Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Passport Index – How much power does your passport have?

passportindex.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 116 posts

Re: Passport Index – How much power does your passport have?

#51

Post by reinhardt »

learnstats2 wrote: post #37
pinaceae wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

visa restrictions into the US and EU exist to protect their own population, as voted and decided upon by their democratic systems. the world is a bit more complicated than your comment implies.

This is a clear example of tyrrany of the majority. The majority of people might not want to move state, which is fine, but they prevent other people from exercising their right to freedom of movement. But this ends up being bad for everyone - if we are agreed that competition is good, this prevents competition between sovereign states for labour and population. As an individual, I am stuck with whatever citizenship…

Like it or not, human relationships and trust are related to distance, geographical and cultural. Broadly speaking, family > neighborhood > city > state > country > continent > rest of the world. So yes, as an individual you are "stuck" with whatever citizenship you are born into just like you are stuck with whatever parents you are born from.

If you think that a country giving privileges to its own citizens compared to foreigners is morally equivalent to a caste system, you might as well claim the same about parents caring more about their own children than other people's children. Good luck with that.

Re: Passport Index – How much power does your passport have?

#52

Post by snitko »

Terretta wrote: post #47
snitko wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. Many things in the world exist because the majority thinks it's a good idea. Doesn't mean it is. 200 years ago the majority thought slavery was ok. I'm still yet to see anyone who'd convince me why is it that I need to get a permission from a bureaucrat just to see my friend, when my friend doesn't approve of that policy and never voted for anything like that to be instituted. Me not visiting my friend more ofte…

Assuming your friend lives in a democracy, and assuming your friend wants you randomly visiting, then if as you say your friend didn't vote on the immigration laws, tell them to be more active. Have them write to their politi-critters. Get the law revisited. If enough of your friend's friends also agitate and your neighbors generally agree or at least don't oppose, the law will be revised -- problem solved. If, on th…

It takes one to be in those shoes to see how despicable and humiliating the process of getting a visa is.

If you were told you should tell your friends to vote better next time just so they can see you, I'd love to know how that would make you feel.

Re: Passport Index – How much power does your passport have?

#54

Post by chestnut-tree »

antoinealb wrote: post #38
slazaro wrote: post #2

Unsurprisingly, the Swiss passport is the one with the most interesting and visually pleasing design.

Serious question: why is it unsurprising ?

Swiss graphic design is very well known all over the world (at least by Graphic Designers). Words often used to descrbe it are: modern, clean, minimal, unfussy, neutral, rational. (People who dislike the style might also sometimes describe it as cold or even bland.)

Re: Passport Index – How much power does your passport have?

#55

Post by ptaipale »

joosters wrote: post #36
biftek wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I thought the same thing, didn't even have to click on it to know that was swiss. The Vatican passport is pretty nice too, with only the gold emblem on black.

I like the Vatican passport design too. I wonder if the inside is written in Latin?

No, it seems to be Italian (with French and English to support).

http://www.quora.com/What-does-the-inside-of-todays-Vatican-...

Re: Passport Index – How much power does your passport have?

#56

Post by masklinn »

kudu wrote: post #12

There are some important considerations here that haven't been taken into account. For example, the United States is the only major country in the world that taxes non-resident citizens on their worldwide income, which makes it one of the most inconvenient passports to hold. Additionally, holding an EU passport allows one to work, study, etc. in any EU country, rather than simply visit it.

> Additionally, holding an EU passport allows one to work, study, etc. in any EU country, rather than simply visit it.

I don't think you even need a passport, just a proof of nationality (e.g. a national ID card from your country of origin, that's usually free or much cheaper than a passport)

Re: Passport Index – How much power does your passport have?

#57

Post by ptaipale »

chestnut-tree wrote: post #54
antoinealb wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Serious question: why is it unsurprising ?

Swiss graphic design is very well known all over the world (at least by Graphic Designers). Words often used to descrbe it are: modern, clean, minimal, unfussy, neutral, rational. (People who dislike the style might also sometimes describe it as cold or even bland.)

That's right. Also, we all probably know Helvetica, the font, named after the country.

Re: Passport Index – How much power does your passport have?

#58

Post by maxerickson »

walshemj wrote: post #40
maxerickson wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Once you factor in the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and Foreign Tax Credit, it is the filing requirement that is onerous, not the taxation. The first $100,000 of income can be excluded. On income above that, the US demands the difference if the taxes in the foreign country are less than US taxes. I think you acknowledge all this quite well when you call it inconvenient, but I think people don't need to be horribly…

but this also applies to those dual nationals who have no relsionship with the USA - I doubt that Boris Johnson found it fun to have to file another tax return when dealing with his late mothers estate. BTW for non uk people Boris is going to be the next Leader of the Tory's and possibly PM within 5 years

I guess that is what I mean when I say I am ambivalent; I agree that the situation you point out is absurd, but on the other side of it I actually don't care that the US demanded taxes from the wealthy mayor of London.

Re: Passport Index – How much power does your passport have?

#59

Post by tedunangst »

joosters wrote: post #25
bane wrote: post #23

I've always thought this kind of comparison wasn't as meaningful as "how many square km of the planet does your passport grant you access to? Countries vary in size too much.

How is that more meaningful, unless you value every square kilometer of Siberia, for instance? Or you could argue that having access to all of the seas without a passport means that the per-km2 value of a passport is actually relatively small? :)

GDP would be a good measure.

Re: Passport Index – How much power does your passport have?

#60

Post by siberianbear »

maxerickson wrote: post #32
kudu wrote: post #12

There are some important considerations here that haven't been taken into account. For example, the United States is the only major country in the world that taxes non-resident citizens on their worldwide income, which makes it one of the most inconvenient passports to hold. Additionally, holding an EU passport allows one to work, study, etc. in any EU country, rather than simply visit it.

Once you factor in the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and Foreign Tax Credit, it is the filing requirement that is onerous, not the taxation. The first $100,000 of income can be excluded. On income above that, the US demands the difference if the taxes in the foreign country are less than US taxes. I think you acknowledge all this quite well when you call it inconvenient, but I think people don't need to be horribly…

The Earned Income Exclusion, as its name applies, only applies to "earned" income. It doesn't apply to capital gains or dividends. Having reviewed the form in detail, I also believe that self-employed US citizens working abroad with US-sourced self-employment income (i.e., digital nomads) also need to play the ~15% self-employment tax, even if you're able to get out of the "normal" income tax with the Foreign Income Exclusion.
Post reply on HN