citizenship

[cuthbert]

I read an article about the London Mayor Boris Johnson, he was an "anchor baby" in that the poor bugger was born in New York when his parents were on a trip and now decades later he cannot get his "anchor" out of the US. He was travelling to somewhere in S.America from UK and was intended to be a brief transit passenger in the USA and they sent him back to the UK as his passport showed he was born in the US and under the laws/rules/whims of the INS you have to travel on a US passport if you are an American. Then he wrote a book which had some limited circulation in the USA and the IRS wanted income tax from him for those sales (they request tax returns be filed on all the income of any poor "US" soul that gets on their radar).

Tilting at windmills methinks.

[Mike OReilly]

Late to this thread party, but for what it's worth (and this may already have been said ... sorry), there is a wave of dual Canadian/American citizens who are abandoning their US citizenship now that the IRS is actively chasing them down for taxes. I have two friends who haven't lived or worked in the US for decades, and are now facing the insanity of the IRS over-reach.

All over the world banks are being forced to enforce US laws outside the US. As a Canadian citizen I have to reveal any connection about I have with the US. If I have any, then my info is given to the IRS. Even if I refuse to answer the question my information is apparently "shared" with the IRS.

Can you imagine if any other country tried this?

FATCA tax deal forces Canadian banks to send info to IRS - Politics - CBC News

[Lizzy Belle]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Other European systems are better than the UK one. The French system is probably the best of all, with clearly better outcomes than ours, and with universal care which affordable by everyone.

I might move to France in that case ...
Obamacare is party based on the Dutch system, I think?

We used to all be able to afford health care here, but now ...
I'm paying triple what I used to in the old system, most of my care is no longer covered and I have to pay out of pocket, and if I can't afford my health care payments, I go to jail.
I used to be able to go to the hospital / doctor of my choice, now my insurance company tells me where I have to go.

All things considered, I only go to a doctor / dentist when I really, really have to. Kind of sad for a rich country like ours, but nothing that you don't see more and more in other countries too.

Sigh. But keeping my passport anyway

[Iaangus]

Originally Posted by svlamorocha

+1. Whatever experience Iaangus had with British healthcare, if any, is the experience the almost all Britons have. Half the cost of the US system, universal coverage and better results (see 2-3 year difference in life expectancy over USA). Don´t expect the hospitals to be pretty, the food to be good, or have as much "choice" as you have in the US, but I would not say that an extra 2 years of life expectancy and 60% lower cost is a "bad example".

The problem with US health care is that less than half pay, The people that pay, pay more than double to cover the non payers. Lots of bums in the U.S. It is very easy to decide to quit working and live a crappy low income life collecting welfare, disability (undeservingly), aid for children, food stamps and the list goes on. It's not gonna get better until more people contribute but politicians are getting votes by pandering to growing demographic of free loaders. Your life expectancy theory means nothing, Just a guess, the difference is probably the fact that our unemployed and on welfare by choice citizens have a lot of time to sit around and get fat.

[svlamorocha]

Originally Posted by Iaangus

The problem with US health care is that less than half pay, The people that pay, pay more than double to cover the non payers.

You have a point in things like emergency room visits, but that is not that significant in total health costs. The big difference is not in who pays or does not pay the health bill, it is in the value of the bill. Healthcare in the US is expensive because money is spent in things that are not very important to health. The USA spends 17% of its national income in health; that is much higher than other developed countries but leads to results that are worse that in other developed countries (compare life expectancies). Even if the US were to deport all immigrants and sent the poor, lazy and unemployed the health costs there would be higher than in other countries.

This is what happens when the system spends money in "nice" stuff like unnecessary scans and over priced prescriptions drugs "as advertised on TV" when there is an insurance company (or Medicare or Medicaid) that will pay, instead of "boring" things like controlling everyone´s blood pressure, cholesterol and pregnancy and vaccinating everyone.

[alctel]

Originally Posted by Canibul

I guess if you were to immigrate to Syria, or Mexico, or Honduras, then you could give up your US citizenship and yet come back in anytime you please. No customs or immigration hassles at all.

Might have to walk across a river, but it will be well marked with people on the US side to give you money.

Yeah, just need to be in a conflict zone for a few years, maybe have half your family murdered and raped by fundamentalists or blown up in an airstrike and have everything you have owned and worked for destroyed. Maybe throw some light starvation in there as well.

And as a bonus, when you do get to safety, you get to be insulted by people like yourself!

Sounds idyllic, where do I sign up?

[alctel]

Originally Posted by Iaangus

The problem with US health care is that less than half pay, The people that pay, pay more than double to cover the non payers. Lots of bums in the U.S. It is very easy to decide to quit working and live a crappy low income life collecting welfare, disability (undeservingly), aid for children, food stamps and the list goes on. It's not gonna get better until more people contribute but politicians are getting votes by pandering to growing demographic of free loaders. Your life expectancy theory means nothing, Just a guess, the difference is probably the fact that our unemployed and on welfare by choice citizens have a lot of time to sit around and get fat.

Other countries with far more generous welfare systems still have a lot cheaper health care. The problem with US health care is that there is no governmental price controls on health products leading to rampant price gouging. Just look at the cost difference between a procedure or drug line between the US and Canada.

In addition there is the entire parasitic health insurance industry squatting on top of that.

[Snore]

Ok I posted the wise-guy comment about getting engaged to a Martian.

But the reason I will always be an American is it gave my grandparents and I the opportunity to live the lives we have. I may not like our president, but WE THE PEOPLE elected the knucklehead. And any one who is not an American who calls him one will get an earful from me. Love him or not he is ours to protect and defend.

It also means I have that nifty blue passport, that has some great perks if I need them. If that means I pay some taxes great.


Sent from my iPhone- please forgive autocorrect errors.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by Snore

Ok I posted the wise-guy comment about getting engaged to a Martian.

But the reason I will always be an American is it gave my grandparents and I the opportunity to live the lives we have. I may not like our president, but WE THE PEOPLE elected the knucklehead. And any one who is not an American who calls him one will get an earful from me. Love him or not he is ours to protect and defend.

It also means I have that nifty blue passport, that has some great perks if I need them. If that means I pay some taxes great.


Sent from my iPhone- please forgive autocorrect errors.

thankyou. i have been too busy to formulate a decent answer--but this, and
as my ancestors came here under adverse circumstances to become some of first immigrants to actually make a semi lasting colony in the soil of new england, and some to virginny, and as a formerly land owning female citizen of usa-- yes i want to keep the benefits i paid dearly via taxation of my income to maintain, and for which my dad served to protect in ww2, behind the lines in germany , so his kids would not have to goose step and be nazis, and yes i enjoy my identity as a pinche gringa.
dont mess with that.
i prefer the national banner dont tread on me,( despite its use by certain political wannabe parties with which i hold no course), as it is most perfect of the attitudes held by my ancestors, and even back then they had to pc it by making it stars n stripes.
ok i can give em that...
but i wont relinquish that right which my ancestors gave lives to protect just because some pompous jerks made it way too expensive for me, a veteran of over 30 years of ghetto nursing and good deeds, to exist as an elder soul who put in her time of good service to others, in the nation of my birth and citizenship.
seems i was only a landowner as long as my grandpoppa was alive. lawyers absorbed my land when he died...
because of some denigratory to usa changes, i get to hopefully live my days in some locale on this planet in which life is easier to afford, and keep my citizenship until such time as choose to relinquish it my self.
or die.
as for my son--may he make his decisions wisely.

[Canibul]

Originally Posted by alctel

Yeah, just need to be in a conflict zone for a few years, maybe have half your family murdered and raped by fundamentalists or blown up in an airstrike and have everything you have owned and worked for destroyed. Maybe throw some light starvation in there as well.

And as a bonus, when you do get to safety, you get to be insulted by people like yourself!

Sounds idyllic, where do I sign up?

Complete bull. There's absolutely NO requirement to have been in any kind of zone at all for any length of time. Or to have had any of the other stuff you list done.

You REALLY think the Syrians crossing the Rio Grande en mass didn't have air fare to Mexico from across an ocean? Where did that come from? And someone who asked no questions selling them a one way ticket? Have you tried to buy a one way ticket lately? You'll get a whole lot more "vetting" than if you just flew into Mexico and walked, or drove, across.

Insulted? Gosh...what a shame. Too bad you feel it insulting to ask about a criminal record before letting someone in. Is this what they're teaching you at the mosque these days?

I think I'm getting pretty well fed up with Canadians and Brits telling Americans what they should or shouldn't do with their borders.

Why don't you just invite them all to BC where YOU can take care of the little darlings?

[oldragbaggers]

Originally Posted by zeehag

thankyou. i have been too busy to formulate a decent answer--but this, and
as my ancestors came here under adverse circumstances to become some of first immigrants to actually make a semi lasting colony in the soil of new england, and some to virginny, and as a formerly land owning female citizen of usa-- yes i want to keep the benefits i paid dearly via taxation of my income to maintain, and for which my dad served to protect in ww2, behind the lines in germany , so his kids would not have to goose step and be nazis, and yes i enjoy my identity as a pinche gringa.
dont mess with that.
i prefer the national banner dont tread on me,( despite its use by certain political wannabe parties with which i hold no course), as it is most perfect of the attitudes held by my ancestors, and even back then they had to pc it by making it stars n stripes.
ok i can give em that...
but i wont relinquish that right which my ancestors gave lives to protect just because some pompous jerks made it way too expensive for me, a veteran of over 30 years of ghetto nursing and good deeds, to exist as an elder soul who put in her time of good service to others, in the nation of my birth and citizenship.
seems i was only a landowner as long as my grandpoppa was alive. lawyers absorbed my land when he died...
because of some denigratory to usa changes, i get to hopefully live my days in some locale on this planet in which life is easier to afford, and keep my citizenship until such time as choose to relinquish it my self.
or die.
as for my son--may he make his decisions wisely.

Beautifully said, Zee.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Canibul

I think I'm getting pretty well fed up with Canadians and Brits telling Americans what they should or shouldn't do with their borders.

Why don't you just invite them all to BC where YOU can take care of the little darlings?

Canada is taking in 25,000 Syrian refugees over the next three months. Probably we could do more, but not a bad effort to start.

As for your comment about Canadians telling poor little Americans what you should do with your borders, well... I guess we're just learning from our American friends who do this so well and so often ;-)



Why go fast, when you can go slow

[Canibul]

I don't think we should be taking in any Syrian refugees at all. I think they should stay in Syria and clean up their own country.

As for how many Canada lets in, that's Canada's business. My concern is with the totally open US border and all the criminals and terrorists who are flowing across it.

Maybe Canada just needs a few more heads lopped off, throats cut, a little Sharia law to get with the program.

[groundtackle]

Originally Posted by Canibul

I don't think we should be taking in any Syrian refugees at all. I think they should stay in Syria and clean up their own country.

As for how many Canada lets in, that's Canada's business. My concern is with the totally open US border and all the criminals and terrorists who are flowing across it.

Maybe Canada just needs a few more heads lopped off, throats cut, a little Sharia law to get with the program.

Tell that to the thousands of innocent victims including families with young children who've lived under oppressive regimes for generations, who have no means to fight back, who struggle to survive and who would rather leave their homes, friends, history behind and live in squalid conditions in a tent city in Turkey than be blown up by Assad, ISIS, Russians. Or who ever.
If you were in that position you might feel just as they do.
I agree we need to screen carefully but we need to be human.



Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Sailing55]

Originally Posted by bnb

My wife won't let marry anyone else.

Then your best course of action is to travel to Syria, Pakistan, join ISIS or the Taliban...you must inform the nearest US Consulate...and the added benefit is that you can have as many wives as you want.

This answer is as ridiculous as your OP.