File this in “Why I’m glad I live in Korea.”
And here’s my Congressman, Peter King, doing the 3rd District proud:
Gotta love that accent.
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{ 39 comments… read them below or add one }
How is he still “your Congressman”? Just because he represents the area indicated in your American passport, which you cling to to retain certain benefits while scorning the land of your birth?
Marmot: why are you incapable of seeing that tabloid trash is not a representation of America as a whole?
I’m glad you live in Korea, too. And I’ll thank you not to drag your self-hating pasty ass back to my country any time soon.
Be a man and get Korean citizenship, if you love Korea so much more than America. And don’t whine about how the meanie Koreans won’t let you. If you wanted to make it happen, you could– and if it really is impossible, then I have to ask why you’re so in love with the place. Until you change either your tone or your citizenship status, you rather remind me of another Robert K. that we’ve discussed on this blog.
Jesus, you’re an angry man.
And as far as I know, I’ve never whined about the meanie Korean not letting me in.
I know you haven’t. I was trying to forestall a possible argument.
But ok, why aren’t you a Korean citizen, or well on your way to becoming one, since America is such a shitty place?
And yes, I do get angry when I see people who are anti-American taking advantage of their American citizenship while denigrating the country and contributing nothing to it. Just a hunch, Marmie, but I don’t think you’re making more than $80,000 a year. And if you ain’t, then you ain’t paying taxes to the US, which means you really have fuck-all to say about it, doesn’t it?
OK, colontos, take a deep breath…
and think happy thoughts.
I am in agreement with the congressman. Jackson is a low life and his adulation is misplaced. There is more press about this pedophile than on Obama ruining our country. I love America, but I hate the direction we are headed. Obama is an America hater. If Americans could eschew their white guilt for just a moment, they would see the socialist slippery slope we are heading down. Obama won, and runs on celebrity. That is the sad but true fact that the Marmot unknowingly advertises here.
Robert (you shameless traitor), don’t sweat that guy too much.
“I don’t think you’re making more than $80,000 a year. And if you ain’t, then you ain’t paying taxes to the US, which means you really have fuck-all to say about it, doesn’t it?”
so colontos, I’m an American citizen, and I’m curious. Is the ability to make comments about the USA something that we are only allowed to do during a year we have paid taxes? And, if I pay more taxes than another person, do I get to complain more, or are my complaints given more weight? What about the property taxes I pay on some real estate I own back home? Does that give me any rights to complain? Are those rights limited to complaining only about the city that I pay them to? All fair questions inspired by your rant above.
Anyway, still firewalled to see videos, if someone could post the links, it would be appreciated. Also, Robert, I have a request. In the future, when you embed videos, particularly youtubes, can you provide the link as well? I can’t see them due to the company’s firewall, but if I can get the link I can go thru a proxy server.
It’s real simple, man. I have a distaste for people who live permanently in another country and contribute nothing to the US while retaining their US citizenship, and then feel the need to snipe at America and claim that other countries are superior. You get it?
Coming soon on YouTube: Colontos flips-out — curses, screams at Marmot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YersIyzsOpc&feature=fvst
I think Debbie Rowe had a right to scream at those jerks. I also think people have a right to memorialize Michael Jackson if they want to, as long as the government does not pay for it. Also, he was never proven to be a pedophile, though he was definitely weird.
Colontos, what’s this about being a man and getting Korean citizenship?! Are women disallowed? Are you implying that Robert is female? Not all Marmots are feminine . . . though many are, about 50% at last calculation. Regardless, I’ve met the Marmot, and he is male . . . I think. Two years ago, anyway. Maybe things have changed. But my main point is . . . Leave the Marmot Alone!
Jeffery Hodges
* * *
While I agree in general with what Pete King is saying, I think he is downplaying Michael Jackson’s impact on the world. King says, “He died..he had some talent…fine.” Some talent? Michael Jackson changed music, music videos, and the world of entertainment in a way that is matched by few others in history. True, we should give more time and attention to the police, firemen, and troops, but Jackson’s death is quite significant.
Colontos,
I thought I had some anger management issues. That being said, if you hold US citizenship…you have a right to your opinions. I don’t think the Marmot explicitly stated any opinions on MJ or his congressman, one way or the other. Doesn’t matter…ass hats suchas yourself, Colontos, need to have an enema. It might clear your brain. I think that matches quite well with the COLON in your handle.
Colontos wrote:
We are not drawing welfare over here, and we are already paying taxes to the Korean government, so why would you want us to be taxed twice? We are also not stealing any US jobs or using any US government services while we are over here.
Judging from your comment, I assume you pay all of your taxes without taking any tax deductions, including the standard deduction on yourself or any dependents. You do not deduct mortgage interest payments or take advantage of any tax credits, right? If you do take any of those deductions, then you have no right to complain about our taking the foreign tax deduction.
People have a right to complain about the US government or the social problems in the US even if they do not live in the US or are not even US citizens. Are you saying you never complain about Korea or any other foreign country even though you do not live in those countries? Would it be anti-American to complain about US crime rates, welfare abusers, or the poor education system?
Get over your drunk, Colontos, and post again when you are sober.
What we are doing is getting paid while working in the Korea economy, and when any of us repatriate, we will be bringing our financial assets with us, doing more than our part to reduce the negative flow of cash from our economy caused by the trade deficit. So you see, not only are we not hurting the US, we are really just a bunch of studly hulking heros sacrificing for the sake of our comrades back home who are foolishly wasting our on cheap Asian imported goods. If only there more more people like us. Colontos should throw us a ticker tape parade, or erect some monument to our names for all we are doing.
And who gives a shite about the taxes. The real gauge of whether you’re free to complain or not in the U.S. is your voter registration card and whether you fucking use it.
I was never the biggest fan of Mr. Bush (either of them), but I couldn’t stand all of my friends who said “IMPEACH DUB–YA” for all those years and who had not actually voted themselves!
scratch “in” the U.S. for “about” the U.S.
Someone doesn’t need to live in America or pay taxes to the American government to be an American, to contribute to America, or to be judged as American by others. Are US diplomats and soldiers not Americans because they are stationed overseas? All of us here represent our country everytime we walk down the street, work in our companies, meet with Koreans here. We are the face of our country overseas.
As for taxes, well sorry, but poor Americans are just as American as rich ones. We have a democracy where political rights and citizenship are unrelated to income status and taxes. If you have a problem with tax free status for those under 80K living overseas, raise it with your congressperson. Keep in mind that Americans living overseas receive far fewer government services than those in the States. I would bet though, that the tax deduction may have been partly introduced as an incentive to encourage average Americans to work abroad – to build bridges between our nation and the rest of the world.
Right CaptBBQ is also correct – we’re also out here trying to address the trade deficit – assuming that we’re not spending all our money on the local economy.
As for Michael Jackson -
Naver reported a false internet rumor as fact – claiming that Jordan Chandler confessed to lying in 1993 that Michael Jackson sexually abused him
http://news.naver.com/main/hot…..;ptype=011
When the source of the rumor was proven to have been fake more than a week ago
http://blog.vpjayant.com/?p=21
I agree with King that much of the Jackson coverage has ignored his questionable behavior towards kids during the last 20 years or so. On the other hand, King needs better evidence before reaching conclusions.
You know, this whole Congressman King vs Michael Jackson spat has been blowing up the AM talk radio airwaves recently.
It reminds me of a debate we used to have in music class back in high school. If an artist has an ethical failure in his personal life, does that in any way diminish his art?
You folks seem to think I am attacking all of you who live in Korea. I’m not. Look at comment #7 to see specifically what kind of person I’m referring to. You have to meet like 5 criteria to be subject to this criticism that I’m making. Most of you do not meet them.
My gripe here is with the Marmot. He has chosen not to respond in a substantive way; that’s fine and is his prerogative. Because he has not responded, I am loath to continue hammering away at this. I am therefore not going to restate my argument for the benefit of all you folks who are too dense to understand what I’ve already written.
PRO-TIP: If you are here for a few years to make some money and then head back to the US, where you will live most of your life, then I am not talking to you.
Most of the other things y’all have written are not worth responding to. You just got scared that mean colontos was talking bad about you, when in 95% of cases he wasn’t.
Happy place, colontos. Happy place.
Apparently, Colontos believes the right of free speech doesn’t apply if you’re american and living in Korea for more than a few years.; and what an evil abuse of free speech it was, “Why I’m glad I live in Korea.” God, help us if Marmot really maligns the US.
Colontos, now that I think about it . . . you’re right. I’m also damned tired of Robert Koehler’s paleoconservative, Republican bitching about everything wrong with America! He probably didn’t even like Alaska’s foreign policy under the-governor-formerly-known-as-Palin and may have turned so radically against the evangelical wing of the Republicans that he likely even cast his presidential vote for that Crypto-Islamo-Communist Barack Hussein Obama!
But my main point is: Marmot! Leave America Alone!
Jeffery Hodges
* * *
Unfortunately, the marmot’s sincere declaration that he’s glad he lives in korea will come off as a joke to most expats here. It WAS sincere, wasn’t it Mr.Marmot?
With all this anger going around, I think I’ll blame a certain few expats for setting off colontos’ latent Korean self-image-insecurity – which itself is a bit unorthodox since it doesn’t involve being rich (or having descended from royalty), wearing brand name clothing, or having some Ivy league degree, but rather, not being perceived as American enough. Thus we have our over-sensitive raging Korean-Russian-American (is that the right order?).
You know, considering that, I think Marvel should create a Korean Hulk character, he’d be a lot more interesting and powerful than Bruce Banner
It’s funny how little you know about me. Or rather, it’s funny that, knowing so little, you would make such pronouncements. The height of arrogance.
i think if all the Democrat voters actually did not take their deductions, then they actually can have a shot at achieving a federal and state government system that keeps on giving.
Let me try to sway you away from that sort of La-La-land thinking. It’s like imagining you’ll never be overcharged or that every bill you drop on the floor unknowingly will be automatically returned to you by an eager friendly citizen bro.
what are state and local governments doing these days to make up for budget shortfalls? Tax the rich more, right? THAT was the campaign promise of Obama.
What I see.
1/ increased sales taxes on a variety of levels.
2/ police these days are not actively looking for criminals. They are looking for speeders. Catch a crook, so what? He just costs the state more money to feed him and house him. Catch a speeder. $100 to $500. Cha-ching ! Policeman is not sitting at his station ready to respond to catch a crook. He is spending day and night with a radar gun in a hidden spot. His goal is to net the local government at my estimate $1000 a day.
As you know, sales taxes in NYC are pretty high… but I’m glad we don’t (yet) have a 19% VAT like France or Peru.
You are probably right about police, but that’s been a tactic for years and years. I have to admit, I am glad when I see them stake out and ticket drivers that get caught “in the box”.
At least the US doesn’t have speed cameras everywhere – not yet anyway. The goofy thing is that most people have GPS systems which tell them where the cameras are – so everyone speeds 95% of the time. If they want the speed camera system to work they should move the cameras around from time to time.
As of yesterday, he still was.
Depending on the items/services sold, VAT in France is either 19.6% or 5.5%.
~20% is quite high, to an American, at least.
A VAT of around 20%, as a policy tool to place the burden of taxation on all participants in the consumption-based economy, assuming one wanted to discourage or punish consumption, makes quite a bit of sense. Unfortunately, in Europe the high VAT has been accompanied by quite high income tax rates — up to 63% in Belgium! (Thus punishing production.)
That’s Obama’s plan for America too.
Brendon, in reference to “punishing production”, I see an increase in DIY-home production and solutions for quite a few more things as of the last five years. Don’t you suppose there will be more of a marked increase in this sort of thing anyhow? I also see more bartering going on too in certain areas too.
“The law, in its majestic equality, forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, beg in the streets or steal bread.”
— Anatole France
Along with other not-so-hidden taxes like the royalty-like tax on blank CDs and DVDs: the French government assumed that since so many blank media were sold, it was to make illegal copies of movies and music. Not to back up data. Thus, an extra tax that’s added on the price, the proceeds sent to the entity collecting royalties for artists. WTF indeed.
IOW, the “Johnny Hallyday Retirement Fund”.
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