Monday, August 18, 2008

American values

I am about to become a double citizen, both Swedish and American, so I can vote here in the US. I figured that since I have lived here now for 14 years or so and pay lots of taxes, I might as well have a say in how my taxes are used and who will be the president (and I hope it won't be the 'old white-haired wrinkly guy').

On the citizenship application you have to answer some really specific questions, such as:

Have you joined any organization, including the Communist Party, or become associated or connected therewith in any way?

Have you practiced polygamy, received income from illegal gambling, been a prostitute, procured anyone for prostitution or been involved in any other unlawful commercialized vice, encouraged or helped any alien to enter the United States illegally, illicitly trafficked in drugs or marijuana, given any false testimony to obtain immigration benefits, or been a habitual drunkard?

There are some more questions too, mainly about if you have been arrested or convicted of any crimes and if you are willing to bear arms in the military for the US.

I find it really interesting that what they focus on are a few 'evil' things, and there is a lot more that is unsaid. Isn't marijuana a drug? Why is that listed specifically? Why not list heroin specifically? What counts as a habitual drunkard? Which organizations are people supposed to list? What if you joined the Norwegian Modelboat Building Association of Northern Minnesota? Do you have to list that? The Cold War fear is still present with the specific mention of the Communist Party. What about Nazist, aren't they as bad? Polygamy?

What if you are a man that is a member of the Cooperative Commune Party in Outer Minneapolis, just helped a green alien to land on Earth, bought a prostitute a breakfast one morning, grow marijuana as a medical drug, have a Kentucky bourbon every night, and are married to 5 women in 5 states, but you don't know about it because you are suffering from some severe personality disorder? You could never become a citizen...

(Just heard a squirrel running on the side of the house. They climb up and down without any effort at all. Silly squirrels. Thinking about it, animals don't need to pass any citizenship tests, they can behave however they wish and won't get kicked out of the country.)

It would be reallyy interesting to see what questions Sweden asks its potential citizens. Since the Communist Party (now called the Left Party) is in the parliament, I doubt that question is included. I think I find that question the most old-fashioned and outdated.

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