fatbrit

A few ideas...

Raise the minimum wage rather than permitting illegal low-paid workers to flood the market and keep wages down.

Ensure that we aren't all paying for his corporate friends to pay low wages to the benefit of their profits.

Stop wasting money in government bureaucracy.

Do something about the economy.

Don't really think his crusades are doing much for the working man, either. Or anybody else for that matter.

Franklin

Health care is something pretty much essential. But it has to be paid for, so I am in favor of dedicated taxes to pay for it, so we all pay for it directly or indirectly simply by existing, and the country would benefit because all those tied up with patient payment admin would released to work in other areas of the economy.

It is sickening to know that many people are too frightened to go and see a doctor because of the cost at the point of need.

Lion in Winter

Do let us know how the enquiry goes. I have dual citizenship myself, but it never occurred to me that the State Department would bother about little old me. Perhaps I should check with them before I cast my next proxy vote in the UK?

pingu

Nationalised health is not something that the US is familiar with, and there's a risk that it could become the biggest (and most expensive) political white elephant in the history of mankind. Until we find a Republican or Democrat that is prepared to take that risk, it remains but a distant dream.

scrubbedexpat099

The Communist Party maybe, the Labour Party I think not.

Remind to self, check how membership of Blackheath Squash Club (now honorary) affects oath of allegiance.

A bit OT but I did see a post from someone who was not going to take US Citizenship as they did not want to relinquish UK Citizenship, serving 2 masters type thing.

Perhaps honorary memberships are OK, like USC's being honorary Knights?

fatbrit

So here are the facts: the US spends around twice as much on healthcare than comparable industrialized countries and gets mediocre to poor results for the money.

Do you think the party in power should try something? Or isn't there a problem here?

Lion in Winter

Well does the Blackheath Squash Club require your absolute loyalty?

Franklin

It's a bit more complicated perhaps, a lot of my roots are in Wales, and both my grandfathers were Welsh miners (one for a shorter period, he moved to London where he met my nana who was in service), I was told that one of them was seriously injured down the pit, carried home, and left on a kitchen table to die. Apparently, a wooden shaft support splintered and a splinter went through my father's father's back. That kind of thing sticks in the memory box when one is a kid around 7 years old.

The Labour Party revolutionized the coal mining industry, they nationalized it. A lot of men and their families were lifted out of starvation wages and could have decent lives. Conditions were very bad for a long time. A lot of people were loyal to Labour and Wales to this day is very strong for Labour. I would argue that since the majority of the Welsh incessantly vote Labour, they are largely taken for granted by Labour.

scrubbedexpat099

Absolutely!

I can hear members spluttering in their IPA as I type.

However the US does not, only one and that is in the negative:

I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God. In acknowledgement whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

Being a member of the Labour Party, or Blackheath Squash Club, would seem OK. The Labour Party is not an enemy of the US. Is it?

Balckheath Squash Club certainly is not.

Lion in Winter

Well I don't know. Could one describe Tony Blair as a potentate?

Lion in Winter

But how does any of this affect your U.S. citizenship?

Franklin

I want to be active in the Labour Party, not just a member, so there lies my concern.

Franklin

Why are you bothered about my need for reassurance? What's it to you?

Lion in Winter

Well as long as you're not advocating the overthrow of the U.S., which is unlikely on the face of it given Tony and Georgie's "special relationship", I fail to see the connection.

Lion in Winter

Er, issues, discussion of, public forum? Happens here all the time. In fact, it's the purpose of the place if I remember correctly.