tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post4336924718396774450..comments2023-09-23T11:16:00.352+02:00Comments on The Franco-American Flophouse has moved: On Being an AmericanVictoria FERAUGEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319699673885400472noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-90958607441145317172014-07-08T13:29:17.378+02:002014-07-08T13:29:17.378+02:00I once thought that if I were a plant the roots ne...I once thought that if I were a plant the roots nearest the stem were American and the roots from there on were Swiss. I thought if you cut the Swiss roots the American roots wouldn't sustain the plant because they were too short. And if you cut the American part of the roots the plant would die. It comes down both are needed to sustain the plant. DL NELSONhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12740409132697546671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-23511663156297220352014-07-08T10:34:15.755+02:002014-07-08T10:34:15.755+02:00@anonymous, Just for fun I read Anholt's book...@anonymous, Just for fun I read Anholt's book about identity last night and I just started his book Brand America this morning. Just a few pages into the latter books is an observation that I think is entirely correct: Americans do believe with all their heart that their nation and people have the very best intentions and want to do good. But they confound what's good for them with what's good for the rest of the world. They think it's the same thing and they react very badly if you point out a conflict of interest or a poor perception of their actions.<br /><br />@anonymous, Yep and the point I was trying to make in my post today about expat voting is that it really hasn't made any difference - we simply don't have the clout to stop people like Reed or Schumer. Hell, we haven't got enough influence to even get these folks to talk to us, much less take us seriously.<br /><br />I would watch the renunciation numbers carefully. If they shoot up, then I think some US lawmakers will shoot back. Get those numbers down by hook or by crook because they are wreaking havoc with America's citizenship "brand".Victoria FERAUGEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16319699673885400472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-16707883279433707402014-07-07T15:14:16.713+02:002014-07-07T15:14:16.713+02:00Victoria,
Well reasoned, as always.
.
For the firs...Victoria,<br />Well reasoned, as always.<br />.<br />For the first time since I have lived in Europe, I have to say that am not proud of my country.<br /><br />But when weighing whether to renounce or not to renounce, I remember that nasty Reed-Shumer amendment (to the, now dead,<br />Immigration Reform bill). It proposed that Homeland Security "exclude<br />from reentry into the United States former United States citizens who<br />renounce their citizenship to avoid taxation."<br /><br />(They will likely argue that "taxation" includes the Fbar and Fatca travesties.<br /><br />They failed twice to get it through, but next time they could try to bury it into some bigger Apple Pie bill, the way they sneaked FATCA into the<br />HIRE act.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-37503387862439346792014-07-07T11:44:15.336+02:002014-07-07T11:44:15.336+02:00Very interesting TED Talk. USA at 21st place http:...Very interesting TED Talk. USA at 21st place http://www.goodcountry.org/country/USA<br /><br />But the USA doesn't care if they are good. They only care who makes the game rules (and its 'them')<br /><br />Does this mean doing good isn't really an American virture?<br /><br />Or does it mean US Govt. only does good when it's conditional (strings attached) - and in their best interests? We all know the US Govt. does 'bad' when its in their self interests.<br /><br />There seems to be a fundamental conflict between being a good American and how the US Government is run...<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-45397113630072748852014-07-07T09:43:29.041+02:002014-07-07T09:43:29.041+02:00Kermit, Did you see Simon Anholt's TEd Talk Wh...Kermit, Did you see Simon Anholt's TEd Talk Which Country Does the Most Good for the World? Really fine. <br /><br />http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_anholt_which_country_does_the_most_good_for_the_worldVictoria FERAUGEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16319699673885400472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-81413042914799888892014-07-07T08:58:49.420+02:002014-07-07T08:58:49.420+02:00Victoria, I was in Victoria BC yesterday (we are n...Victoria, I was in Victoria BC yesterday (we are now in Tofino drizzle). I saw the Seattle fireworks on TV on the fourth. I was so impressed by the American exceptionism, they are so proud of themselves. They do not know they invade foreign countries and everything else, that is because they are great. I am proud not to be American now, and to appreciate the rest of the world.kermitziihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12563438755645035854noreply@blogger.com