Thanks for sharing your story, Gitta.

Good point. Fortunately I had already received Dutch citizenship long before FATCA happened. I used to think having two citizenships was a good thing …

The key thing is to make sure you have citizenship or at least nationality in the country in which you reside, FIRST, or contemporaneously; you don’t want to end up stateless.

After that, I have always been of the view that it is undesirable to hold the citizenship of a country you have no intention of living in. It merely gives the country you are a *true* citizen of excuses to deport you, which has happened even to Canadians with accidental American citizenship (and the US has behaved far worse to dual citizens of other countries).

I’m not nearly as anti-Obama as you are, or as the author of that article or the guy in the 3 videos (who, by the way, could use some coaching in public speaking). I agree that the Democrats have shifted to the right more than they should, but I was using the terms “left” and “right” as they’re used in the US. Here in the Netherlands, you’re right, the Democratic party would be center or even center-right. Nevertheless, the schism is there, whether there’s a big difference between the two parties or not.

I agree with you that the DOJ is going after all of the banks as part of the whole citizen-based taxation effort, but I disagree with you about “social havoc” in Europe. Europe has struggled with taking in so many refugees, no doubt about it, but that will work itself out, as it has in earlier refugee waves. They’ll end up settling in and becoming part of their new country eventually, or their children will. That doesn’t imply social havoc. In any case, I feel much safer here than in the US — look at the recent attack in Fort Lauderdale. Stuff like that happens so often there that it hardly makes the news.

You talk about the schism in the US between the left and the right. The Democrats are Left? I would consider Jill Stein of the Greens left. Obama and Clinton are what used to be considered moderate Republicans. Here is a new short article explaining how trump won the election.

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/barack-obamas-neoliberal-legacy-rightward-drift-and-donald-trump-2/

Finally here are three short videos explaining in a comical way what is going on:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsYzEHh00-g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrqAUebq6Ic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPEOYfzEdlc

I hope you find a few things interesting, even if you dont agree with them.

Regards,
Eddy

Very interesting to hear this from your British point of view. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with trying to change the law for next time, though. Just not after the fact.

It was shocking to see th results of the US election but I totally agree, don’t try to change the results. That’s democracy right there!

The same occured with Brexit which concerns me directly, being British of course. And because I’m British, and tend to do TV and radio stuff about the British stuff (the monarchy), I was asked by the Germans about what we’re going to do about it. I said that we should do absolutely nothing because, the elction has already been conducted. We (Remain) lost, and we all have to live with it.

After all, squabbling and fighing over “change the law” is exactly what brought Hitler to power. I live in Germany, and I feel that pain of fear. Interestingly, the only sane voice right now is that of Angela Merkel (Germany), and even though I’m a liberal through and through, when the time comes for us to vote in the next election, if she stands again, I’ll vote for her!

I think most Dutch people are watching it more closely than I am! I just find it all so painful to watch that I’ve been avoiding the news lately, or only taking it in very small doses. Disheartening is a good word for it. It’s good to see, though, that many in the US seem prepared to continue fighting the good fight.