada’s Privacy Plan”  (96 pages)

“Key Recommondations, Canada’s Privacy Plan”  (4 pages)

Send this Crowdsourced Action Plan to your Senators

The Senate is about to vote on Bill C-51 which will undermine the privacy of every Canadian.

Enter your information below. We will use it to email this Privacy Plan to your Senators.

First name

Last name

Email

Province *

We will protect your privacy, and keep you informed about this campaign and others. Find OpenMedia’s privacy policy here.

************

Related, also read Lynne Swanson’s post at Maple Sandbox: C51 Gives CRA Right to Share Tax Info

Money Sense reports Your tax info at heightened risk.

Money Sense is not exactly what one could call left wing civil liberties fanatics. Yet they report:

The CRA can now share not only your home address, but all of your financial information within the government, without any form of consent or a warrant.

All the CRA needs is to believe “there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the information would be relevant to an investigation of whether the activity of any person may constitute threats to the security of Canada.”

What’s more, the CRA can distribute these private details “on its own initiative,” possibly spurring…a “wide-scale fishing expedition.”

A Ryerson University professor says the more people that have access to taxpayer information under Bill C-51, the higher the risk of leaks, hacks and other foul play. He also says:

The change in legislation is “unprecedented. It’s snooping and meddling of the worst kind.”

Of course, CRA will have far more information about U.S. persons than they will about other Canadians because of FATCA. So the snooping and risk to us is mammoth.

Are we suspects of a “threat to the security of Canada?” Who knows?

I think we are defenders of Canada. But, I think it’s safe to assume the government is following Sandbox and Brock and that they consider us threats.

This is one more huge reason why we must persevere in our fight for our rights. Please keep those donations to ADCS coming.

Hmmm. Do they consider ADCS a “threat to the security of Canada” for standing up for the Charter of Rights and Freedoms?

**************

Something else I think is related:

I made this comment yesterday:

https://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2015/05/03/99929-needed-in-94-more-days-to-make-the-100000-august-4-2015-payment-for-canadian-fatca-iga-lawsuit-il-nous-reste-99929-a-ramasser-pour-notre-poursuite-judiciaire/comment-page-17/#comment-6146553

But now I am somewhat buoyed regarding *dual citizenship* and ALLEGIANCE as I’ve found on the US Embassy in Ottawa site: http://canada.usembassy.gov/consular_services/dual-citizenship.html which says (emphasis mine)

…
The U.S. Government acknowledges that dual nationality exists but does not encourage it as a matter of policy because of the problems it may cause. Claims of other countries on dual national U.S. citizens may conflict with U.S. law, and dual nationality may limit U.S. Government efforts to assist citizens abroad. The country where a dual national is located generally has a stronger claim to that person’s allegiance.

…

***********

That shows me the disregard of this Canadian government for its citizens who are also US citizens or *duals* as we are now referred to as *US citizens who happen to reside in Canada*. That doesn’t sound like Canada cares a whit about my allegiance to Canada (as I chose to become a Canadian citizen) or that of my children (born in Calgary, AB, Canada).

I don’t like how many Canadian Bills shoved through Parliament work together in taking away our rights.

Do you?

Please stand up for the rights of all Canadians: http://www.adcs-adsc.ca/

FULL ISA GUIDE (UK) – Save without paying tax is similar to  Canada’s Registered Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA).  Neither come with a warning sticker for investors who may be (or may not be) *US Persons* as to whom and how the US considers the ISA and the TFSA *foreign trusts*.

Both the UK/US Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) and the Canada/US Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) set out exemptions for the UK ISA and the Canadian TFSA.

Now, even with the UK IGA exempting the ISA, some investment brokers are refusing to open accounts for British savers who have US citizenship, as a result of draconian laws introduced by US tax authorities.

The legislation, called Foreign Account Tax Compliant Act (or “Fatca”), requires banks, brokers and other finance firms to report the names and financial details of US customers to America’s Internal Revenue Service.

This is costly and some organisations, including National Savings & Investments, have decided not to comply. Instead they have closed the accounts of US nationals, or refused applications for new accounts.

It has emerged that a number of DIY brokers have decided to take similar action, updating their terms and conditions to bar US citizens even if they are British residents and taxpayers.

…“We had not previously requested details regarding client nationalities as prior to last year there was no requirement to do so. When we become aware that a client has US links we explain any decision regarding the closure of the account to the client and what their options are.”

Other brokers to halt the opening of new accounts for US citizens include Interactive Investor, the Share Centre and Alliance Trust Savings.

The Share Centre’s current terms and conditions state: “In the future, should you become an American citizen, you agree to inform us immediately and consent to the automatic closure of your account.”

**********

Which other countries will follow suit / copy cat to protect themselves, even for such accounts *IGA exempted from FATCA reporting*?

A good friend of mine, a Canadian citizen who has lived in Canada for 40 years, recently shared some of her thoughts with me regarding what she describes as a sort of cognitive dissonance in terms of her changing feelings towards the country she was born in, grew up in, and is still a citizen of – the USA. The following is narrated from some emails she sent me, and for which she gave permission to share with the Brock community. She says:

I needed a break from all this FATCA craziness, so went to a show called “Rock ‘n Roll Legends”, at a local theater with my neighbours. Although the theater is small, it is a class act and people come from all over to watch the shows. I expected to have trouble staying in my seat and figured I would want to dance up and down the aisles. And it was just fabulous! They did this retrospective of showing US news on the screen while performing the music that was current at the time from the 60′ and 70’s. The cast was amazing. They had the music just absolutely perfectly dead on, all could sing unbelievably well, mimicking the original artists perfectly, and each played multiple instruments.

It was unreal. But the most unpredictable thing happened to me. Instead of wanting to dance in the aisles, I ended up sobbing. You didn’t grow up in the USA, and are much younger than me. I lived through Viet Nam and lost classmates. I lived through the atrocities committed, and yet I loved my country – not the government but the nation. I loved my classmates that died in Nam, understood that: only the poor kids were sent to fight and were not honoured upon their return;  the politicians’ kids didn’t go; and the country didn’t care about the expendable poor kids but just used them for political fodder.

In a strange way that whole era, combined in my head at the same time with this FATCA mess we are currently in, and I had this soul wrenching, demoralizing sense of utter betrayal and complete understanding of what a fool I have been for so many years. I just sobbed. They showed pictures from Viet Nam – the young soldiers, the devastation – all to the backdrop of “He ain’t heavy he’s my brother”. It just killed me.

To actually have believed that the country was good, but to now understand that the government has always been and always will be just simply cruel, makes me ashamed to have this red, white and blue tattoo, just simply ashamed. Yet it is who I am. At a gut level I think I actually see myself as an American living in Canada. But now I am left with this empty, groundless, terrifying feeling. I cannot shed this ‘American thing’ that is me, nor am I really Canadian (aside from living here for 40 years and having a Canadian passport).

In the grand scale of life does it really matter? We are all citizens of this planet. Maybe having what one calls a ‘national identity’ is just simply foolish, and an ego thing. Intellectually, I believe this but in my gut I am simply sick, sad and very, very unhappy. It is a sense of being adrift, beyond lonely, of not having one drop of solid ground under my feet, having no identity, and of being terrified of and hurt by my once beloved country.

Am I making one drop of sense? I really can’t describe the source of my tears nor the pain in my tummy. Betrayal? Fear? Being adrift? Am I overreacting? Maybe being involved with this fight day in and day out is causing me to flip out. But it is real, and not dealing with it, not fighting back will do nothing to make it go away. I have to stay involved. Taking a break will just cause me more anxiety.

Well, so much for it being a fun night. I now feel hung over and exhausted, and I didn’t drink a thing! My head is stuck in a depressive bubble.

TORONTO
Sunday
May 31,2015
12 noon – 2 p.m.
$20.00
Carr Hall
100 St. Joseph St.
Toronto ON M5S 2C4
MAP
 
The “FATCA Hunt” – the hunt for U.S. persons (whatever that is) began on July 1, 2014 which was “Canada Day”. Although both the definition of “U.S. person” and whether one meets the definition is not always clear, the search has begun. The level of FATCA awareness has begun. Some organizations are actively warning people that “U.S. Personness” matters. The purpose of the warning is presumably to encourage people to ”come clean” and deal with their U.S. tax situations. In some cases, there is no particular warning – just a letter indicating that they are suspected to be a “U.S. person”. Often one must prove to the institution sending the letter that one is not a U.S. person.

We have recently learned that no Canadians have yet been reported by the CRA to the IRS. This will not occur prior to September 15 and is required by September 30, 2015. You may wish to keep track of a suit trying to prevent this information from leaving Canada
www.adcs-adsc.ca
 
WHO: John Richardson, B.A., L.L.B., J.D., is a Toronto lawyer and a member of the Ontario Bar.
Citizenshipsolutions.ca

ADMISSION: $20 per individual or $40 for a family up to four. Payable in cash at the door.
 
Hope to see you, your families and friends! Spread the word!
 
Information presented is NOT intended or offered as legal or accounting advice specific to your situation.
 

We hear the word ‘narcissist’ a lot these days in articles and media. It has become a popular buzzword used to describe manipulative, controlling people who have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for admiration, a sense of entitlement, and a lack of empathy for others.  According to psychcentral.com, in order for a person to be diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) they must have five or more of the following  symptoms:

• Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
• Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
• Believes that he or she is “special” and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
• Requires excessive admiration
• Has a very strong sense of entitlement, e.g., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
• Is exploitative of others, e.g., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
• Lacks empathy, e.g., is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
• Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her
• Regularly shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes

Most experts agree that narcissism exists on a continuum, with some people naturally being more narcissistic than others, such that the defining line between who has a full blown narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) versus who exhibits highly narcissistic traits is not distinct.  Essentially, to some degree, all of us have behaved narcissistically at one point or another.  Regardless whether we are dealing with full blown NPD or a highly narcissistic person, such individuals can cause a lot of pain and chaos in the lives of those they cross paths with.

 Psychologists and therapists say, watch out if you suspect you are dealing with a highly narcissistic person as their personality is typically fixed, and no amount of pleading, explaining or appealing to their non-existent empathy will change their behaviour unless something is in it for them.  Your best bet is to run far away and never look back if you can. If you are forced to deal with them on a regular basis, for example if such a person is your boss or your parent or your spouse, there are ways to make life less chaotic in terms of how you relate to them, but never forget that they are who they are, and will always be who they are.

Is the USA behaving like a narcissist with regards to its ‘US persons’ living outside USA?

Is USA’s insistence on unique to the world, citizenship based taxation (Eritrea doesn’t count), indicative of a grandiose sense of self-importance?

Is USA preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, and does it believe it is ‘special’ and unique, to the degree that it can justify taxation on people who neither live nor work within the geographical boundaries of the United States of America?

Does the USA require excessive admiration by insisting that people who have lived entire lives outside the USA pay tribute to the USA in the form of taxation and the revealing of their so-called ‘foreign’ bank accounts, simply because they were born on ‘special’ US soil?

Does the USA reveal a strong sense of entitlement by insisting that all other countries in the world, at their own expense, hunt down their own citizens living in their own countries, just because USA says these people are its ‘US persons’?

Is the USA being exploitative of other countries by threatening them with economic sanctions if they do not hand over their US born citizens (and other ‘US persons’ as defined by the USA) to the USA?

Does the USA lack empathy for those it deems ‘US persons’ who are typically citizens of other countries living in those other countries, paying taxes already in those other countries, and who cannot live normal financial lives, cannot save adequately for retirement, and are burdened by having to marry two incompatible tax systems?

Does the USA show arrogant, haughty behaviour or attitude by presuming it is OK for it to be the ONLY country in the world(Eritrea doesn’t count) to impose citizenship based taxation, knowing full well that if ALL countries did this, the world would be a financial mess?

Even if FATCA and CBT are struck down, is it safe to remain a ‘US person’ living outside USA, or is your best bet to run to the nearest US consulate and renounce US citizenship to get the narcissist out of your life forever?

While waiting around for the Cavaliers Hawks game to begin I came across this!

http://www.moodystax.com/downloads/Renouncing-Part2-Appendix.pdf

From this:

http://www.moodysgartner.com/renouncing-your-us-citizenship-new-law-may-keep-you-out-forever/