The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side of the Border Fence ...or is it?

The expats who are currently living around the world left their home countries for many different reasons. A lot of those reasons have much to do with politics and freedom. Take the U.S. Constitution for example, a document written over a period on months and finally signed on September 17, 1787, but which did not become effective until nine states had ratified it. It was subsequently agreed that government under the new Constitution would begin on March 4 1789. By September of that year, the first Congress of the United States of America had already adopted the first twelve amendments to the imperfect Constitution, of which ten were ratified by 1791. It was when Rhode Island ratified the constitution on May 29, 1790, which the founding fathers, all white property owners, had created, that all thirteen states had joined the new nation.Please note that Article I, Section 1 reads as follows:All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.Nowhere in that section do I detect anything about lobbyists, corporations, or massive influence peddling. Nor is there a mention about “Citizens United” and “Super PACs” being able to give millions to indirectly finance the outcome of elections of candidates to elected office or issues affecting said corporations. But low-ball figures are hovering around US$11 billion being squandered during the upcoming election cycle.Now running the above through my head, are there any countries that come to mind where corruption is that embedded? Quite a few of them do actually, many located in favorite expat destinations in Latin America and Asia.Now many of you are worried about taxes, but a recently conducted survey shows that the US has one of the lowest tax rates in the world for lower and middle-income households. And those of you making megabucks surely have found all the loopholes in the tax code that allow you to pay less in taxes than Warren Buffett. The minority that feels they should not have to pay any taxes at all, that it is something unconstitutional established in the early part of last century should be reminded of Section 2 of article I, which states pretty clearly:Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills.So essentially, like it or not, you have to pay taxes, no matter where you live. So without any further ado, let me step in to that hornets’ nest that found a home in the original Bill of Rights:As ratified by the States and authenticated by Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State:A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.Fine, that is the law of the land in the USA. But if you plan on migrating even as far as Canada or Mexico and you try to bring your firearm, be prepared for unpleasantries. In almost every nation of the world, it is illegal to own or travel with firearms, unless you undergo a very vigorous procedure that involves fingerprinting, background check, and getting a slew of permits from your local law enforcement department, which is most likely to come steal your weapon, as well as federal authorities, who will have many questions for you. As far as target practicing goes, good luck even finding a place to sell you ammunition as the sporting goods stores here are more likely to sell to a deck of cards than ammo.Just last Friday, near Montevideo, Uruguay, an upstanding dual citizen of Switzerland and Uruguay heard some noises during the night in his garage and caught two burglars trying to steal his pickup truck. When they attacked him, he fired his legally obtained and registered weapon, killing one of the intruders. The guy from Switzerland is now in prison, being held on charges of murder. I am not making this up; you can look it up on Elpais.com.uySo if you value your second amendment rights, stay home where you have them. There are many freedoms that U.S. citizens take for granted. Many are an illusion of course, like most of the Constitution, which is presently being shredded for toilet paper by the Roberts Supreme court. I could make this a very long essay indeed, but to cover the subject more in depth, I am writing a more comprehensive article, which will be posted on voices from exile.The times are critical right now, but to become an expat, you must consider what you are giving up, and be prepared to abandon your Constitutional Rights, and be prepared to get stopped on the highway, searched, and shook down. Your U.S. passport will not help you. It is more likely to make things more difficult and expensive for you.I encourage you to write to me, jamie@expatdailynews.com with any questions or suggestions you may have. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel related business. My advice is based on my own experiences, and is free of charge. (Donations accepted). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.To read more of Jamie’s opinion articles, see Voices From Exile. You can also contact Jamie at jamie.douglas [at] yahoo.com
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