[marfil]

As a European who has been living in the US for a decade, yeah, you're pretty spot on. Americans are a scared people, probably the most scared I've ever seen. Afraid of the gov't, the neighbors, and random people they don't even know. I've gotten a ton of hate as a foreigner and I am not surprised a hateful, greedy and selfish population like here is afraid somebody will take them out with an improvised device.

[dwringer]

Generally making disparaging bigoted comments about a nationality is to be avoided here. It's certainly not productive to this discussion to label anyone as hateful, greedy, and selfish, and it runs afoul of the HN comment guidelines.

There are plenty of ways to contribute to discussion without making remarks that are emotionally charged and inflammatory.

[PrimeMcFly]

Non-American also been living here for a decade, and can only say your experiences are not representative, and you seemed to have picked a poor place to live.

[psunavy03]

Or they're just prejudiced, and taking the worst possible view of their neighbors, who are in all likelihood perfectly normal people.

[justrealist]

And yet, you live here.

Annals of revealed preferences.

[marfil]

Oh no, don't get me wrong, I've been dying to leave, nothing I would like more. But I am sure you've heard of the term economic slavery, and that's what I have become. Don't make enough to make the ends meet, and don't make enough to leave. Have to pay the debts before I can give up the passport.

[slingnow]

You poor soul. Moved to such a terrible nation full of those awful people you described and now you seem to be completely powerless to leave. And I'm 100% sure this is everyone elses fault.

At what point do you look inward for someone to blame for your circumstances?

[marfil]

I was forced to move here when my parent got married. Never wanted to come here, didn't have a choice, tried to like it and I don't think that's humanly possible. Don't be a dick.

[justrealist]

Debt does not stop you from leaving, if you have a second passport.

[marfil]

US is one of the only countries in the world where you still have to pay US taxes no matter where you live or work and what passports you have, as long as you are a US citizen, and you can't give up US citizenship, which is also a paid process, unless you've paid all taxes.

[red-iron-pine]

But you said you're European. Are you a US citizen?

You can renounce a citizenship. They added an exit-fee recently. Plus if you've been living in the US working for a US company you've been paying taxes, no?

Or else you're under the table and not paying taxes, in which case this is all moot.

[justrealist]

1. Only on income over $120,000 (it's inflation indexed), so it doesn't matter for the OP.

2. The US does not collect, if you don't want to come back to the US it doesn't matter.

[potatopatch]

The US extends its power over financial institutions whenever it wants, so anyone who leaves the US without renouncing and then can't renounce due to incompliance is likely to end up unbanked eventually.

[PrimeMcFly]

I'm sorry but that's just nonsense.

Worst case you can always go back to whatever country you're a citizen on, go on welfare and start over from scratch.

[thieving_magpie]

I'm sure we could pull some money together to get you out of economic slavery. Don't want that on our conscience

[matheusmoreira]

> Afraid of the gov't

They should be. As should you.