American Expatriation Guide: How to Divorce the U.S. Government

An anonymous “former U.S. Citizen” has written an interesting booklet for Casey Research titled American Expatriation Guide: How to Divorce the U.S. Government.

Here are some excerpts that give a flavor of its very conscientious-tax-resister-friendly perspective:

I’m writing to you as a former U.S. citizen who was born and raised in America. I pledged allegiance to the flag every morning at school. I grew up and voted in elections. And I paid my taxes. Lots of them. I was what the government would consider a model citizen-asset: long revenue and short dissent. Most of my friends and relatives live in America, and I often go back to visit them. I still consider myself to be American, even though I am no longer bound to the U.S. government.

So why did I opt out of being a U.S. citizen? I realized a person’s family and cultural roots are not the same thing as affiliation with a political entity. My citizenship was an accident of birth, and I was pledging allegiance to the government before I even knew what the phrase meant. When I decided I no longer wanted to be a subject of the U.S. political machine, I exercised my right to expatriate. My ties to the government are what I severed, not my American roots or my relationships with the many friends and family I have in America.

Everybody has their own personal reasons for expatriating, but here are some of the benefits:

8) Freedom from the accountability for how the U.S. government spends your money.

I sleep much better knowing I no longer fund the military-industrial-banking complex. Anybody can get mugged, but every U.S. taxpayer is a constant patsy for the political establishment. The rip-offs are so unthinkably big and endemic, there’s nothing an individual can do to stop them.

If you step back and take an honest look, you’ll see that the unfortunate state of affairs in America has resulted from the reign of both political parties. Don’t fall for the divide-and-conquer strategy that politicians use to corral people into “red” and “blue” sports teams. Donkeys and elephants are sold as team mascots pretending to be in mortal conflict. In reality both parties work together to advance their agendas in lockstep… logrolling… and when necessary, one side “takes the hit” whenever the illusion of accountability is needed. The system depends on the delusion that people can “vote the bums out.”

Meanwhile, every government failure becomes the pretext for more government growth. If you don’t get distracted by the spectacle, it’s impossible not to notice the pattern: Every political solution to any problem involves more regulation of your life and more taking of your money.

What are the consequences of this vicious cycle of growth through failure? Most Americans are familiar with the oft-chanted phrase, “We’re #1!” Humor me for a minute and try this exercise. Mentally separate yourself from the government you’re paying trillions of dollars to fund. Then, consider that the U.S. is:

  • #1 in government debt and deficits
  • #1 in unfunded liabilities, most importantly Medicare and Social Security
  • #1 in building and maintaining the biggest WMD stockpile in the world
  • #1 in weapon sales to foreign governments
  • #1 in bombs dropped and missiles fired on other nations
  • #1 in causing civilian casualties and property destruction
  • #1 in “defense” spending — about as much as all other countries combined
  • #1 in lawyers per capita, with over 1.1 million total
  • #1 in law-suits filed — millions and millions every year
  • #1 in political lobbyists, special interest groups, and campaign donations
  • #1 in taxpayer bailouts of the politically connected “too big to fail” corporations
  • #1 in people imprisoned — “The United States has 4% of the world’s population and 25% of the world’s incarcerated population.” ―Wikipedia

I’ve avoided citing sources for these claims (save the last one) because I’m hoping you’ll be moved to verify them for yourself. The process is eye-opening. If you fall for the political fallacy that “the government is the people,” you end up with the faulty conclusion that America must be overrun by war-crazed, lawsuit-happy, debt-addicted criminals. How could anybody buy this after even a moment of clear thought? There’s certainly no resemblance to the American people I know. These problems stem from the military-industrial-banking complex, the dark heart of the U.S. political machine. Why continue being the stooge that supplies the money to run it?

Looking at the world with fresh, open eyes isn’t easy. One of the great benefits of liberating yourself from the grip of the U.S. political system is that the world becomes your oyster. You’re free to embrace places that welcome individuals who seek to live peaceful and prosperous lives.

9) Freedom to radically increase your charitable giving.

Individual liberty sparks our charitable instincts. If you care deeply about philanthropy, expatriation frees up vastly more of your capital to give away. Also, your philanthropic impulses are no longer distorted by the IRS. You can give to any charitable cause worldwide without being penalized if it’s not anointed as a tax-deductible entity.

The human impulse to help another in need is older than any government. Your judgment about how to contribute your capital to best help others will forever be superior to that of bureaucrats. Expatriation opens up new possibilities for you to reach out and help others in need.

The (free) guide goes on to give an overview of the process of renouncing U.S. citizenship (despite its title, the guide focuses on this more than on mere “expatriation”).