Slashdot Mirror
Torvalds Becomes an American Citizen
netbuzz writes "Having brought his open-source work and family to the United States from Finland some time ago, Linus Torvalds has marked an important personal milestone by attaining US citizenship. A casual remark on the Linux kernel mailing list about registering to vote led to the community being in on the news. Torvalds has acknowledged being a bit of a procrastinator on this move, writing in a 2008 blog post: 'Yeah, yeah, we should probably have done the citizenship thing a long time ago, since we've been here long enough (and two of the kids are US citizens by virtue of being born here), but anybody who has had dealings with the INS will likely want to avoid any more of them, and maybe things have gotten better with a new name and changes, but nothing has really made me feel like I really need that paperwork headache again.' In that post he also expresses dislike for the American style of politics in which he will now be able to participate directly."
...but does he run Linux?
I guess it was only a matter of time
Oh, wait never mind. I thought of something else FIRST.
I am not your blowing wind, I am the lightning.
He took our jerbs!
Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
It's his own business.
Drill baby drill - on Mars
I'm more interested what his immigration category was? Mine was EB-2 (Person with advanced degree: Master or Ph.D). I suspect his was EB-1 (Person of national interest).
In Liberty, Rene
He has TWO kids here? And he had those while NOT being a full american citizen? He had Anchor babies? Someone call FOX news please. We cannot have this filth just coming here and knocking out brats!
Wait what? He is a constructive member of society? Hes already contributed to the American culture before he was a citizen? The entire idea of making immigration more difficult is crazy bullshit? *mind explodes*
So basically, -1 troll/offtopic is really slashdots way of saying "I hate that you thought of something before me."
He's an American citizen. Now what? For the larger community it simply means he hails from a different nationality. Nothing to see here, move on.
Great! That's all we need. One more socialist giving away his socialist software coming to America. Sell your software like an 'merican capitalist!
Is Linus secretly from Kenya? I find his source code to be socialist and anti-colonialist.
How will this allow him to "participate directly" in American politics more so than before? Citizenship doesn't change the way you write checks.
Yes, I'd say welcome aboard, and wonder any more why anyone would want to do that, with the country rushing headlong toward socialism and therefore an impending economic collapse. We have all the making of a disaster that will dwarf the Great Depression, and there doesn't seem to be much of anyone who wants to do anything about it.
I've thought of it myself (given I've had a green card here for a while), but it seems every second week someone is off for jury duty over here. Back in the UK, the only person I know who was called was my dad, once, in 45 years as an adult.
:)
Personally, I'm not sure the whole 'WooHoo, I can now vote in the US' is worth it - which seems to be the only other *practical* difference between a GC-holder, and a citizen.
Plus, IIRC, the US insist that I'd have to give up my UK citizenship/passport (although, from various friends, I've heard that the UK just send your passport back to you with a "you appear to have misplaced your passport" note
So, whatever floats your boat, Linus, but I don't think it's for me.
Simon.
Physicists get Hadrons!
In that post he also expresses dislike for the American style of politics in which he will now be able to participate directly."
...but just don't email the POTUS and call him a p***k!
coding is life
to have his BMI and IQ numbers interchanged.
"Tekemätöntä ei saa tekemättömäksi" -- Matti Nykänen
I can't stand American politics.
I knew all the good stuff was invented by Americans.
Oh you poor, stupid bastard Linus.
Dislike the Electoral College? Lobby your state to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.
My mother did the US citizen thing, because my parents' lawyer advised her to do that. Something about taxing inheritance more on foreigners, or something like that.
Maybe he ran in to a similar situation?
Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
You are trying to make an issue where there isn't one. Torvalds was here legally, he had his green card. You can live in the US permanently and never get citizenship, legally, if you wish to.
Thus far I have yet to encounter someone trying to make an issue of people who are legal permanent residents. You seem to be building a straw man ot pick a fight where there is not one.
When you start shouting and being absurd just to start a fight you are no better than those you are trying to attack.
See? Eurofaggots. Your smartest know what's the best country on Earth.
However, keep whining about how great the EU is and how much the US sucks.
ur jerbs!
In the last US presidential election only about 60% of the people eligible to vote, actually did. However, I bet a much greater number of people complained about the president/candidates. I remember reading somewhere that even though Hollywood (Puff Daddy etc..) started the whole "Vote of Die" campaign to get young people (age 18-24) to vote, approximately 1 in 10 actually did.
I always tell people, if you didn't vote in in the election, don't complain.
The would be news to the native Americans - who also didn't get to vote for quite a while after constitution was written...
In that post he also expresses dislike for the American style of politics in which he will now be able to participate directly.
Then move back to Finland.
Or maybe we are going to hell in a hand basket, and Linus is just to lazy to move? It took him this long just to sign up for citizenship.
"Oh look, the four horsemen are outside my window, maybe it's time to go back to Finland."
"All great wisdom is contained in .signature files"
Is she also becoming a US citizen? And if so, will she have her Finnish karate title revoked?
But in any event, welcome to the US, Linus, but you've shown you can kick butt anywhere in the world.
I am officially gone from
For some reason this reminded me of one of his quotes, "Democrats are stupid and ugly." No wait, maybe that was "CVS users" Well, no matter, they're probably the same anyways.
Quizzer: what are the three branches of government?
Linus: Why have three branches? I'd do a git merge legislative executive judiciary into a single monolithic government over which I'm benevolent dictator. Screw those crazy microgovernment people!
correction he became a USA citizen. He'll never be an American. Only people born in the American continent can be Americans.
He WANTED to become a citizen? HERE!!??
Good God, this is the equivalent of a black man actively petitioning to become a citizen of South Africa BEFORE apartheid was legally abolished, or an open practitioner of Judaism trying to join the Nazi SS, or, or, or, an Arab-American actually freaking voting for freaking Sara Palin for President!
Has he finally, completely, utterly, lost his mind!!???
The prophecy is about to be fulfilled!
Penguinista Terminator Revolucion por favor! Hasta la vista donde la sauna! Your vote for pure unadulterated uninhibited fragging fantastic Finno-Austrian tag team kick-ass awesomeness!!!11!"11
Torvalds the Brain is el Presidente and Schwarzenegger the Pinky (muscles are pink! This is no girly-pink but manly man muscle pink man!) is literally --not figuratively-- the most powerful Vice Presidente ever in the history of Life itself.
Time to get the campaign rolling peeps! It's the only way to Save America! It's the only way to Save the Universe!
Also: every future member of Congress must henceforth either be a sofware guru or body builder, by the future prophetic retroactive 2012 Intergalactic States of America decree :D
Can you see the Awesomeness!? Can you hear the Awesomeness!? Can you smell the Awesomeness!? YES YOU CAN!!!!!111!"!#""3et53g4rbnj b.,
Now he is offically a serf - serving the ruling elite and a SLAVE to the bankers. He thinks he is now a citizen of the land of the free home of the brave....... He obviously didn't read current history...
"America... land of the free." **
** All activities must be approved prior to execution. Any deviation from State-defined methods of administering said activities may result in public censure, fines, physical punishment, confiscation of property, imprisonment,
death and/or any combination thereof. Participation in "Free Speech", "The Pursuit of Happiness", "Freedom of Religion", "Freedom of Assembly", and other exclusive "Rights" subject to the prior approval of local, state, and
federal governing bodies, and such entitled privileges may be revoked at any time, without notice, for any reason.
The Truth is a Virus!!!
this is what is basically getting american citizenship over finnish citizenship. one is a donkey, the other is an arabian race horse.
Read radical news here
hahaha hahahaha hahaah hahahahahaahhaah
...
your post was funny
not.
had you known shit about finnish citizenship and the life in finland, you would eat your words about that 'monolithic single government'.
as long as there are morons like you voting, americans are sure to be subservient to corporate masters. good going !!
Read radical news here
he retains his finnish citizenship. had you known zit about the life standards and amenities in finland, you would go crying in a corner.
http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/
ignorant people like you are easy to keep in servitude by getting fed the bullshit that is 'greatest nation on earth'. good going !!
Read radical news here
In 2008 we proved that one no longer has to be a native-born American to become the President. Therefore, it is time that we sent Mr. Torvalds to the White House! Torvalds for president!
government spending is good if it is done to better the lives of people. check the place linus is from. average education and life standard of the average finnish youth would make your rich kids go weeping. that is, if they can actually understand the difference.
in us, however, government spending is done to appease corporations. which then also demand tax cuts for themselves and wealthy, and make the people pay taxes.
no sir. you americans are doing everything from butt end, and suffering as a result.
Read radical news here
Due to misinterpretation of the fourteenth amendment, specifically "subject to the jurisdiction", Torvalds' children are NOT United States citizens. So called "anchor babies" have become a subject of hot debate, given the current state of illegal immigration. Linus need not worry, though. It is only a matter of time before another activist judge takes the constitution, and law, into his/her own hands and further damages the single most important document that defines the United States of America. The republic is crumbling at the hands of a dictator and he is fine with it. On that basis alone Obama receives a F grade on liberty and his ability to defend this country from all enemies, foreign AND domestic.
despite the fact that united states of america, in the words of the chinese representative to wto, 'is a bankrupt nation', and your wall street scammed ENTIRE earth, and your income distribution is WORSE THAN the medieval times in which feudal lords ruled the land, europe is going to go bankrupt.
yes, the europe which provided bailout money to all the banks in a blink, WITHOUT printing money, DESPITE the fact that it was american wall street that caused the intoxication of world financial assets and hence american's responsibility.
moron.
that is the difference in between the europeans, and you americans. you do not get enough 'socialism' in your supposedly free country, dont have culture, education enough as a result, you do not know what kind of shit you are living in, and then you come up advertising the shit you live in to other people.
http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/
behold, and weep.
its you idiots' brainwashed minds that keep you in corporate servitude, make everything scarcer, ranging from education to jobs, and then ending up poorer and indebted to china. is there ANY other country in the world, which is being financed by china ? huh ? NO.
Read radical news here
I married my wife overseas. Barely a month later we started preparing paperwork for her green card. It was a relatively effortless process. Going from green card to citizen was just as trivial, although it wasn't cheap and got even more expensive shortly after we applied. Often times it comes down to the individual you're dealing with. We have friends who were in a similar situation, but were married longer, and they had to deal with a jerk who gave them a hard time, partly due to them having a baby. But the process was generally the same otherwise. But this is probably one of the easier ways to immigrate.
On the other hand, an uncle of mine wanted to come to the US with his family and had to wait 7 years before he got the papers. There was a ton of paperwork, some expense and having to deal with lotteries to get a place in line. Part of the reason for this is because of people who come here illegally. Illegals aren't only coming from Mexico. It's relatively trivial to get a visitor's visa and just not go back. In certain communities it's not that difficult to get fake paperwork.
From what I've seen it's actually a lot easier to immigrate to the US than it is to immigrate to most countries. And, the US is far, far less restrictive about what you can do when you're here. In some countries, on a work visa you can't even get a mobile phone. You have to purchase one under a citizen's name. Good luck trying to buy a car and getting it registered, or owning property.
But too many people, Americans ironically, are intent on perpetuating this notion that America is hostile to foreigners. Foreign immigration, unlike anywhere else in the world comprises the backbone of the country. That said, I have no sympathy for illegal immigration. Countless people have made the effort to go through the process legally. And we have this huge group of people who have decided they don't want to deal with those hassles. So instead, they open themselves up to exploitation, both from those helping them across the border and those who ultimately decide to employee them in the States.
Even more offensive is the suggestion by many that we should accept illegal immigration and that we're bigots by not doing so. We can't deport those already here. We have to give them green cards. But, it should have a few conditions. First, they have to have clean records and they have to be able to find work. Secondly, depending on age, they have to learn a reasonable level of English within a few years. I don't think that's unreasonably at all. But also important, and this should happen first, the borders have to be closed. Build a proper wall and put national guard troops along the border. And the Mexican border isn't the sole problem. Employers who hire illegals need to be dealt with harshly. Not just fined, they should be put out of business. Period. We need to deter illegal immigration as much as possible while embracing legal immigration.
Torvalds did it the right way.
For one, no you don't have to give up your UK citizenship. The US is very easy about other citizenships. Basically, they don't recognize them. Once you become a US citizen, that's all you are in their eyes. Any other citizenships you have are not their business and they don't care, other than that you'll need to use your US passport when you come to the US (though as a practical matter they'll just yell at you if you don't, my sister got scolded for using her Canadian passport but they let her in). They also warn you that the US embassy may not be able to help you if you get in trouble in a nation in which you are a citizen.
Also please remember that citizenship is ALWAYS a matter of the issuing country. Even if another country says you have to give it up they can't make that stick if the issuing country doesn't agree. For example if a country took your US passport and said "You've renounced US citizenship," they would be fooling only themselves. You could contact the US embassy and get a new one. You can only renounce your US citizenship in certain defined ways, more or less by doing it before a US consular officer and doing it knowingly with the intent of renouncing your citizenship.
Then, as to reasons to want to get citizenship. There are more idealistic ones like wanting to vote or serve on a jury, however there is a very concrete one: Once you have US citizenship, they can't keep you out. If you are an immigrant they can decide to toss you out for various reasons. Immigrants stay in a nation because the nation wants them to. However once you are a citizen, you have an absolute right to live here. They might give you shit at the border, but they can't keep you out.
I hold dual citizenships, in the US and Canada, and neither side gives me any grief.
Now turnover all your pirated copies of Windows 3.0, lol.
I'd love to serve on a jury. Unfortunately I get identified as an armchair lawyer and excluded (well so far at least) but I'd serve if asked.
If you are a professional, there's really little reason not to. You company almost certainly gives you paid leave to serve on the jury, so why not?
Also when you look at it, it seems that smart people don't try to get out of jury duty, self important people do. I mean look at the Terry Childs trial, one juror has a CCIE. Most of the smart people I know, that I respect, are quite willing to serve on juries (and some have served). It is the self important types that think it is "a waste of time" and try to find loopholes to get out.
He's so screwed.
Us collects taxes no matter in wich country he makes, stores the money.
Were gonna have 100mbps fiber to our houses, free health care, and awesome cell phones ....wait that doesnt sound so bad :)
Linus has given us a really nice OS in the form of Linux ... but I really wish he would grow a pair and stop crying. Perhaps this is what happens when you get fat and arrogant.
"Oh, I wanna live here. Oh, I get alot of money being here. Oh, I don't feel like participating."
... to the land of bad food and poor healthcare? Oh well, I suppose he has his reasons.
High-Five!
How many more years will slashdot have an off-by-one error on your Score in your profile?
I assert with arrogance, certainty and confidence, that any person who dares believe they have influence in politics due to casting a vote is not only a fool but a moron, dumb and gullible. When the stage is set and the show begins, at that point, doesn't matter which actor you prefer. This is the part about democracy that people truly misunderstand; they'll be no person to land on the ballet that doesn't pose a benefit to those already in power. The fact you might have a technical choice between one person or another, makes no difference at all to the direction those people what this country to go in. Obama or McCain, either a controversial black president, or a first time female vice-president... you see, "change" was inevitable as either likely candidate would have presented "controversial change" no matter who you voted for. I always admire the Soviets for their blunt honesty, in the Soviet Union everyone had to vote but there was only one check box on the ballot; you see, that's honesty coming down from their government. Here in America, you're given two check boxes, and those in power laugh at you as you trot about thinking you had a "choice". To see the absurdity here, one has to realize that for any given role, one can find more than a handful of people who comply and agree. So you grab a couple of your "friends" who both agree with how you want to run the country then you offer them to the public, it's a canned operation from the get-go with the benefit of people believing they somehow are able to influence the direction of politics! Aside from the obvious that I have pointed out, there also exists a most arrogant approach to resolving civil dispute and unrest of the masses; and this only ads icing to this cake made of bullshit you call voting. The powerful people, think so highly of my ideas, or yours, that all of our complaints, wishes and visions can be reduced to a single digit representation; no need to explain to me what you want, I don't care for your petty beliefs, I'll tell you what you need and force you to make a choice in the form of a check mark. You think it's sweet and simple, a check mark that can change the world... nothing that can change the world is ever so simple.
The only real way to "vote" or influence politics in democracy, is to donate funds to an organization of your liking; or pay fees either or. Only the combined wealth of a group of people can afford the lawyers and lobbyists to wine and dine the legislators and delegates, politicians and the wealthy elite.
Do I vote? No. I don't participate in bullshit. When I have a complaint, I write letters to congressmen, sheriffs, judges. I'll voice my opinions on public forums in hopes of influencing others. I find organizations that I am in-line with and make financial contributions. All of these combined has far more political impact than any amount of voting. For this, Torvalds could have participated most effectively in American politics without ever having made a single checkbox irregardless of his legal status.
Neither the UK nor the USA require that you renounce your UK citizenship when you take US citizenship. See http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html and http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/britishcitizenship/dualnationality.
In fact, until 2002 there was no way to give up British citizenship - now you can get a form from the British embassy, fill it in and send it to the UK government. It doesn't even have to be permanent as you can reacquire your UK citizenship by filling in another form and sending that one in.
There is one good reason to become a US citizen - to protect your social security pension. If you have spent (or expect to spend) a significant number of years in the USA, enough to be eligible for a US pension (40 credits = 10 years, as I recall) then you might want to protect your investment in the social security system i.e. the 6.2% of your income you have paid and continue to pay. However, in my view, that's certainly not the only good reason to be a citizen of the USA if you have permanently moved here.
I've been a US citizen for some years now and have never been called for jury duty.
"you appear to have misplaced your passport"
Made me chuckle a bit. I seem to get an image of a brit with a bobby hat, and a sly wink, saying the same thing, and following it up with an "old chap", and then saying cheerio and walking off into the sunset.
Then again, I'm mad.
Mwahahahaha... world domination... mwahahaha...
May I please have your spot in Finland, since you're no longer using it?
Some mornings it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints to get out of bed.
You're way out of perspective. Let me guess: you've never been in a situation where you can't provide food, water, and shelter for your family. And you certainly don't know what it's like to be in that same situation, day after day, year after year. Furthermore, in all probability you never will be in that situation as long as you live. Finally, you've never been out of the country and observed for yourself what poverty really is. Am I right?
Let's think about reality, not what the talking heads on TV are saying. The people who sneak across the US border don't do it because they aspire to be a US citizen. They don't do it because they think the immigration process is too much hassle. They don't do it because they're looking for a free ride. They don't do it because they want your job. Most of them don't even have the goal of eventually becoming a US citizen, or even staying here permanently.
They do it because they are trying to survive. Period.
Does the fact that copyright law restricts people's freedom to share more than they think it should make it okay to circumvent DRM and other protections to copy material for personal use and/or distribution? No, it doesn't mean that. If they can do so, its because they have the resources at hand to do so.
The fact that the law conflicts with their expectation of what they should be permitted to do doesn't cause them to be able to do it, it just makes them more likely to break the law than they would be to if the law comported with their ideas of fairness, and the fact that the law, in certain of its effects and applications, conflicts with lots of people's ideas of what should or should not be allowed means that there is quite a wide availability of tools and assistance in doing so.
The high demand plus illegality also means that criminal gangs involved in activities that are far more universally condemned can leverage the demand and the fact of illegality to use people's desire to circumvent the law to further existing criminal enterprises (e.g., in the copyright case, by distributing software that purports to crack DRM or other protections -- or which purports to contain content liberated from existing protections -- and which, whether or not it does what is advertised, also turns the computers its used on into botnet slaves or otherwise subverts them; in the immigration case, the analogous practices involve using prospective immigrants as labor for illegal sweatshops, in sexual trafficking, and using the fact of their illegal status as leverage to get them directly involved in criminal activity.)
Either Linux and other FOSS is an example of socialism done better or capitalism done better (by the latter, I mean closer to Adam Smith's idealistic vision of market economics)
I listen to both RIAA and non-RIAA stuff if I like the music, tangential business/politics nonwithstanding.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Williams_(theologian) I assume.
Colonial minister who had had enough of various official religious abuses, and did something about it. His story focuses on wrangling between Christian denominations; I suppose that carries over to different contexts.
BTW, congrats on the improved version of the standard "spinning in his grave" comment. :)
I listen to both RIAA and non-RIAA stuff if I like the music, tangential business/politics nonwithstanding.
It doesn't allow you to stay permanently, but it does allow you to change your mind and apply permanently.
This is unlike other temporary visas, that specifically say that you have to return. If you break that promise, they may not let you in again on a temporary visa.
This distinction is a huge deal if you want to get a visa into US. To get temporary visa, you have to have some reason to return. Education, relatives, business, work, property etc. If you are an unemployed young person, you are not getting a visa. If you are in the last year of school, it's a high probability too (YMMV of course).
So... you failed to mention that you can in fact apply for green card just after being on H1-B for 6 years. You don't have to be in a special category. 5 more years to get a citizenship. From entering USA as H1-B worker to becoming a citizen you need a minimum of 11 years.
Congratulations, welcome to OUR nightmare.
How do you say "tax audit" in Suomi?
The mind conceives, the body achieves, the spirit manifests.
Between that and military registration are some lame excuses I've heard for avoiding progressing to citizenship. I doubt whether this applied to Linus.
Mary: Before we get married, I must confess that I once worked in the world's oldest profession :P
John: What, you mean you were a shepherd?
I listen to both RIAA and non-RIAA stuff if I like the music, tangential business/politics nonwithstanding.
Next stop, Sacramento!
Invenio via vel creo
He wouldn't want to get pulled over and deported to mexico now would he....
Tsukasa: All I really want, is to be left alone...
Since critics are not allowed in this thread, I'm gonna post them in one single comment to be labeled as "troll" for everybody's convenience:
- The "citizenship as an afterthought" is an insult to Americans and to people fighting for citizenship.
- He immigrated to a country involved into various dirty wars with a corrupted corporate government, which is debatable except for the fact he came from a country which by fact is involved in less wars and has less corrupted government, for commercial reasons I suppose, and thus is morally corrupted.
- He states he dislikes all kinds of American things, which shows a lack of respect for his new host, stating he will fix him from within like a true citizen etc., which will turn out to be yada yada, but I expect his mansions and cars to become bigger though.
- Linux still has not penetrated on the desktop, which clearly is betrayal.
That is actually based on international law. Taxes are paid to one country always, refunds or reliefs might be available for the taxes paid to other countries. The country that is your main taxing country is decided on various international treaties.
...he had just come via Mexico.
To attain status as a legal permanent resident, you must enter the country on either an immigrant visa
Not true. You may apply for a US "green" card while in the US on any visa. However you may not enter the US on a non-immigrant visa if you intend to apply for permanent resident status at the time of entry but you are free to change your mind after entry. It's a bizarre rule which can lead to trouble when you re-enter the US after a short drive to Canada, on a J-1, valid for 3 years, and they ask you "what do you intend to do after the visa expires" and you answer honestly "I don't know - I've only been here for 2 months and have not thought that far ahead". After this very unpleasant incident every time I re-entered and was asked the same question I was very careful to answer "leave the US and not return" which, as coincidence happens, was also a very honest answer.
You're missing the bigger disincentive for a Limey: the IRS taxes Yanks on their worldwide income - regardless of where they live. The UK only taxes UK earnings or sums brought onshore. Your pension will go a long way tax free in some nice warm developing country.
Screw the INS & the IRS. I can't wait for my anchor babies to bugger off to college so I can hit the hammock.
It seems someone with points to give out lacks a sense of humor. Made me laugh, though.
I did say "needs both".
And yes, I know Linus is more of a Linux project manager than a Linux coder at this point.
I listen to both RIAA and non-RIAA stuff if I like the music, tangential business/politics nonwithstanding.
Yeah, you ought to keep respect for their work and personal celebrity involvement separate. The celebrity BS is especially galling for the talentless hacks, but does it makes any more sense if the person's contributing well to their field?
This doesn't seem to be the case with Linus, but with entertainment celebrities, it seems that people who like the product tend to like
Thus, in those cases, as someone who likes the product, you're looking at a mass of other fans that are also celebrity-worshippers.
* This applies whether it's a Serious Product (TM) or entertainment
I listen to both RIAA and non-RIAA stuff if I like the music, tangential business/politics nonwithstanding.
Now if only we could get Stallman to move to Finland...
Coder's Stone: The programming language quick ref for iPad
is the freedom to live outside the U.S. without forfeiting your status.
Within a year of being naturalized I returned to live in Finland. A Green Card would expire after four years, but a passport is forever.
Yes, having to file U.S. taxes every June is a bitch but you never know when a get-out-of-jail-for-free card comes in handy.
but Barrack Obama definitely is:
www.prisonplanet.com/michelle-obama-barack-obama-is-kenyan.html
Sorry, good thing too. Americans are dumbasses but the vote's out on Kenyans..
How are other countries going to find prosperity when greedy countries like the US pull their best and brightest workers away?
but in reverse! somebody call glenn beck
Next month marks my 10th anniversay since emigrating from the US! It certainly has had its ups and downs, but honestly, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I'm a much happier person today. Good luck to him and I hope he finds the same! :-)
The problem with what you propose
I was not proposing anything - this is what the US currently does. I know it works because I applied and got a green card while in the US on a J-1 simply because it was so unpleasant to re-enter with a non-immigrant visa and then I simply surrendered the green card when I left (and boy was it hard to find out how to do that voluntarily!).
I wonder if Finland would take me in trade.
Nah, they could probably get a better deal.
WALSTIB!
Who cares? I can't believe somebody bothered to post this.
Why anyone would choose to live in the US is completely beyond me. The government makes the country suck, and the people won't stand up to the government.
BeauHD. Worst editor since kdawson.
And I am glad they don't! I certainly don't feel that way.
If my nation was going down the tubes, I would stay and make it better, fight if needs be, do whatever it takes, I wouldn't just abandon ship and let it rot. And I also wouldn't try to inflict my "old country" lifestyle and values on some new nation if I decided to emigrate to a new place, I would adopt THEIR culture if I thought it was better, I wouldn't insist on having things my old country way or having everything in my language, etc.
So when is Richard Stallman going to join American society?
I point out to my children how much greater your accomplishments are then Bill's all the time. You are a true humanitarian.
From my heart,
Thank you for all you have done
Not in the USA at least.
For example, this guy isn't in the USA legally. Been there for years. Makes a "living" suing, mostly hard-working immigrants, who are legal.
Go figure. Summary: "Alfredo Garcia, a paraplegic who has been in a wheelchair since 1996 [fell out of an avocado tree while intoxicated], is a serial plaintiff [scam]. The 41-year-old illegal immigrant and convicted felon makes a living suing small businesses [small mom-and-pop-type] in Southern California for allegedly violating the Americans with Disabilities Act and its California equivalent."
I'd rather see cults of personality around entertainers than around politicians (assuming the star has no plans of entering politics; BTW, on that point, Tom Lehrer's "George Murphy" is a fine example of his penchant for political satire via music.)
Sarah Palin worries me; Ke$ha does not. (They're both intelligent females who know how to make a point of appealing on grounds of lesser intelligence. :P)
However, this reminds me - many stars are opinionated about their politics, like us average Joes, but with a bigger platform. Do people have a tendency to choose politics that match their favorite star's, or do people tend to choose stars that match their politics? The celebrity may not be right, as is any pundit.
However, even if they are right and help steer fans their way, that raises the following questions:
* Is the right thing done for the wrong reason still the right thing?
* Are there unintended consequences?
(Celebrities' opinions aren't *less* valid, though)
I listen to both RIAA and non-RIAA stuff if I like the music, tangential business/politics nonwithstanding.
Matti Nykänen was a very successful ski jumper in the 80s. He's known for silly sayings like "50-60 chance" or "I'm moving to Copenhagen and getting Swedish citizenship". Above quote means "what's undone can't be undone".
Not the constant War-State mentality where we have to fight "Terrorism", "Drugs", "Copyright", etc, etc, and again, pay for it.
Even as a zealous GPL freetard, I for one would love to support the War on Copyright ;-)
The US are illegally intefering with Latinamerica, Latinamericans then have a moral right to come here illegaly. The US have to deal with the consequences of being an empire.
From the article:
In that post he also expresses dislike for the American style of politics
He wasn't alone in not liking the style of politics in from 2000 to 2008.