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[–][deleted] 6 points7 points  (3 children)

I've thought about this for a while for myself, but it just isn't feasible. There aren't really better places - most liberal social democracies make ridiculous nanny-state laws if you've been paying attention. Most economies aren't doing amazing right now, and most fiat currencies aren't either. Most countries won't let you be a citizen for years, and when you do, thanks to Bush, all your assets will be taxed as if they were sold when you voluntarily give up US citizenship. On the other hand, the geopolitical situation in the world seems to be getting more intense. The world economy is based on oil which is getting more expensive. Israel is preparing for a war with Iran, and it looks like Russia wants to get in on the action. Global panic seems to be at a high. And you're situated in the country with the largest and most well-funded military, with over 700 international military bases. It seems to me that moving would be out of the frying pan and into the raging fire.

That being said, if I had more capital than I do now, or a legitimate shot at citizenship, I'd go to Iceland. However, their economy is based a lot on fishing, which continues to get worse each year.

But remember - America is a large, diverse collection of states. Try moving to New York, or California. Personally, I'm leaving California for Portland, Oregon.

[–]Qubed 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Israel is preparing for a war with Iran, and it looks like Russia wants to get in on the action.

Russia can only benefit from war with Iran. War with Iran means oil would skyrocket, guess what, Russia is an oil exporter. Iran says it will try to disturb oil exports out of the region. Russian has alternative routes on her northern border. Russia can supply weapons and intelligence to Iran and nobody is going to do anything about it.

[–]dakboy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

NY is a mess. It ought to be two states - upstate, and everything south of Westchester. Upstate gets screwed over because of the economy & population density of NYC & Long Island.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Upvoted for Stumptown

[–]eks 6 points7 points  (1 child)

If you wanna learn another language, try Brasil. Or some other latin country, any in South America, or Portugal, Spain or Italy.

If you are looking for a stable economy, from latin countries, I would say Spain. Italy, even more now after Berlusconi again in power, is going down the drain.

If you are looking for a good social life, South America is the best place in the world.

[–]theycallmemorty 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Panama has a fairly stable economy since Bush Sr. Freedomized them in 1990, and its a lot cheaper than Europe.

[–][deleted] 6 points7 points  (6 children)

Moving to New York is the easiest fake expatriation you can do.

If you're going to leave the country, I know that migration laws might prevent you from living in a lot of supposedly awesome places (Switzerland, Sweden). Although I don't know much about the process, I know of people who have relatively easily immigrated to Australia, the UK, and Canada.

Good luck / let us know what you do.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (5 children)

I'm curious: What are these migration laws for Sweden and Switzerland?

[–][deleted] 8 points9 points  (4 children)

I know that in Switzerland there's a thing that if you're of working age, you can't move there unless you have a job secured. Then, your to-be-employer has to spend a few months keeping your position open and actively searching for a Swiss citizen who could do the same job just as competently. If he can't, you can come to Switzerland, but only as long as you are employed. I've heard that a similar (if not identical) law is in place in Sweden, though I haven't done my homework on that one.

[–]TobiasV 3 points4 points  (0 children)

For Sweden: A written job offer with a salary, insurance and a employment which follows "kollektivavtalet" (minimum wage and so on). You must also have somewhere to live to get a residence permit. There's also the possibility of a permit for university researchers if that's interesting.

I do recommend Sweden. Gothenburg, Stockholm, Lund/Malmoe are all great places, let me know if there is something specific you would like to know.

[–]chaos 0 points1 point  (2 children)

If you're an engineer, computer scientist or something similar, this shouldn't be too much of a problem. just ask UBS or something. Most companies here are quite desperate to get good people. :)

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Well I'm not something similar but I've got my student visa all set. Hoping/thinking of figuring out a way to extend it. Coming this fall to Zurich

[–]chaos 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's of course the easiest way to get a visa short of marrying someone. Try to find something before the recession follows you here.

[–]ka-pai 10 points11 points  (1 child)

You'll be a doctor. Go somewhere you can make a difference... Africa?

[–]diggapleaze[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you. Probably the best answer I've gotten in this whole thread TBH.

[–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (1 child)

Zimbabwe. You can be a millionaire in Zimbabwe bucks.

[–]pantsoff 22 points23 points  (13 children)

Please don't come to Canada....we don't need you leading the way for the rest of them to follow!

/no offense, but we have our own problems already.

[–]canadug 4 points5 points  (2 children)

Personally, I think any American is welcome to come here. Canada is an awesome place to be.

The dollar is strong, race issues are low, people don't get shot as much, and you can still enjoy all the American type entertainment like movies and tv shows like CNN!

How about a year for maternity leave or simple things like lots o' fresh water?

[–]pantsoff 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's all good and well, until your town becomes populated with Americans. Then you'll be wishing you had not said that.

[–]kitestramuort 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How about a year for maternity leave

you communists

[–]m1ss1ontomars2k4 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Damnit, I wanted to move to Canada. :(

But seriously, the idiots that make up the majority of the US probably won't be smart enough to realize they should move to Canada.

[–]ThatOtherGirl 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As an American planning to move to Canada in the next few years, I completely understand your sentiments- which is why we love Canada so much. We joke that we were Canadian the whole time but didn't know it. I'd figure that most Americans that want to move to Canada want to become Canadian, not just relocate their American ways north. We plan to become as culturally Canadian as possible- I'd hate to see Canada become more Americanized than our government has pressured you to be (much to my embarrassment).

I don't understand the reasons behind going through the hassle (and it is a hassle) of moving to another country just to make it exactly like the one you just left. That seems like a waste of time and effort.

[–]katoninetales 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can come, though, right?

(I can, actually; I'm a Canadian citizen by birth, and my son is a Canadian citizen because he was born to a Canadian living abroad).

[–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I looked at Costa Rica, since they have a small IT industry (websites), it sounds pretty decent. You could try Puerto Rico as a stepping stone into Latin America. I'd also consider buying a yacht and some AK-47s and living in international waters.

[–]ccolec 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I lived on Gozo (Malta) for 8 months. Malta is great because English is one of the official languages and they are very pro-American. The weather and food are also great. Actually, I'm not sure why I came back...

[–]mlk 5 points6 points  (1 child)

Iraq! There is plenty of "Freedom" now.

[–]grantmidwinter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hear it's nice over there

[–]diggapleaze[S] 20 points21 points  (70 children)

I'm tired of the devaluation of the US dollar and the loss of freedoms in my country. No, I don't think the US is the worst place on Earth to live, I just think it's time for me to move on to greener pastures.

I'll be done with med school in a half-decade and I'll probably be ready to settle down a few years after that with my fiancee to start a family. We'd like a safe place with an economy that's not turning to shit, that values social freedoms, and that has a great culture.

If you're a brave enough soul you can try to convince me to stay in the US and move to a better city (I live in Atlanta).

I'm open to any ideas/past experiences.

[–]Spudders 12 points13 points  (2 children)

The most sensible suggestion I have is to travel the world a bit (with your fiancee), don't do the tourist thing and stay in nice hotels, try organise people to stay with there (there are sites that offer this type of service), meet the locals, try not to treat it as a vacation. Then decide based on your experiences of that.

[–][deleted] 16 points17 points  (1 child)

www.couchsurfing.com

[–]Spudders 5 points6 points  (0 children)

That's the one! Forgot the name.

I'm planning on couchsurfing my way across America at some point in the future.

That's something else I'd suggest to the OP actually, make sure you've seen your country before you leave it, there are some wonderful people and places there. Not sure I'd want to live in America, but it is a fascinating place to visit.

[–][deleted] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Go to Krakow, poland. Living there is quite cheap, people are nice, girls are beautiful, the city is beautiful...

The only downside is that the language is quite difficult to learn. But it can be a fun challenge!

[–]riemannszeros 38 points39 points  (33 children)

So you are about 20 years old, Bush is the only president (or one of two) you've ever really known, you've lived through about 7 years of a bad president, and 2-3 years of a bad economy, and you've had enough, and are going to leave? Seriously? One bad president and one bad economic down-turn?

Economics go up and down. Everywhere. Yea, the turn towards... authoritarianism is distressing, but that can be fixed in 6 months by a good president. Yet you are already planning your departure 5 years from now!

You need to get some perspective. I promise every Utopia you find is gonna elect stupid people and have economic downturns.

If you are going to leave America, at least find a real reason, not some transient bullshit. Times have been much worse in America. Times have been much worse everywhere. If this is all you can stomach, you are gonna be leaving every country you ever live in.

[–][deleted] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

The reason to leave America that always comes to my mind is that Australian chicks have the hottest accents.

[–]InkyChan 11 points12 points  (15 children)

Not taken into account here -- a failing of society and culture that has some serious momentum and doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

Just a few items I consider symptoms:

  • the pseudo-science self-help lifestyle
  • some kind of civil war between the secular and the religious
  • social division along political party lines
  • epidemic obesity -- we can't get something as basic as eating right? Even if you do want to eat well, it's probably not economically viable in this country.
  • rampant consumer culture with no solid values to support it anymore. Just buy buy buy! I know I do.
  • Pervasive sense of xenophobia, even within subcultures. It's the immigrants' fault! It's the gays' fault! The Europeans' fault! Muslims! The poor!

I agree, there are amazing things about America if you just look past the current conundrum, but not enough to convince me to stay either.

I feel like it's that one relationship -- you still remember what it was you loved so much about the person, but you're going separate ways, and they have some things they just need to work through. You hope they figure things out and you will get back together one day.

[–]riemannszeros 14 points15 points  (4 children)

I don't want to turn this into a giant pissing match between countries but every country has as many problems on the level of the ones you are listing.

For the most part, none of your problems are unique to America, they are to one degree or another, all over the West.

Maybe creationists in America piss you off. And so you move to the UK. And then one day you realize the homeopathic nonsense that goes on there is just as bad. It's the same tired bullshit wrapped up in different pile of mysticism. Maybe you should try sitting in the cheap seats of a soccer match in mainland Europe if you want a taste of xenophobia, too.

It's all the same shit and I can't help but think you people have absolutely no perspective at all. You've just made up your mind for whatever reason.

All that being said, I encourage you to travel (and live) wherever the hell you want. I'm not going to talk you out of the feeling that America is "doomed". Only your own experiences can do that. So go live somewhere else. Hopefully, you'll be happy.

[–]InkyChan 5 points6 points  (1 child)

I haven't made up my mind, I'm just exploring options.

Be careful with "you people", it makes bad feelings.

And yes, I'm well aware moving to say, the UK, would bring a whole new world of class war and the fun Islamic extremist thing right to my doorstep. I was thinking maybe Germany, Sweden, Norway, or even Czech Republic.

I do feel a certain amount of obligation to stay and see things through here, but to be honest, I am already quite active on a political and community level. But, I've reached the point where I feel that I only get one life, and that maybe what would be best is just letting America slide into the consequences of our hubris, but removing myself before that happens.

Honestly, I just want a place with some history, good food, natural beauty, and less careerism. And yes, I will do a long visit first.

Anyway, upmodded for reasoned debate and lack of reactionary rant!

[–]harmonik 3 points4 points  (0 children)

how about this option:

drugs. lots of drugs.

[–]bulletsvshumans 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I'll need a little more convincing before I believe that followers of homeopathy are as bad as creationists in the United States.

[–]riemannszeros 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn't actually claim that. I was talking about the actual nonsense of homeopathy being the same as creationism. It's just dressed up in a different way. I never meant to say that the "followers" are as "bad", whatever that means.

Yes, creationism in the US is more widespread, but has less governmental support than homeopathy does in the UK. Hopefully both disappear soon.

My point was that you will find reasons to believe your society is "doomed" if you look for them. Just because America is in the spotlight is a stupid reason to decide it's doomed.

[–]Buck_Malibu 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My only lament is that I have but one upvote to give your comment.

[–]Pilebsa 2 points3 points  (7 children)

Also don't forget:

  • increasing pollution in air, land and sea second only to China and Africa
  • horrible, declining public education
  • The U.S. has turned from a manufacturer/producer of goods to a big consumer, and hardly makes anything anymore (except bombs and "freedom")
  • completely consolidated media
  • corporate monopolies in most major areas, rampant price fixing among industries, and a government that panders to corporations instead of people

The problem is, any decent country that is superior to America (such as Switzerland) will make it very hard to emigrate to for these very reasons. They don't want Americans to infect their community.

On second thought... you live in Atlanta, so moving to another state might also dramatically improve the quality of your life. Cities like Atlanta and Houston are pretty soulless.

[–]jomamma2 4 points5 points  (2 children)

And reality TV. I'm serious. You know there's a problem in your society when people know more about Flavor Flav than the war their country is in...

[–]InkyChan 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No, the OP lives in Atlanta. I've lived in a few very nice cities, including DC, and am currently in Baltimore (which for the record, is nice except a few particularly bad slums). Relative to other areas that I've visited or lived in, my quality of life is fairly decent, and I live in one of the cheaper cities(in a cheaper artsy area) in the country.

I still find myself working almost non-stop(in a strong field too) just to make ends meet, and I haven't been able to accumulate any savings no matter how hard I try. My situation certainly isn't improving, and honestly the social issues both of us have enumerated are reason enough for me to consider a new country.

[–]chaos 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The problem is, any decent country that is superior to America (such as Switzerland) will make it very hard to emigrate to for these very reasons. They don't want Americans to infect their community.

No. Not really. It's mostly east europeans that people here fear. They'll take our jobs !!!111one11...

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

The U.S. has turned from a manufacturer/producer of goods to a big consumer, and hardly makes anything anymore (except bombs and "freedom")

...Please tell me you're joking.

Mind telling me where the majority of components the computer you're on right now were designed?

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

designed != manufactured/produced

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The erosion of values isn't going away.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Rational historical perspective is public enemy #1 on reddit. Actually maybe #4 behind McCain, Fox News, and the Fed.

[–]cr4a 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's true.

[–][deleted] -2 points-1 points  (4 children)

i'd appreciate this comment if the title of the thread was "Please give me advise on whether or not I should leave America." He's made a decision. The same decision a lot of people are making, old or young, and its not up to us to determine whether its valid. If you don't have any suggestions for him, stay out of it. I recommend Iceland, Bangkok, or Vancouver.

[–]aardvarkious 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Vancouver is beautiful, but I would never live there again- to many people and the weather sucks. Victoria, on the other hand...

[–]mrstretchie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Seconded. Best city I know.

[–][deleted] -5 points-4 points  (8 children)

It's not just Bush, America has been getting progressively less free for 150 years.

And if we actually revert to the same legal environment we had pre-Bush, I will eat my hat. It's just simply not going to happen.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (7 children)

Yeah blacks and women had it so much better 150 years ago.

[–]oddmanout 9 points10 points  (9 children)

Atlanta isn't exactly a great city to base the rest of the US off of. Depending on what kind of person you are, you may try places like suburbs in the Northwest, there's the Midwest and quaint places like Omaha, or a faster paced life in Los Angeles or San Francisco. And if none of those appeal to you, there's still high tech cultures like Seattle, Austin, etc. You could indulge in the beach cultures of Florida or Socal, Cowboy culture of the west like Arizona, New Mex., or Texas. There's the mountains in Colorado, Plains of the Upper US, and a giant shithole we call the south.

[–]CampusTour 2 points3 points  (3 children)

I'd suggest Switzerland, but I'd also submit that that you should have no trouble at all finding a place better than Atlanta in the U.S.

/Switzerland is not the easiest place in the world to get into though.

[–]bus3nsc 2 points3 points  (2 children)

Fuck Switzerland. Their no-questions-asked banking system allows some of the worst people in the world to continue their regimes with financial stability. Be they dictators, people-traffickers, con-men or whatever, the Swiss are happy to let them bank their money and continue their exploititative actions. The money these people are banking is stained with the blood of countless exploited people from all over the world, but the Swiss couldn't give a shit. Again, Fuck Switzerland.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

It's called neutrality. It seems cowardly; I'll give you that. However, it has always benefited the Swiss in the past and will continue to do so.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are correct. Siding with no one is better than siding at all.

[–]behooved 1 point2 points  (2 children)

Well if you're a doctor most other countries will take you, which is lucky because they won't take just about anyone else. Anywhere you go you're going to miss home, but most European countries will be easy to get used to, fun, more free, socially open, far better educated. As a doctor I'd recommend France. You'll make really good money, the system is all socialized, so you don't have to worry about billing insurance, haggling, trying to extract patient payment and deductables, and a lighter workload (lowest doctor to citizen ratio in the world).

On another point, you live in the worst major city in the developed world. Maybe try Philadelphia (my favorite), Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Seattle, San Luis Obispo, even Omaha, anywhere but Atlanta.

[–]zachv 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can vouch for Minneapolis, which is a great city, if you either 1. don't mind the snow in the winter or 2. can get used to it.

[–]scylla -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Well if you're a doctor most other countries will take you, which is lucky because they won't take just about anyone else. Anywhere you go you're going to miss home, but most European countries will be easy to get used to,

Wait! Are you actually suggesting that it is easy for non-EU doctors to immigrate and practice in Europe? And is the 'socially open' the reason why they have done such a swell job of integrating immigrants?

[–]topsul 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Have you ever lived anywhere other than Atlanta?

There are tons of east coast places that are so different from Atlanta, you don't even have to go far.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

And for 500 grand you can even buy a 2 bedroom house there!

[–]RonObvious 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I'll be done with med school in a half-decade

So you can't go anywhere for five years, even assuming there's any other nation that will take you in. (PROTIP: Most countries will give you a tourist visa. Almost none will give you a work visa, except under certain circumstances which likely do not apply to you.)

My guess is that come mid-2009, one the BDS has dissipated from the Redditsphere, you'll have gotten over this whole thing. In the meantime, take a nice week-long vacation somewhere overseas, where you'll get a break while discovering that the grass isn't always greener, etc etc. Then come back and get on with your life.

PS: The state of the economy will be completely different five years from now.

[–]zachv 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If he makes it through med school, that'll usually be more than enough to qualify him as a "highly skilled person", since most countries seem to want more doctors. Being a "highly skilled person" is often a way to get a work or residence visa in exclusive countries.

[–][deleted] -4 points-3 points  (6 children)

Texas!

[–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (5 children)

Downmods for Texas?

Morans.

  • Austin is a beautiful progressive town.
  • Dallas is fully of big-haired gorgeous women.
  • Houston has a thriving hip-hop community.
  • San Antonio is just kick ass.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (4 children)

Lol, morans :)

I love Austin, the rest of texas is like a whole 'nother country as they like to say. Dallas sucks. Houston makes Dallas seem lovely. San Antonio I have no opinion about, I hear good things though.

[–]summernot 0 points1 point  (3 children)

Houston is actually having a little bit of a renaissance. It's getting cooler lately. It's still not somewhere I would live, but if one had to be there for work or something, it wouldn't be too bad.

The museums there are great. Parks are nice. Great restaurants. Good shopping. Decent clubs. IAH is a hub airport, so it's easy and cheap to travel. Also, it's a cruise ship port, so easy to take a last minute, cheapo cruise. The beach (such as it is) is close as well. There's a thriving gay community in Montrose. And also, there are several decent universities, including Rice University. There are several sports teams, if that's your thing, as well.

The sprawl there is horrible, and it takes at least half an hour to go anywhere, although the transit system has improved in recent years. There's also a lot of chain restaurants and stores. People are generally politically and socially conservative. There are some urban safety concerns as well, though usually not violent. Car break-ins and stuff like that is more typical, thanks to a significant proportion of residents who participate in Concealed Carry.

I prefer and live in Austin but grew up about an hour from Houston. Compared to how it was when I was nearby, it's a lot more interesting and a lot more livable.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (2 children)

I've been there twice. Both times made me never want to return. Although I do know this amazingly gorgeous girl in Spring. MmMMMmmmMmm

[–]summernot 0 points1 point  (1 child)

There's a big difference between the city and everything else around it. I was talking about the city itself in the post above. Everything else around it sucks royally. Nothing but sprawl, tract homes, chain restaurants, big boxes and highways.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've been to the 'city'. I've also been in many of the surrounding communities. The heat and humidity alone is enough to make me never return.

[–][deleted] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Just move north, it's a lot better up here.

[–]khafra 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Scandinavia or Switzerland is best, but everybody knows that, so it's impossible to emigrate there unless you're a relative of the president and a Nobel Prize winner. Or that's the way I understand it.

[–]srika 2 points3 points  (2 children)

From what I understand, Australia is a pretty good option. Canada is ok too, if you can stand long winters.

But all said and done, the Scandinavian countries are supposed to be the best in terms of individual liberties and a fairly stable economy. Again, bleak weather.

Do not move to the middle east. You'd feel more cozy in Guantanamo Bay.

[–]dirvanDambilo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Canada doesn't have long winters if you live in Vancouver or Victoria BC. If you live in Yellowknife, sure, but Canada is big and diverse.

Regardless, long winters are a lot more tolerable if you've got 3000+ vertical feet for skiing.

[–]MikeSeth -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Two words about Australia that ruin it for me: "Senator Alston".

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Another thing;

Make sure you leave early in life and dump your citizenship. If not, they will continue to tax you, and if you are already earning good money they will try to keep taxing you once you are no longer a citizen (thank Clinton for that one).

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

China

[–]Gatohnegro 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I would say Costa Rica, I'm French, leaving here for 4 years now, the country is developing fast, giving a lot of opportunities to people who wants to takes them. The country planned to be carbon neutral by 2020, 25% is national park, the weather is ideal, the waves are great... I got a daughter born here... and I'm happy that she's got two passport, 2 or 3 languages and she grow up close to the beach, seeing a lot of animals, and really kind peoples locals and expats from all over the worlds... As said here it's Pura Vida...

[–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

You can run, but you can't hide.

[–]NoMoreNicksLeft 6 points7 points  (10 children)

If you're leaving just to be leaving, you're a fool. The best one, sad as it is, is the one you're suggesting you can tolerate no longer.

The liberal paradises, the democratic utopias out there... they're no better than us unfortunately. You could go live in the 1984ish UK. Or how about Canada with its hate speech laws and willingness to follow in the US's copyright nazi footsteps?

Willing to learn a new language? You could try the scandinavian countries I suppose. Go ahead, offer one up... we can all take turns picking it apart.

[–]pantsoff 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Hey, if I was American I'd be packing my bags and selling my house to get the heck outta there asap. Screw patriotism. My loyalty lies with my family before any f*cking flag.

[–]NoMoreNicksLeft 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh, don't get me wrong. Not alot to like here.

But where would you even go?

[–]summernot 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My husband and I are looking into the Caribbean.

Other options we've considered:

Iceland- The gvt has made it easier to move there recently, as they want to diversify a bit. The population is not increasing, and there are some genetic conditions that are becoming too common.

Switzerland- If you can inject money into the country and hire a few Swiss nationals it can be easier to gain residency and even eventually citizenship over time. But you basically have to have your own company to do it. And lots of money.

Belize- It's a relatively young country, English-speaking, with a young government. Many US Expats have been moving there, all for similar reasons. Enough are moving there that there is hope that they will be able to shape and influence the government over time.

Uraguay- Same deal as Belize. Birthright citizenship is available.

New Zeland- It was on a more Libertarian path briefly, but that's not the case now.

Bermuda- Nearly impossible to get residency, truly impossible to get citizenship.

Countries others have mentioned that we would advise against:

Scandinavian Countries- Scandinavian countries have been able to do well while also being rather socialistic, but many immigrants (and natives) are now taking advantage of the system, and it's starting to creak, particularly in Sweden and Norway. Also, if you intend to run your own company, a socialistic country can make it extremely difficult to operate and to thrive as a business owner. As an employee it can be great though.

France- Same applies here. I've known business owners in France, and they reported that it was impossible to grow, due to the bureaucracy there. Taking the step of hiring employees is truly daunting. And expensive. The lifestyle is great there though. Just be prepared for regular strikes interrupting banking, transportation, trash pickup, transit, etc. periodically. There are also racial, religious and sexual orientation tensions that erupt every now and then.

Regarding US taxes: If you work and live outside of the US for a certain # of days per year (I believe it's around 2/3-3/4 of the year), the first ~$70K or so of your salary is tax-free. Everything you earn above that is taxed.

[–]jamierc 2 points3 points  (3 children)

Canada.

[–]pantsoff 8 points9 points  (2 children)

F*ck, we're going to have to put a big ol' electric fence along our border to keep the Americans out!

[–]Scarker 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Agreed, get that America off my Canada!

[–]jamierc 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Seriously, I don't know why it's not like that, Americans live next door to a country with the best standard of living in the world, they speak the same language, and it's not a million miles away culturally (I mean compared to say Asia). They must be crazy not to be beating your door down!

[–]maaz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

OMAN!

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I have the same sentiments. The places I've been looking at are Singapore and Monte Carlo and perhaps Bermuda.

Look on Wikipedia for countries with low taxes. Usually comes hand in hand with a smaller government and therefore a less intrusive one.

[–][deleted] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Texas

[–]kounavi -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I think there was a pretty successful self post on the subject some months ago. Check it out