I’ve had some discussion with people about this.
And some of what I’ve heard on this subject is as follows:
1. expatriots tend to be retired, and they are rejecting America in favor of some other country in their retirement. The country which was good enough for them in their working life is not good enough in their golden years?
2. expatriots are running away from America’s problems. They won’t stay to help fix what’s wrong. They often are moving because of dissatisfaction with America, but won’t stay and be part of the solution.
3. expatriots often go to countries with fundamentally different social and economic systems; which result in those countries having lower costs of living. Thus retirees find that while their dollars go further, they are supporting a corrupt status quo in places such as Mexico.
4. expatriot retirees are said to be selfish, abandoning America and their extended families, including grandchildren, just to retire somewhere with a lower cost of living.
I’m not saying I agree with this. I certainly don’t want to tell anyone else how to live or where to live. Just saying I’ve heard people talk like this. Legally they are all still Americans unless they take steps to renounce American citizenship. I don’t think too many expatriots do that.
So after these 4 denials I gave up and moved to Thailand, and have been really enjoying it. Especially since my TW gifted me with a daughter.
However, in hindsight I am thankful to the US GVT as otherwise I would still be working in my high stress long hour job.
But I continue to pay taxes and vote. And as a US Army Retired Veteran I should be given the benefit of any doubt on Patriotism.
So I am here more because the USA rejected me. And I know a lot of US Citizens that are here because they cannot get even tourist visa for their GF or Spouse.
Why should they, they did their time.
I hear people say "I wish I were 25 again" and my response is, I put up with 35 years of bullshit with my past employer, I don't want to have to go thru it again...I'm happy being old.
And for what it's worth, had things not gone sour in Honduras, I'd be living down there in my retirement years, happy as a bug in a rug........
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I’ve had some discussion with people about this. And some of what I’ve heard on this subject is as follows:
1. expatriots tend to be retired, and they are rejecting America in favor of some other country in their retirement. The country which was good enough for them in their working life is not good enough in their golden years?”
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 know because my family and I were expats for two years in China, lived in Shanghai but traveled all over China and Asia. And, most of these folks are conservative. Get your facts straight bub..
HI, Dilbert San Diego. All your comments were good. Here’ what I think:
1. Many times the country which was good enough for them in their working life is not good enough in their golden years. Many times, this has to do with cost of living and / or lifestyle. Health care costs for equivalent care is many times 80% less, and the overall cost of living can be 60% - 70% less. They just can’t afford to live in the US and have a good standard of living, no matter how much they want to.
2. Whatever fixing the solution means can usually be done abroad just as easily.
3. By moving to a place with a lower cost of living, expats are not supporting the corrupt status quo. Most of the time, they help to change it.
4. Expats don’t abandon America by living abroad. Also, many times they are physically closer geographically to their families if they move someplace like Mexico or even in some cases to Panama.
You’re right about very few expats renouncing their citizenship. Virtually zero do.