Here is an interesting article about citizenship and the USA. LET ME BE CLEAR HERE THAT I AM NOT INTERESTED IN RENOUNCING MY CITIZENSHIP OF THE USA. I love the former USA, it just does not like me so much. I thought that in the Declaration of Independence we were no longer subjects of a government / king/ dictator. That we had God given inalienable rights? You know rights from our creator, and I do not think that the US government is my creator/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2014/08/28/u-s-hikes-fee-to-renounce-citizenship-by-422/
The gist of the article is that you now must pay $2,350.00 to the U.S. government to renounce your citizenship.
YOU MUST NOW PAY TO BUY YOUR FREEDOM. JUST LIKE A SLAVE BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR!
Ok I get it that you should have to pay to join the USA (become a citizen) but since when do you have to pay to leave an organization, club or association? Typically you just tell them and leave right?
If you wanted to quit your job would you have to pay? No.
If you were a member of a social or dinner club would you have to pay to quit your membership? No.
If you were a member of a church would you pay to leave that church? No, but you must pay to leave the USA and renounce your membership. I could understand a small processing fee but really $2,350.00?
This begs the question: How much are the illegal aliens having to pay to come into the former USA, and get free health care, housing, education and food? It is all now backwards when we have to pay to not be a citizen and get paid to be a citizen.
Maybe this is telling us that it is not so good to be a citizen anymore. Will there come a day when you will not be permitted to renounce your citizenship? Will there come a day when you will not be able to leave the former USA with out permission? (On a side note: this day has come and past. You now can not leave the former USA if you owe taxes.)
Ask yourself if you are ready for the next loss of freedom? Comments are more than welcome.
Over 110 hits on this post and not one comment? I guess everyone is resolved to the fact that they too are slaves?
ReplyDeleteYep. Nothing I can do about it: can't stop it, can't reverse, and there's really nowhere to go to escape it. No reason to get upset. Thus has it ever been.
ReplyDeleteStone walls do not a prison make,
Nor iron bars a cage;
Minds innocent and quiet take
That for an hermitage;
If I have freedom in my love
And in my soul am free,
Angels alone, that soar above,
Enjoy such liberty.
I agree with you but I just hope i can mitigate the effects some. Thanks for the comments brother.
DeleteAfter thinking about what you said, I would add that you can change where you are. It is hard, expensive, an uprooting experience that is for the lack of words scary to go through, but if you are not happy with where your are and how you live and the health and safety of your family then you are the only one that can change the road your are on.
DeleteI think you know that Lori and I have had a time of it getting here, and staying here financially, but we trust that it is where God wants us to be and he will and has provided.
It is very, very difficult to step out of the comfortable box where most of us live day to day.
I am not saying we to complain about the way it is or even give it a second thought. All I am saying is that you and God are in Charge of your life.
I know easy for me to say eh?
My prayers are with you.
Jim
Thanks, Jim.
DeleteThe kicker for us, so far, is that we're not unhappy. Certainly not unhappy-enough to go from "idly dreaming" of living somewhere else to doing the heavy lifting.
But we're continuing that prayerful discernment of where He wants us to go and what He wants us to do. And we continue to pray for y'all.
We really appreciate your prayers. Thank you.
The $2,350.00 you speak of is actually an exiting tax, no different than any other tax US citizens are required to pay for other type situations....so nothing new here. There are administrative duties associated with this process that require paying Govt. employees, so who do you think should pay these charges, other US tax payers? The person wanting to renounce should pay their own way, and from reading your post I would think you would understand this process. Your views seem to fall more in line with an anarchist viewpoint than that of a freedom loving person. As far as the "slave" reference....as a US citizen living abroad, you are now a slave to two masters.
DeleteMark first let me say again that I am not in favor of renouncing my citizenship in the former USA. As a veteran, I still love the former USA it just does not like me!
DeleteNow:
Mark I agree with you that I should pay my way. I am not an anarchist but I do think that all the other taxes I am already paying including income taxes on money I make in the former USA and here abroad would more than suffice the cost of renouncing a citizenship.They do not have federal tole booths at every bridge do they? Taxes are a total pool thing. I would think that the fees I am already paying to leave the country would suffice with a $110.00 / passport; the fuel taxes that I pay as a passenger in included my ticket (aviation fuel taxes are more than 50%, and that is trickled down to the passenger), baggage fees, sales taxes, taxes on the food I eat to and from the airport, taxes on car rental........... on and on and on! (they would come up with an inhale and exhale tax if they could monitor it for our carbon foot print! Who is going to administrate that tax? Why should I pay to have it administrated?)
My point is first of all is this is not a TAX issue. It is a freedom issue. (remember the delcaration of independence over taxes?) I am already paying too much taxes on everything else. I am almost afraid to mention any more taxes I may be paying as I may be wrong and give them an idea for a new tax!
This is a punishment FEE not a tax! Plain and simple, it is a punishment for getting out of the hamster wheel of taxation with out representation. This is not a fair share tax that I need to feel obligated to pay. How much are the illegal aliens today paying coming into the former USA? Are they paying their fair share?
Slave! Yes I am a slave, but just to the former USA hunting me down for every worthless penny. I pay a consumption tax here where I am now, but that is righteous from any point of view. So no I am not an anarchist but I tell you this........... I am working on cutting the chains that bind me to this slavery every day. Yes I understand the process and it seems to me that it should cost more to become a citizen the to renounce. I am not a subject of the former USA government. It sounds like you think all people should be? So yea Mark I get it. This is a punishment not a fee or a tax. It is simply a punishment from the communist marxists who need you and I to fuel their social agenda.
Jim Dorchak