Escape From Amerika: 35 Percent Of Americans Want To Leave The Land Of The Free

CNBC reports: “A recent online poll of more than 2,000 adults by TransferWise, a peer-to-peer money transfer service based in the United Kingdom, revealed that 35 percent of American-born residents and emigrants would consider leaving the United States to live in another country.”

This may come as quite a surprise to many patriotic Americans who still for some reason believe they live in the “land of the free.” It comes as no surprise to us. We think this number may double or even reach near 100% by the time all is said and done with the collapse of the US dollar (along with the faux economy and social infrastructure).

WHY?

First we should point out that it was a very small survey and done by Transferwise.com which has clients who wish to transfer money internationally outside of the banking system. These are clearly not your typical, insular Americans.

Let’s look at the reasons cited for why US residents want to stay in the US:

The two big ones are always the ones people cite: (1) “It’s home” and (2) romantic and family ties.

After that the reasons are increasingly less significant.

22% say they want to stay because it is a democratic society.  This is questionable at best. Is a democratic society better than other forms of government?  Nazi Germany was democratic.  And calling the authoritarian US uni-party system a “democracy” is a stretch…

17% say for the culture.  Considering the US really has no culture other than NFL football, baseball and brazen materialism, it’s no wonder that isn’t a big reason to stay.

Interestingly both “job prospects” and “good future for children” barely elicit a 10% response, which seems accurate to us.

“Affordable housing” falls in at 5%, as the Federal Reserve has now re-inflated the housing bubble.  We don’t even know what “Weath” is but it ranked at 5% also!

Ranked at the very bottom of reasons to want to stay in the US are “low crime rates.” (Perhaps people are aware the summer riots haven’t really started yet.)  And the last reason to want to stay in the US is “low taxes!”

With the world’s highest corporate tax rate and a top tax rate of nearly 40%, it is clear why.  Even communist Canada has lower income tax rates.  And that’s before the state taxes, property taxes, capital gains tax, dividend tax, interest tax, sales taxes, countless permits that need to be applied for… and even a death tax.

Interestingly, however, US taxes are near their lowest levels in decades.

There’s a rub, however.  There’s always a rub!

Notice how the income tax rate in 1912 was 0%.  Then also notice that in 1913, the Federal Reserve was created and right alongside it, the income tax. (The tax was probably illegally declared, but that’s a discussion for another day.).  To put it lightly it was a very, very bad year.

All of a sudden top earners went from paying 0% to as high as 67% by 1917!  Top earners continued to pay well north of 50% income tax until the 1980s.

But, here’s the rub I mentioned.  The top earners in 1917 who paid 67% had to earn an income of $35 million in today’s dollars!  Even those who had to pay income taxes similar to today near 40% had to earn $3.5 million per year.

In 1980 the top tax rate was 70%.  But that was on those making more than $600,177 per year.  In today’s dollars that is well north of $2 million per year.  On the other hand, those paying around 40% were those making over $80,000 per year.  In today’s dollars that is around $240,000 per year.

Now, thanks to the magic of inflation, people who make $80,000 per year in today’s dollars pay about 30% income tax.

What has happened is that the highest tax brackets have come down but now a moderate income earner probably pays more than ever.  It’s the usual slight of hand.  Politicos can show a chart like the above and say that income taxes are well down over time… but the income tax for the median person has risen dramatically.

This is likely why only 2% of those polled said that “low taxes” is the reason they are staying in the US!

THE LAND OF THE FREE

While we admit the poll cited at the beginning of this article is questionable in scope, it does bring up some interesting facts.  The main reason that people polled are staying in the US is just because that’s where they currently live and/or they have family there.

After that the reasons get pretty thin.

And, when 35% of people in the Land of the Free want to leave because they feel un-free and only 10% feel their children will have a better future and only 2% want to stay because of the “low taxes”… one has to wonder when they will change that moniker.

If you are one of the 35% who yearn to leave your chains behind, we suggest you join The Dollar Vigilante (TDV) Groups. This is a community of thousands of expats who have already left places like the so-called Land of the Free and ventured off elsewhere looking for credible freedom and opportunity (rather than rhetoric).

TDV Groups is free as a Dollar Vigilante subscriber and is an excellent resource to utilize as you plot your escape from Amerika before the other 65% catch on.

Originally Appeared At The Dollar Vigilante