I don’t dispute the “pollination” effect Americans abroad can have. But, if the mentality is to escape the US, turn back on family, etc. instead of building a strong family network because we can go get ours now I think it counterproductive, selfish, short-sighted and borderline traiterous.
IMHO.
That’s a rare mentality. Most people who leave the US to live in other countries mostly want a better opportunity elsewhere, unlike the small minority who no longer want to be Americans. Many of them still care enough to vote in US elections, which they see is important, but have no reason to have a physical presence in the US to be Americans.
To say that they are “escaping America” or “turning their back on family” is not true at all, any more than saying that children who get married and move out of their parents house to live in their own are “escaping their parents” or “turning their back on their parents”.
And those who want citizenship in another country are often fed up with some aspect of America enough so they are willing to go through the difficult and time consuming process to leave. Nothing traitorous about it, any more than divorcing a spouse you no longer love. Traitorous implies that you want to hurt your nation. Generally they don’t, but they just don’t want to live here anymore.
A good example was how, long ago, interracial couples would move to Panama, because it was one of the few countries that was indifferent to interracial marriage. The US was decidedly intolerant, mostly of black and white marriage, but at times of Oriental and white marriage (excepting Hawaii and parts of California), Hispanic and white marriage, in some parts of the US, and going way back, Indian and white marriage.
If people in America just won’t leave you alone, or pester or threaten you incessantly, leaving the US becomes far more attractive.