Posted on 11/26/2011 1:42:53 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Are There Any Disadvantages To A Second Passport?
I can’t even begin to describe how happy I am to be back in the land of the free… and yes, I’m talking about Chile.
I arrived a few days ago to beautiful summertime weather (remember, the seasons are flipped down here in the southern hemisphere). As usual, the customs officials at the airport were speedy, courteous, and efficient. From plane to cab I was out of there in 20-minutes– with luggage. This is par for the course in Chile.
It’s so nice to be in a place where you’re treated like a human being and agents of the government don’t go around robbing, molesting, and pepper-spraying peaceful citizens.
This is one of the many, many reasons why we’ve selected Chile as the home for our resilient community, and I’m happy to be back in-country so that I can dedicate myself to furthering this effort over the next several months.
When you step back and think about it, it’s extraordinary that we’re even talking about such a thing. Just five years ago, anyone who talked about a global economic slowdown was laughed out of the room. Today we are facing an all-out collapse of the fiat system. How quickly things change.
One of the best books on the subject that I’ve read lately is John Mauldin’s appropriately titled Endgame; John is one of the most accomplished and knowledgable financial writers on the planet, and he clearly explains why the end of the global debt supercycle is a foregone conclusion.
(FYI, the book is an easy read and I highly recommend picking up a few copies to give as gifts to all of your friends who still don’t get it…)
Last weekend, John and I had the chance to share a bowl of chips and salsa in an uptown Dallas bar and trade views about which governments might collapse and which have a shot at survival.
It was simultaneously depressing and hilarious… and I was certainly glad to be heading off to our farm in Chile afterwards. More on that next week– first, a few questions:
Trisha asks, “Simon- you probably heard that the Anonymous group posted the pepper-spraying policeman’s personal contact information on their website. What do you think of that approach?”
Hey, you know what they tell criminals– if you do the crime, you do the time. In this case, if you spray a peaceful crowd with a ‘less-than-lethal’ lachrymatory agent at point blank range, you get publicly shamed.
Police generally go unpunished for such actions. Whenever a cop is caught on tape tormenting peaceful protestors, the politicians and administrative officials always say that they’ll conduct a ‘full investigation’.
And then nothing happens. Months go by and the incident is forgotten. This is the unwritten rule between police thugs and the state– you protect my interests, and I’ll let you get away with brutalizing citizens to your heart’s content.
Assault is assault. We go to jail. They go on paid administrative leave. It’s a broken system, and Anonymous simply circumvented it. Outing the guy online to billions of people isn’t exactly Hammurabi’s code, but it’s a good start.
Next, Doug asks, “Simon, what’s the downside to obtaining a second citizenship? Obviously there’s some cost and time involved, but what else should I be concerned about?”
The advantages of having a second passport are extraordinary– more freedom, more opportunity, more options; most of all, it’s a great insurance policy against sovereign calamity.
Most North Americans and Western Europeans are blind to these advantages. They don’t understand why they’d ever need another passport because they already live in the pinnacle of civilization… or so they think.
Russians, Chinese, Argentines… these sorts of folks have personally experienced the ramrod fist of government. And they’re not taking chances.
Slowly, the developed West will begin to understand that their home government is their greatest threat. Unfortunately most of the second passport opportunities will be closed by then.
To address ‘disadvantages’, there may be some depending on the country. For example, if you obtain US citizenship as your second passport, you’re signing up for taxation on your worldwide income. Congratulations.
If you obtain Israeli citizenship, you (and/or your kids) may be obligated to military service. If you obtain Dutch citizenship, you may have to renounce your other one.
Taxes, conscription, and dual nationality limitations are generally the three big categories to watch out for, though most issues can be sidestepped with some planning.
Last, Neil asks, “Hello Simon, since you travel everywhere, I thought you could help me with this question: where in Latin America has the most potential to support an upscale (U.S. quality) veterinary hospital / dog kennel? I’d like to start such a business abroad.”
Candidly, the best market right now for upscale pet care is in Asia, specifically mainland China and Taiwan. I was just recently in both Shanghai and Taipei, and the streets are lined with luxury stores selling high priced pet accessories, poodle perms, and gourmet doggy biscuits.
The level to which the Chinese and Taiwanese are spoiling their pets is mind-boggling… so there’s serious opportunity there.
If Latin America is where you’d like to end up, though, I’d focus on Panama, Brazil, and Chile. The pet culture is not as extreme in these countries, however the growing middle class and disposable income levels certainly warrant higher quality services.
RE: Chile
That is, if you don’t mind living in an earthquake belt and don’t mind learning Spanish.
America first.
You want to be Chilean, then be Chilean. Just don’t complain later.
Pick a lane.
I speak Spanish, but the earthquake thing is a big negative about Chile. Too bad, it seems like a nice place in a lot of ways.
One potential problem is that if you get in trouble in Chile, you may not be able to ask the US consulate for help.
Another is that the IRS for instance considers Americans abroad fair game, and if America gets worse, I see no reason why this wont extend to other agencies as well.
And living with uninformed cop-hating OWS supporters like the author.
I carry two passports out of necessity and have found great benefits and advantages of holding two passports.
Goodbye, Simon. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on your way out.
Frankly, we can do without people like him. It is just a matter of time before Chileans get tired of foreigners moving in and do something onerous to curtail their entry.
RE: I carry two passports out of necessity and have found great benefits and advantages of holding two passports.
Do each of these countries TAX you on your income earned in the other country? If so, you are being doubly taxed and if you did not pay in one, you’d be considered a tax evader ( i.e. a criminal ).
Take the USA for instance, if you are a German living and working in the USA, you are only taxed in the USA, not Germany. But if you are an American living and working in Germany, you MUST pay taxes in BOTH the USA and Germany.
America is the only country I know that taxes you based on citizenship, not where you earn your income. Go Figure.
Chile had their own OWS experience. It wound up with several thousand people being killed and dumped in the ocean. Apparently the Chilean cops use more than tear gas in those situations, so he better behave there.
FYI
A US couple living overseas in exempted on approximately the first 200k of income and after several years of actually living overseas, there is no tax liability.
Furthermore, the tax liability is factored into your salary by the company you work for.
I am sick of these cops being blamed for tear-gassing “innocent” protesters.
THE PROTESTERS HAD SURROUNDED THE POLICE
The police warned them several times that they would use pepper spray and a group of them sat down and ‘assumed the position’ in order to get sprayed.
Thanks for posting first-hand FReeper knowledge. Interesting (a bit of America bashing from Simon Black IMO) post and 244 comments at zh (thanks to the great posters there).
That was a good start!
“That is, if you don’t mind living in an earthquake belt and don’t mind learning Spanish.”
______________________________________
I would not mind improving my Spanish, but after watching an Earthquake program a few days ago (I think it was on Natl. Geo channel) living in Chile would scare the H out of me. The last big quake looked like Armageddon, but they predict another one that would about end all life there.
Of course the same could happen with the New Madrid fault
in the US.
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But it's the land of the free, doncha know.
I spend a lot of time in Chile. It’s a good place with mostly nice people. The cops are straight and don’t put up with much BS.
Chile is depopulating slightly. Chile will get more selective with respect to immigration in coming years but they need good skilled people.
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