cross-posted from Isaac Brock SocietyLetter to Ambassador LeVine
In 1812 USA did not respond to British claim that US citizens were British with IGA promising 2 return them to GB https://t.co/B7TGGXylK1
— Citizenship Lawyer (@ExpatriationLaw) November 1, 2016
Richard M Stevens says
October 31, 2016 at 1:30 pm
Ambassador Suzan G. LeVine
U.S. Embassy Bern Sulgeneckstrasse 19
CH-3007 Bern, Switzerland
Ambassador LeVine:
I have recently seen a scanned copy of a letter from you, dated September 28, 2016, addressed to an unknown party (the scanned copy has more parts blacked out than a document obtained under FOIA), about the inability of “U.S. Persons” to obtain banking services in Switzerland. The letter begins,
One of my foremost priorities is to respond to the concerns of U.S. persons residing here in Switzerland.\
I find this a bit difficult to believe. I would have thought that an American ambassador had some obligation to support US policy, which is to attack U.S. persons abroad, not respond to their concerns.
If you really want to respond to the concerns of that most unfortunate creature known as the U.S. person abroad, there are a few things you can do. First, instead of complaining to Swiss Banks, the victims of American bullying, you can complain to the hypernationalistic blowhards in Washington who are doing the bullying, intimidating banks around the world into dropping American clients.
Second, perhaps you recall how your country reacted in 1812 when the United Kingdom imposed its law extraterritorially, impressing American citizens who used to be British into their navy. The US did not sign an inter-governmental agreement promising to help the UK remove their former citizens from American ships; it declared war on the UK. You could write to the Swiss government, urging them to respond to extraterritorial aggression by your country the same way—by declaring war on the US, something Switzerland and every other country in the world has thus far been too craven and cowardly to do.
As for those most unfortunate US persons, the only advice I can give them is to do whatever it takes to stop being U.S. persons. Get rid of their US passports or green cards, quick time. For the citizens, this involves a long, difficult, and expensive process the US would surely condemn as a serious human rights violation had it belonged to any other country. However, once completed, these former citizens of “the land of the free” can experience the same modern banking services that any Chinese, Cuban, Iranian, or North Korean citizens living in Switzerland already take for granted. They will enjoy not only the conveniences of 21st century life, such as holding banking or investment accounts, but also the pleasant sensation of wiping their arses with the US flag every time they open one.
As for you, perhaps you would like to consider resigning from your ambassadorship, and finding some capacity where you can work for freedom instead of against it. Freedom and human rights are under threat around the world as they have not been for a long time, and you’re on the wrong side of that battle. Time to change.
RMS