Dual Citizenship -- Should we be worried?

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Dual Citizenship -- Loyal to Whom?

"Someone wrote and asked me, "Why are there Israeli- but not Mexican-American Dual Nationals?"

Well, here's my take on this. I'd also like your views and opinions.

Unless we are Native American Indians, all Americans have their origins in some other country. Both of my parents were from England. They were proud to be "British" but they were most proud of achieving their American citizenship. Sure, we had pictures of the Queen and nick-nacks with the Union Jack on them. My mother even celebrated the traditional 4 o'clock tea time and was good at making Yorkshire Pudding. In the late 60's my older brother served in the US Army and did his tour in Viet Nam. When it came down to "allegiance," we were all patriotic Americans. Period.

The word "allegiance" means that we promise loyalty. It also carries with it the expectation that this loyalty will be exclusive and unrestrained. In the case of a declared war or real threat or conflict, for example, our allegiance to America should preclude any other interest, be it another country or political ideology.

When they took their oath to become American citizens, my parents had to pledge their "allegiance" exclusively to America and renounce their allegiance to "any and all foreign governments." That included Great Britain, one of our strongest allies.

Before Viewzone asked me to research the meaning of "dual citizenship," I had never heard of the term. How could someone be a citizen of two countries at the same time? But I was just ignorant. Dual nationalities and citizenships are quite common.

From my internet research, I learned that in 1997, a French Canadian with a U.S. passport ran for mayor of Plattsburgh, N.Y. He argued that the incumbent spoke French too poorly to be running a city so close to Quebec. He lost. Also in 1997, a retired top American official for the U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) ran for president of Lithuania. He was inaugurated in February to a burst of fireworks!..."

http://www.viewzone.com/dualcitizen.html

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The middle of this article has a list of dual US-Israeli citizens in positions of power and influence in the US Government.

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1. There are Mexican-American dual citizens (as there are Canadian American dual citizens and English-American dual citizens). If someone is born in the US with Mexican parents, for example, they will be recognized as dual citizens.

2. I am not afraid of Jews, Mexicans Brits or Laotians.

3. I am afraid of racists and neo-Nazi's which have a far more detrimental effect on the country than any of the above groups.

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ebrown_p wrote:

1. There are Mexican-American dual citizens (as there are Canadian American dual citizens and English-American dual citizens). If someone is born in the US with Mexican parents, for example, they will be recognized as dual citizens.

2. I am not afraid of Jews, Mexicans Brits or Laotians.

3. I am afraid of racists and neo-Nazi's which have a far more detrimental effect on the country than any of the above groups.

$1000 bet you don't have kids fighting and dying in Iraq and Afghanistan for the 'security' of Israel.

I thought not.

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I don't have kids shouting "Seig Heil" in the streets calling for the destruction of Israel either.

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ebrown_p wrote:

I don't have kids shouting "Seig Heil" in the streets calling for the destruction of Israel either.

Sorry, but the "neo nazis" did NOT disable this U.S soldier in Iraq

http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2006/03/29/mn_wounded_017_df.jpg

It was YOUR support for AIPAC/ Israeli dual citizens... et al.

Blood on your hands ? ?

ebrown_p, if people like yourself did not support "Israel Lobby" there wouldn't be a war in Iraq and we wouldn't have disabled guys as pictured above. (see link below)

http://thinkprogress.org/the-architects-where-are-they-now/

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Where Have All the Architects of War Gone?

In his terrific post on the hornets' nest we've kicked open in the Middle East, Gary Hart makes the point that as the fighting spreads, we have seen precious little of "the nation's wisemen, those neoconservative idealists who saw the great American empire imposing democracy on the Middle East at the point of a bayonet."

And, indeed, in the wall-to-wall coverage of the latest Middle East carnage -- and the analysis of said carnage -- the neocon architects who brought us the invasion of Iraq and the promise that it would bring democracy and stability to the region have been notably absent from the discussion.

Where have you gone Richard Perle, Paul Wolfowitz, Doug Feith, et al? A nation turns it anxious eyes to you...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/where-have-all-the-archit_b_25309.html

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Zippo
I had perused your link.Those who were mentioned in that link are either famous or NOTORIOUS for their behaviour.
They are not Mahathma Gandhi, Karl Marx, Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa.
They are bubbles or baloons.

Dueal citizenship is the subject.
Now my question.
There are some sects , groups without any nationality.
Kurds for example.
How about giving a citizenship for those who have no country to hug?
I had given up my Indian citizenship.
Now I have a German nationality.
Your country should be the last one to highlight the topic of Immigration or nationality.
Am I wrong sir?
Kindly correct me and I stand for correction.
Thanks

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I keep forgetting it was an Israeli plot to secretly put billions of crude oil under Iraq and other Arab countries and then to make America addicted to oil.

Thanks for reminding me Zippo.

Oh yeah, then there were those dual citizens that built the WTC so it would fall down so easily. Because we sure know it wasn't damage from 2 planes that caused it.

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Parados
I can sing a song of Epithelemium about 11th september.
Real criminals who had allowed approved that barbaric 3000 death( of various nationality) are still active to shake/ shape the world.
But it is another story.

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I think this post is emphasizing the incorrect concern. What is really on the minds of some people is not "dual citizenship," but "dual loyalty."

Now, if we talk about "dual loyalty" we can see that that can exist without "dual citizenship." This was the concern in WWII with American citizens that were descended from family that came from the Axis powers.

It caused the American Japanese to be interred. It caused some Americans of German descent to give up their ancestral culture during WWII. All because of the fear of "dual loyalty," or rather primary loyalty to another nation.

It's the old fear of a "Fifth Column" living inside the nation. This was one of the Nazi scapegoating techniques against the Jews of Germany.

So, let's put aside the "dual citizenship" banter, and cut to the chase, so to speak. It's "dual loyalty" turning into primary loyalty to another nation, with or without "dual citizenship."

So, should we believe American WASP's got the U.S. into WWII to protect mother England? I don't care; we did the correct thing to free Europe from the Nazis (we actually even freed Germany from the Nazis too).

Lastly, anyone that says the U.S. is in Iraq to protect Israel implies that they believe that Iraq was going to attack Israel? I never heard that? In fact, the only time Iraq fired those Scud missles at Israel, I thought, was when we got Iraq out of Kuwait, back during the senior Bush's presidency.

We're in Iraq for reasons that have little to do with Israel. But, by focussing on Israel as the supposed cause of Iraq, that can be a good anti-Israel explanation, since like a percentage of the Russian peasants in the 1880's, many people are willing to think "the Jews" are behind all the ills of the world.

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parados wrote:

I keep forgetting it was an Israeli plot to secretly put billions of crude oil under Iraq and other Arab countries and then to make America addicted to oil.

Thanks for reminding me Zippo.

Oh yeah, then there were those dual citizens that built the WTC so it would fall down so easily. Because we sure know it wasn't damage from 2 planes that caused it.

Damn them all to hell!

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I think this post is emphasizing the incorrect concern. What is really on the minds of some people is not "dual citizenship," but "dual loyalty."

Now, if we talk about "dual loyalty" we can see that that can exist without "dual citizenship." This was the concern in WWII with American citizens that were descended from family that came from the Axis powers.

It caused the American Japanese to be interred. It caused some Americans of German descent to give up their ancestral culture during WWII. All because of the fear of "dual loyalty," or rather primary loyalty to another nation.

It's the old fear of a "Fifth Column" living inside the nation. This was one of the Nazi scapegoating techniques against the Jews of Germany.

So, let's put aside the "dual citizenship" banter, and cut to the chase, so to speak. It's "dual loyalty" turning into primary loyalty to another nation, with or without "dual citizenship."

So, should we believe American WASP's got the U.S. into WWII to protect mother England? I don't care; we did the correct thing to free Europe from the Nazis (we actually even freed Germany from the Nazis too).

Lastly, anyone that says the U.S. is in Iraq to protect Israel implies that they believe that Iraq was going to attack Israel? I never heard that? In fact, the only time Iraq fired those Scud missles at Israel, I thought, was when we got Iraq out of Kuwait, back during the senior Bush's presidency.

We're in Iraq for reasons that have little to do with Israel. But, by focussing on Israel as the supposed cause of Iraq, that can be a good anti-Israel explanation, since like a percentage of the Russian peasants in the 1880's, many people are willing to think "the Jews" are behind all the ills of the world.

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Hi, my name is Montana and I am a dual citizen (Canada/US). I am loyal to myself, my family, my friends and my pets.

I am also loyal to feeding a few stray cats, and countless of birds.

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Montana wrote:

Hi, my name is Montana and I am a dual citizen (Canada/US). I am loyal to myself, my family, my friends and my pets.

I am also loyal to feeding a few stray cats, and countless of birds.

I always knew there was something sinister about Montana.

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Yup, now the cats out of the bag Cool

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I even let the squirrels eat out of the bird feeders Shocked

Not the goody 2 shoes everyone thought I was, eh Twisted Evil

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Only recently, Germany started allowing dual citizenship.
Before everybody had to decide on ONE citizenship once they turned 18.

All previously American-Germans that I know decided on being American for SOLELY ONE REASON:

It got them out of doing their tour in the German Army.

Great reason, right?

My son has dual citizenship at the moment, and if he feels like it (as far as the German law is concerned) he will be able to keep both, if he decides to do so.

Whatever he decides, I hope that he realizes, what a COUNTY actually is.

It is a speck of land with people living on it.
There are nice people, there are stupid people, there are criminals, there are your family and friends and there are lots of people you will never know.
I hope he will love his family and friends and tell everybody that tells him DYING for HIS COUNTRY is a good thing, to go to hell!

I am all with Montana on this one!

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Foofie wrote:

It caused the American Japanese to be interred.

Some of them were, while in internment...

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Montana wrote:

I even let the squirrels eat out of the bird feeders

Not the goody 2 shoes everyone thought I was, eh

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Bohne wrote:

Only recently, Germany started allowing dual citizenship.
Before everybody had to decide on ONE citizenship once they turned 18.

All previously American-Germans that I know decided on being American for SOLELY ONE REASON:

It got them out of doing their tour in the German Army.

Great reason, right?

My son has dual citizenship at the moment, and if he feels like it (as far as the German law is concerned) he will be able to keep both, if he decides to do so.

Whatever he decides, I hope that he realizes, what a COUNTY actually is.

It is a speck of land with people living on it.
There are nice people, there are stupid people, there are criminals, there are your family and friends and there are lots of people you will never know.
I hope he will love his family and friends and tell everybody that tells him DYING for HIS COUNTRY is a good thing, to go to hell!

I am all with Montana on this one!

It's probably not politically correct to point out the following, but I believe another reason for people historically maintaining citizenship in one country was because they wanted to believe that, far off into the future, their descendants would be of the same ethnic mix as their country represented (most countries are really a mix of ancient peoples). That really won't apply to Americans, since with time all the different ethnic groups in America will mix to develop some future "new" American. And, I'd guess that will be true too in Germany, in the future, since Europeans are moving around in the EU.

Anyway, being an American is not like being a European, I believe. There are some subtle belief systems that Americans believe in, or aspire to, that I'm not so sure that Europeans subscribe to. One that comes to mind, is in America one can literally reinvent oneself. I believe, in Europe one is still carrying the identity of one's ancestors. And, naturally, that can be a plus or minus.

Anyway, it's my belief, based on my own observations, that the immigrant generation that comes to America really doesn't assimilate in their minds totally. I believe, it takes growing up in America, and attending kindergarten and grade school here, to truly subscribe to the nuanced feelings of being an American. It's that process that allows for the "melting pot" to work. I don't think that's happening in Europe with all immigrants there. Look at Barak Obama with African grandparents. He's American and his African grandparents do not detract from his American identity in the eyes of other Americans. Would that be so in Europe? I believe only America (perhaps there are other countries, but I'm unaware of any) has this melting pot paradigm that successfully assimilates the generation that is born in America.

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Dual Citizenship -- Should we be worried?

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