Can You Still Be a Good American if You're an Expat Living Abroad?

Newsmax ^ | May 21, 2017 | Chuck Bolotin

[Windflier]

What a crock; the fact is the majority of expats are not retired. The vast majority are employed by American corporations, are young to middle aged and pay their U.S. Taxes.

I don't think such people fit the general definition of an 'ex-pat'.

My understanding of the term, is that it denotes a person who freely chooses to make their permanent residence outside their native country, while maintaining their citizenship in the country of their birth.

I lived in the Japanese islands for six years as an Army brat, then later worked abroad as an adult. At no time, when I was out of the country, did I consider myself to be an ex-pat.

[Graybeard58]

“I live outside the US part time...4 or 5 months a yr. And i vote!!!” The fam and I lived in the PRC for two years, 2005 ~ 2007 and my wife and I voted. However, I lived in South Vietnam for a year, 1965 ~ 1966 and I did not vote, don’t even recall being given the opportunity

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you were under 21, you weren’t old enough to vote. Same predicament I was in. Old enough to fight a war but not to vote.

[snoringbear]

"If you were under 21, you weren’t old enough to vote" Lol! You got me on that one! I was nineteen 😊!

[AtlantaBelle]

We absolutely refused to keep a low profile when we lived in Paris 2002-4. We wore t-shirts with American flags on Independence Day, Memorial Day and Dec 7th. I wore a rhinestone pin in the shape of an American flag constantly. AND we flew our American flag off our balcony. We were known, in the neighborhood, as “our Americans” because they appreciated our love of the USA. We voted in every election which is challenging. We kept our ATL Braves season tix and my husband flew home several times a year in football season. We refused to make excuses for our President or the policies. You should be MORE American when you live abroad, not less. We spoke French, lived in a French neighborhood—not the American suburb, and integrated our lives respectfully but never, not for one instance did we disavow our country that we love.

[Mr. Jeeves]

And where are the bank-owned Republicans on repealing FATCA? Except for Rand Paul not one peep out of them.