The U.S. citizenship ceremony is an iconic rite of passage for immigrants.
Would-be Americans gather to pledge allegiance to the Stars and Stripes. There are cheers and often tears, patriotic speeches, sometimes music, and plenty of flag waving.
Now, a small but growing band of Americans in Canada is doing it in reverse ”“ gathering en masse to begin the process of becoming un-American.
It is far worse than even the article indicates, and reflects a profoundly disturbing trend — the fervent desire to have US law apply not only within US territory, but to any US citizen, anywhere. To my knowledge this is utterly unprecedented at any time or place in history.
Not only are the US attempting to apply their somewhat draconian tax regimes around the world, they’re in the course of doing the exact same thing with their idiotic drug laws. You know, because they work so well at home.
Henceforth, if I help some poor campesino in Bolivia grow his coca better (cops in Bolivia carry coca leaves for low-altitude folks to chew when dealing with [i]soroche[/i] — altitude sickness) I will be subject to arrest and imprisonment, as well as the seizure of my assets … even though production and consumption of coca leaves is completely legal in Bolivia.
Something has gone desperately wrong in Washington. My 6G-grandfather signed the Declaration of Independence. I am closely related to three Presidents. And my family has brought forth officers (and plenty of enlisted) for the defence of this land in every single generation since 1701.
The desperate hunger for ever-greater power and revenue in Washington must be stopped. They have already begun to turn that hunger onto Americans at home — the TSA is now setting up roadblocks on assorted American highways, and if you do not allow them to search your vehicle you will not be allowed to proceed.
“Fourth Amendment rights? You ain’t got no stinkin’ Fourth Amendment Rights.” Americans: are you paying attention? Hello? Anybody home?
We are rapidly turning into the worst sort of dictatorship and it’s aided and abetted by both political parties and all three branches of government.
Now my Tea Party affiliation seems more important to me……and I’m sure, to others, too.
Hmmm…I have the opposite reaction here. I think Christians are obligated to render to Caesar the things that are Caesars. If you are an American citizen, you are still an American citizen even if you are in Canada or elsewhere. I do not see how hiding your assets over seas is moral or ethical.
seems consistent with social contract theory: you have responsibilities as well as rights in a voluntary contract with civil authorities.
The TSA roadblocks Bart Hall mentioned (any news articles on that?) remind me of the saying that those who trade liberty for security will wind up with neither.
Archer, it is one thing to seek hidden assets upon which tax is owed, but it is quite another to make all US citizens subject to US law wherever they may be.
Try:
http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/06/tsa-swarms-8000-bus-stations-public-transit-systems-yearly
http://americannationalistnews.wordpress.com/2011/10/28/tsa-checkpoints-in-tennesse-are-no-more/
http://newstalk870.am/tsa-checkpoints-showing-up-in-tenn-michigan/
@ Archer, I don’t think rendering unto Caesar prevents one from arguing against Caesar’s practices. Also, moving to a different country is not the same as hiding assets in Switzerland, Cayman Islands, etc.
#1–It is not unprecendented. In the Roman Empire the law of Rome was considered to “travel” with the Roman Citizen. That is how Paul was able to appeal to the Emperor even though he was in Palestine/Judea. For Romans it worked the other way around–they didn’t have to pony up to the local tax collectors.
Not quite the same. Palestine was under direct Roman control and a part of the Empire. Does the US claim sovereignty over Canada? Or claim that other nations are part of the United States Empire?
IRS tars law-abiding expats with same brush as tax cheats
I’m not keen on expats getting nailed for taxes when they haven’t been living at home for the past few decades, but I don’t feel sorry for someone who became a Canadian citizen and didn’t think to become fully Canadian until it was inconvenient to be an American.
[blockquote]“This is heavy-handed,†said Mr. Wittgen, who became Canadian in 2003 and has a Canadian wife and family.[/blockquote]
Yeah, I know Canada recognizes some forms of dual-citizenship, and even the US condones such. But I think (abusing metaphors) that if you’re going to enjoy the best of both worlds you shouldn’t be shocked when it’s time to pay both pipers.
Why should not American law be applicable to American citizens anywhere? You are still an American, whether you are in Australia, Canada, or Angola. If you are in a foreign country and get legally arrested for being an American, the American consulate or ambassador is going to be the first person you try to contact to come help you. You still claim rights as an American even when you live overseas. You do not renounce all your rights and privileges as an American citizen when you choose to live overseas, so why should that not logically work in reverse? Why should not the Government of America seek to enforce its its rights as well?
And let me say I am not in favor of many American policies like the TSA overreaches or the bizarre US tax code. But, I still have a moral duty to pay taxes to support the welfare of my country of citizenship. I still have a duty to vote. Just because I am living overseas does not mean I am somehow ethically off the hook to my American responsibilities of being a citizen of the USA, just as I am not ethically off the hook for moral responsibilities as a Christian once I am off the Church building’s premises.
And, for the record, the TSA roadblocks thing is greatly overblown. http://blog.tsa.gov/2011/10/myth-buster-tsa-not-setting-up.html
There is never a complaint when an American overseas is arrested or detained and the American authorities have to jump in to save the situation. Way back when, I had a friend who enjoyed split citizenship, although he lived in the States all of his life (Mom was Canadian). To my recollection, the only time he ever exercised that dual status was when it came time to register for the draft (Vietnam era). I’m certain he viewed it as a sort of “get out of jail free” card.
Perhaps if you vacation in another country for a month you should be absolved from 1/12 of your taxes? Perhaps police officers should stop paying bills until you get back? Perhaps the navy should tie up to the pier and get part-time jobs during the summer? Perhaps when I leave my home during the day I should not count that portion as occupied towards my rent?
As someone who lived abroad for 9 years (UK), please just remember. A US citizen living abroad pays UK taxes and abides by UK law. He/she contribute to a Social Security equivalent. It’s not like the US citizen is tax-free. I must even now file tax forms in Canada and the US. In both cases (UK and Canada) one files and the figures are filed again in the US, with tax credit, etc and adjustments. I’m unclear what is at issue here. It’s one h-ll of a lot of work, I can say that. But no one is benefitting from this, or shouldn’t be. If you are a full time resident in another country you are not a tourist and you are not exempted from tax. You are paying the full tax required by law wherever you live.
#18: Exactly so. I know of no other country that does as the US does.
#17, It is one thing when you live in the US and go abroad for a brief time – it is another when your legal residence and your job are in another country.
I can understand why the IRS wants to pursue those who hide assets abroad but whose legal, and actual, residence is still here. But why they have to penalize those whose life has, for any number of legitimate reasons, has brought them to another country is beyond me. At the very least, the IRS or the State Dept ought to let people going abroad for an extended time know of the consequences regarding taxes.
As I understand it from friends and relatives with dual citizenship, as long as you’re honest, and report like the IRS requires, you’re not out any more money in taxes since IRS and Canada Revenue have a tax treaty. So the ones who should really worry are the ones who are trying to cheat. Also, it reminds me of the Christian life in that wherever we live, we must render to God such as supports the work of his kingdom.
This thread reminds me of a trip I took to Toronto once to take the deposition of some Canadians who were witnesses in a lawsuit pending in Illinois. As I was leaving Canada, I was held at the border for 45 minutes and interrogated by two Canadian border agents (who, I should add, were very polite in an aggressive sort of way) who asked every possible question to try to establish that I had made some income during my three days in Canada that was subject to the Canadian income tax. I think I could have gotten through the border more easily had I merely been smuggling cocaine. They finally gave up, but Javert was never more relentless. I learned then that the Canadians can be as ruthless as the IRS in getting all money due to them (which, on that occasion, turned out to be none of mine).
#21 Yes, and when I went through the elaborate process of signing onto the UK equivalent of SS, I was informed that there would be some form of reciprocity should I return (which I planned to do). I will need to check on that. #20 I do agree that it would be very good if the IRS warned people. It seems counter-intutitive (or it did to me at the time) to be paying tax in the country where one lives and then have the IRS involved as well — what does it mean to earn a living and do all that is required in one’s nation of residence and yet still be considered a taxable entity in the US? But there it is. As #21 says, at least there are IRS acknowledgment of taxes paid.
US Citizens receive a US tax credit for foreign taxes they pay on their income.
#24 — as I said, I am a bit unclear why there is a story here, for the reasons you compactly state.
A slow news day at the Globe & Mail, perhaps. Mr Harper hasn’t said anything too right-wing-sounding lately; Mr Berlusconi’s shenanigans aren’t anything for us to get too upset about; and the Greek crisis and the Occupy movement are becoming old news.
Br Michael- David Keller’s illustration of Paul appealing to Rome was not on all fours with the point he was making, which, in turn, was not as universal as it should have been.
If one Roman had killed, injured, adopted, married, or contracted with another even in the distant Courts of Cathay, Roman law applied. Nor could a Roman find anywhere in the world to hide from Roman taxes.
More importantly, depending on the issue at stake, the practice of the state finding jursidiction no matter where its citizen is has been practiced widely and without interruption both before and ever since the Romans. The modern US government hardly invented the practice and is by no means alone in it.
Whether a foreign jurisdiction cooperates with that state’s claim is an entirely different matter, of course.