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We find ourselves in a deteriorating situation where the government has become almost completely unresponsive to the people, totally ignoring their wishes. Trust hit rock bottom and both political parties are locked into some cultish ideological battle. But still working feverishly to maintain the status quo at all costs.
The police and even the rescue squads no longer serve the citizens and now brutalize any attempt at redress of grievances with military tactics on the orders of the government itself.
There are few options open to us, as far as I can tell.
We can sit by and watch as the system eventually comes crashing down but who knows how long this may take and how much suffering may occur.
Try to reform the system, but this has been tried time and again with the same results of little or no real action and now even no visible appeasement.
Support and vote for some third party candidate but in over 200 years this country has existed only one third party candidate has ever been elected to office: Millard Fillmore of the WHIG party. Most of the Whigs became republicans.
Leave the country. Assuming you can find one that will take you. This generally requires a good deal of money and would require that money be transferred to a foreign institution and converted into some other form, say Euros or gold or something else other than dollars.
Take direct action against the system in ways that may seem small but in mass can be quite effective. During the Vietnam war there were people in the service who were themselves against the war. They would get assigned to areas that dealt with the draft and intake. Once there, new draftees would have their paperwork altered, lost, misplaced or some such so as to keep them from being sent to Vietnam. Or they would be in the examination office and have some draftees that could, be rejected for one reason on another.
Or sometimes engage in sabotage or subversion. Engaging in what was known as “Malicious Obedience” where you gleefully do what you are told to the letter all the while knowing it will end in complete disaster.
In other words fighting the system anyway you can in a subversive manner. Since the systems is going to self destruct, give it a helping hand.
Or just do nothing … ?
22 Comments
cmaukonen–
Excellent diary. Thanks.
You say: “Leave the country. Assuming you can find one that will take you. This generally requires a good deal of money . . .”
Our research yielded numerous possibilities. True, some countries have much stricter immigration laws (Canada comes to mind, but great wealth is not required), but others, including France, if I remember correctly, mainly require that expats be able to show a minimal monthly benefit (can be from Social Security, annuitized retirement plans, etc.) with maybe an additional, reasonable amount of money (nest egg). Some countries actively “recruit” retiree expats, offering special benefits (seems like Panama or Costa Rica, does that–been a while since I checked).
The number of expats seems to be growing exponentially. Yahoo has numerous “expat forums,” that some folks may find worth checking out.
Highly recommended.
Blue
I share your frustration.
Yes I too have looked into leaving the country, but not in great detail. Enough to know where I would like to live.
The only problem with being an expat that I can see is
ifwhen the situation here goes to hell in a hand basket, the system may try ans snatch you back or you could very well be left there with no resources what so ever.Either one is undesirable.
don’t forget the same SOBs that control this country also control many other countries..so you may leave one bad sitution only go to another one just as bad if not worse..if you are going to leave do your homeowrk first. My family left the UK in the 17th cent to get away from repression, maybe I will need to do the same
Quite possibly.
Australasia ?
bearman–
I agree that anyone would be foolish to expatriate without (thoroughly) doing their homework. As a matter of fact, I’m not actually recommending it, just commenting to the fact that it is becoming far more prevalent, these days.
Look at Ed Schultz (talk radio host). I have a couple of books on working and living in Canada. I believe that Ed surely must have obtained his citizenship based upon one of two categories: entrepreneurial or investor class. (He bought a fishing lodge, if I understood him correctly.) Whatever, he did this about 3-5 years ago, maybe? Now, he says his wife has been diagnosed with cancer. First category requires approx $200,000-300,000, the second between $300,000-500,000. (If the exact figures are important to anyone, Google them. I could have them wrong–this is roughly what I remember from checking about 4 or 5 years, ago).
Anyway, Ed and Wendy (according to Ed) can use the Canadian health care system. Whatever he may have spent to get his citizenship, I imagine will come back to him in spades. (That’s speculation, on my part, of course.) But we can all agree, I’m sure, that eventually, we’ll all get sick, and die. And therefore, need high priced (in the US) medical care.
My point being, many folks are looking at expatriation because of the stupendous health care costs in the US, which the ACA did nothing to address.
Blue
cmaukonen–
Your comment:
“The only problem with being an expat that I can see is if when the situation here goes to hell in a hand basket, the system may try ans snatch you back or you could very well be left there with no resources what so ever.”
That has me concerned, now. I am not familiar with any laws which allows the system “to snatch you back.” What are you referring to? (Short of an American being repatriated on criminal charges, or something.)
And the “you could very well be left there with no resources what so ever.” Is there a way that the US government can move in, and one’s assets, just to take them, while one is out of the country? (IOW, we plan to keep real estate here for investment, and, in case we do want to return–that is, if we even leave.)
I’ve done a good bit of checking, but anyone can “miss” something. Let me know, please, if I need to look into these issues, further.
Thanks.
Blue
Snatch back I was referring to was what East Germany and some other Soviet block countries did with those they did not want out of the homeland for one reason or another.
The resources I was referring to was the value of the dollar going down the toilet.
Hmm, just guessing, but they could, for instance, refuse to send SS or pension payments out of the country?
Thanks, cmaukonen–
Actually, Mr. Blue had a “similar concern to yours,” in that he wondered about the US government cutting off Social Security benefits for expats, if things got bad enough (fiscally) here. He also wondered if they could use the receipt of Social Security benefits as leverage, to make expats return, if for some reason the government wanted to force American citizens back to the US. Of course, Medicare insurance cannot be used outside of the US, anyway.
Heck, you’ve made a good point about the Soviet block countries, but “Heavens to Betsy,” (as my elderly Mother used to say), surely we’re not there yet! Of course, the way things are going . . .
The part about the dollar, I didn’t even think of that. Mr. Blue says we’ll take your comment under consideration (he’s the “finance” person–I just check out the countries themselves, legal proceedings reference citizenship and/or immigration law, moving logistics, etc).
Your points are all well taken.
Thanks for an interesting and thought-provoking diary.
Blue
HotFlash–
Ironically, I was posting that thought in my reply to cmaukonen, as you wrote your comment to me.
My husband thinks the PTB might stoop to that.
Frankly, though, I think the US government would LOVE to be rid of seniors, because of escalating medical costs.
OTOH, I suspect that the US Government might call back our American citizens (the professional class) that are still employed, but working in Europe, Asia, etc., etc.
To my mind, THAT would be a real possibility in the event of a catastrophic fiscal crisis.
Blue
I kind of wonder what TPTB would think if more and more people did begin to leave the country ?
cmaukonen–
Well, I don’t pretend to know, but I sort of wonder if that’s why the “O” adminstration is going to tackle immigration (and not just the issues regarding our neighbors to the South of us), after the election (if he wins).
I’ve watched several hearings (congressional) on C-span. There is a massive push (by corporate America) to open up the professional H2B Visa program. My guess is, that they’ve seen what a success they’ve achieved in pushing down wages for working class Americans over the past 30 years, by allowing approximately (according to the conservative AEI think tank) 30 million low skilled immigrants to enter the US labor market (especially, since the unions have been decimated, at the same time).
Anyway, I truly believe that the Democrats are getting ready to completely overhaul the immigration laws. And, it will include allowing large numbers of professionals in the country. Think how much the PTB push the idea that we “don’t have enough high skilled workers,” all the time. Dean Baker says that’s BS, and he knows it is because, if there was a shortage, more of the professional jobs (like engineering) would be enjoying greater wage growth (supply and demand).
I think that we’re really going to be in for it, on so many fronts, after this election. It will surely be worse if O is re-elected, because he would NOT have to stand for election, again. A Romney, would have to “tip toe” around, a little bit more (or any first term president, would).
But, to get back to your question. I can see the day that the US restricts its professional class from leaving the country (and at least, calling some back during a fiscal crisis).
I wish that there was a way to find out how many elites (politicians, entertainers, CEO’s, on and on, have homes outside of this country. Considering the way that they “seem to be bent on destroying our economy,” I’d guess that most of them have homes outside of the US. Nothing else would make sense.
Blue
Let me clarify. The PTB will always allow the truly “elite” (probably top 5 percent) to leave, and hold as many citizenships as they want to hold.
Remember, our own Census Data indicates that 1 out of 2 Americans are poor or low income. And, when they enact Bowles-Simpson, the top marginal rate will be somewhere between 23-28% (down from 35% now). They’ll have to keep some of the professional class from leaving, or the tax base will be so pathetic (even when they enact the VAT tax), that the US will practically shut down.
Seniors will be welcome to leave (since they’re soon to slash Social Security and increase poverty exponentially amongst seniors), because they’ll not have any where near the same disposable income, that seniors who’ve retired under the present system, have. In other words, seniors will soon be more of a liability, than an asset.
Sorry, getting tired, and writing’s getting sloppy. I’ll get off my soapbox.
Blue
The point I was trying to make is the corruption is global scale. Even if we could move to moon I am sure Wall st would try and figure out a way to screw us!
bearman–
Touche.
But I believe the corruption is a bit more “unchecked” here, than in some other countries. But, that’s just my perception.
Blue
Australia and new Zealand are good. Also I have a friend who was living in Indonesia near Jakarta for a couple of years teaching English as a second language. She said that area is not to bad either.
You just have to do a lot of research.
I don’t think that is very likely. Can’t really see why they’d want you. US citizens pay income tax on their world earnings (I think that is still the case), so they’d have your money, and they could certainly withhold your pension by the simple method of just not sending your monthly pmt to a foreign address or bank. I am trying to think of instances of ‘snatch back’, all seem to involve either military service or spies.
High-profile Russian artists, scholars and athletes were, at one time, carefully watched when out of the country for international concerts, conferences and competition, in case they defected. Family members were used as hostages, that I know for sure, from people who have come here since. I have heard that some were ‘married’ to KGB minders who traveled with them, but don’t know if that is true. But once they defected, there was no way really for them to be forceably repatriated. Can’t remember any case of it, but doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
The USSR used to claim that once a citizen, always a citizen, and that extended to children of citizens who had left the country. My friend Roman, who was born in Canada of parents who had fled Poland, was a member of a Ukrainian dance ensemble. When they toured Europe he told me that about half the ensemble stayed in Austria because they would be liable for military service if they went to the USSR.
My neighbour married a second-generation Italian-Canadian, they had to get some kind of letter from his priest before they honeymooned in Italy because he was eligible for military service. Italy hasn’t changed that, but in the past few years my Italian-Canadian neighbours have been able to vote for two members-at-large so they have representation in the Italian parliament. I guess that’s fair.
HotFlash–
Thanks for your reply. Now, unless I federal laws have changed, we don’t pay taxes on income earned in “all other countries,” I’m almost certain.
When I’ve lived out of the country, I was studying, not working. So I don’t now from absolute “personal” experience. But we’ve had a couple of friends (couples, actually) who’ve lived and worked outside of this country within the past 10 years, and neither couple owed taxes to our government (if I understood them correctly).
Neither of us are really concerned about the tax part, since we will have retired. And, most of our retirement is tax sheltered.
I expect that the US immigration “reform” will still allow for unchecked immigration for low skilled workers, and plans are to start importing large numbers of “professional workers,” using the H2B Visa Program.
The expendable folks, will be seniors, who no longer “produce” an income. One of the proposals in Bowles-Simpson is to tax the entire amount of an individual’s Social Security income. Today, some portion is exempt, before retirement income is taxable. I can’t imagine that they will pull that off, on the one hand; on the other hand, most people here still don’t realize what a ripoff the ACA is. I think that that was pretty much “a dry run” for the big enchilada–austerity.
Bottom line: When Bowles-Simpson is implemented, the safety net in the US will be so frayed, I should think that our Washington elite would absolutely hope that the nations seniors “go away.” I believe that it’s reasonable to say that the US will begin to look like it did during the Great Depression. (BTW, I don’t mean overnight. Say, in ten to fifteen years.) As, I’m sure that you know, the reason that the Great Depression was so devastating at the time, was that there was not social safety net programs in place. (I’m not even old enough to collect early Social Security retirement yet, but my parents were born in 1905 and 1912. I’ve actually heard (from them) what life was like then. It’s not just some story depicted in a textbook to me. So, even though I wasn’t born until the 1950′s, and have had quite a nice and easy life, I know what this place (the US) would be like, once Bowles-Simpson is implemented.
Remember, that over the past 40 plus years, the tax base has near collapsed, because the very wealthy’s tax rate has dropped from 91% to just 35%. And you’ve got the Obama administration and the Republican Party all pushing to pass Bowles-Simpson austerity measures during the December lame duck session of Congress (behind closed doors, they are). And that plan would drop the tax rates for the wealthy from 35%, to a new low of 23-28%. It also drastically raises taxes on lower- and middle-income Americans (which “offsets” the drop in the marginal tax rate). That, of course, is not the language we hear, but it is fact.
Here’s a link to Bowles-Simpson below for anyone to read, who’s interested in knowing what’s getting ready to happen.
http://www.fiscalcommission.gov/sites/fiscalcommission.gov/files/documents/TheMomentofTruth12_1_2010.pdf
Blue
cmaukonen–
We’ll look into Australia and New Zealand. (Don’t think we’d like the weather in Indonesia.)
Hey, do me a favor. I’m worn out. Don’t bring this topic up for a while.
Blue
While there is nothing I can add or subtract to your assessment and evaluation of our situation, I think your statement, “Take direct action against the system in ways that may seem small but in mass can be quite effective”, holds promise.
Almost anything done in mass can be effective, but how do you get the mass?
HotFlash–
Looking back and reading, I apologize if I had a scolding or preachy tone in my reply to you. It was not intended that way.
I sometimes get carried away, especially regarding “the Grand Bargain” (Bowles-Simpson).
Wouldn’t want to “run off” any of our fine Canadian friends.
Blue