Renouncing American Citizenship..

Recently, the NYT published an article regarding the notable increase in American (American, as in United States) citizens renouncing their citizenship-- which, while there is surprisingly little paperwork involved (take note Chile), is not something to be taken lightheartedly.  This especially struck a chord with me as yesterday, I was running around the whole stupid city of Santiago working on finalizing my visa that has taken a speedy EIGHT months to be ready.  Having to go to the Extranjería (hell on earth), Policia International-- where I met quite a charming young lady who is planning a party in the hotel-motel-holiday-innnn where I work, and then finally a million and one blocks away to the Registro Civil to get my pic taken for my ID card (don't worry, my eyes kept showing up red so I had to stare directly into a lamp for about 10 minutes straight).  A pain-in-the-ass process where they neglect to inform you that things cost $$$ until you have waited in line for 45 minutes (did I have cash?? no.), and where stinky people breathe all over you, and they have to ink your whole hands to take all your fingerprints.  Dirt-ay.  Nast-ay.  But that is life if you (or urs truly) wants to get yo Chile on and be a real human being.  Which means I'm gonna have to memorize a new RUT.  fml.

Back to the article... The real thing is, is that as much as I seriously think the US is straight up drowning in a pile of its own filthy mire, it would have to take a SERIOUS falling out for me to actually renounce bein' an Amerrricun.  The majority of people who participated in the inquest of the article stated double taxation as their main caveat.  As the piece elaborates: "the United States is the only industrialized country to tax citizens on income earned abroad, even when they are taxed in their country of residence."  So if some day (fingers semi-crossed), I make more than poverty I will have to not only pay American Taxes (me: pay, dad: paperwork, that crap is confusing), but also Chilean//other nation's taxes.  And that can really just go flush itself down the toilet.  And I'm sorry but what the Frak am I even paying taxes for????  I don't drive on pot-hole ridden roads, I (sure as hell) don't have kids in the failing public school system, I don't utilize public works, check out library books, or own property.  I pay taxes to have a Passport that says American Citizen.  I pay taxes to.... Well, I cant even think of anything else so that's really the whole point.  This my friends, is a prime example of TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.  Can I vote?  Yes.  But will I see any further benefits from electing an official after mailing in the ballot.  No.  Unless I come back.  Which is questionable. 

But taxes are not the only issue at hand.  For expatriates, according to this article, maintaining an American bank account is becoming more and more arduous and complicated in lieu of the Patriot Act which essentially aims to eliminate tax evasion and, especially, money laundering to terrorist groups.  Yeah, I'll be sure to alert my bank that I'm not a secret member of Al_Kakaka.  To hold onto an American bank account, you must prove that you still have a US address.  Ok.  So does the government think that all 'Mericans living abroad are loaded with cash to be able to own properties in two (or more) distinct nations??  Stupid.  Just stupid.  And as far as numbers are concerned: "502 expatriates gave up their U.S. citizenship or permanent residency status in the last quarter of 2009...more than twice the total for all of 2008...there were 235 renunciations in 2008 and 743 last year (2009)."  I mean, in the grand total of the sheer massive quantity of American citizens, the numbers aren't staggering.  Yet, I feel those winds changing...

Honestly, with the horrific passing of Arizona's new immigration bill, I could see more and more Americans becoming so ashamed of their country that they quit all together (or at least move OUT of Arizona).  I cannot fathom that this bill actually passed when there is so much (empty) preaching about tolerance, equality, and "diversity."  This bill is a racial profiling piece of shit.  Usually, I don't even bother to open links to political news and sites because I find American politics exhausting, inflated, and vomitacious, but after such hype, I felt obligated to self-inform.  I was shocked.

I know this is a tangent from the original topic of Renouncing American Citizenship, but this bill would sure as hell bring me closer to throwing in the towel if I were actually on the brink of removing my American status.  If I weren't enamorada with my LL, weren't committed to our relationship, it wouldn't have bothered me so much.  But I can only imagine in the future going to the states and having him and/or our children interrogated like second class human beings.  I would RAGE.  Probs go to stinky old jail for getting so feisty.  And it's not like he looks thaaaaat Latino (see this post), but still- just the idea of of that happening makes me never want to go back.  Those fools who passed that bill can go straight to hell.

Anyway- this post was kind of all over the place, but it definitely made me think under which circumstances I would want to quit being a citizen of the USA.  I'm feeling like a citizen less and less anyway, so we'll see how that goes in the future...

Thoughts??