OPINION:
Expatriation Fits The Crime
By I.B. Freely
Clowns to the Left of Me, Jokers To the Right
Partisan politics can get confusing. Not least in terms of the descriptors used in particular contexts. A case in point is the January 6th Capitol Hill incident. I am reticent to use either ‘riots’ or ‘insurrection’ to describe the events of that day, because of the party implications of each term. Those on the left preferring ‘insurrection’ and those on the right going more for ‘riot.’ Neither of which are high praise, yet there is only one that qualifies as treason which still carries the death penalty. By calling what happened an insurrection commentators are tacitly calling for the state execution of the participants, which seems like a bit of an overreaction.
Fits The Crime
I’m old-fashioned and still believe that the punishment should fit the crime. According to most legal experts, a group not known for their creativity, the worst punishment, short of death, would be for the participants to go to prison. While it seems odd, there are actually other alternatives that are both better and worse than either the prison cell or the electric-chair.
Back Where They Came From
With a group the size of the one at the Capitol, it is a statistical likelihood that at least some of them are naturalized citizens. In other words, those born in another country that have taken American citizenship, patriotism particularly strong among those who were born elsewhere. Much like how new converts to a religion tend to be even more devout. There are some that would say that naturalized citizens cannot lose their citizenship once they have it. While this is true in most cases there are particular exceptions. Treason is the most obvious, but so is joining what are called subversive groups which is considered a ‘violation of allegiance.’ Examples of subversive groups include Al-Queda, ISIS and both the German and American Nazi Party.
A Bit Sticky
Therefore, any naturalized US citizens who join such a group can be considered traitors to the state and are candidates for ‘denaturalization.’ The same goes for those who join armies that are actively fighting against the United States. It is a bit sticky that the argument could be made that the group that attacked the Capitol, some with clear murderous intent, could be considered subversive groups, including and particularly the Boogaloo Boys who have clearly stated their intent to overthrow the Government of the United States by armed insurrection. Any attempt at such an action by a naturalized citizen could well lead to their denaturalization.
Born In the USA
It might seem crazy but there are circumstances in which those who were born in the United States can lose their citizenship. The most obvious is the process of renunciation in which someone actively says they don’t want to be an American Citizen anymore. This is what happens in most cases, though there are extreme cases in which a naturally born US citizen can lose their citizenship by law. Specifically by committing an act of treason or a set of other crimes against the state that can lead to what is called ‘expatriation.’ A fancy term for exile, which would require one to find another country to live in, as Edward Snowden did, moving to Russia after being expatriated following his exposure of the US spy network which the sensitive darlings at the NSA took personally.
I Dreamed A Dream
It is unlikely to happen, the majority of administrators being gutless self-servers who won’t sneeze without checking with their base, but the idea of the Capitol Hill participants having to make a new life in Putin’s Russia, particularly with the anti-Left sentiment so many have shown, never fails to make me smile.
https://www.calamitypolitics.com/2021/01/11/editorial-surprisingly-unsurprised/
