canasia.org

All the predictions of rail in the US that say it will succeed in the US just like poorer economies have not come true.   The study by the Federal Government also says HSR will not attract enough riders to prevent it being another in a long line of rail failures. It doesn't say that at all.  Where did you find that interpretation?

Plus, because the renunciation is made to US officials , it will very often have no effect on the person's original citizenship (because those countries have specific procedures to renounce citizenship, and making a statement of renunciation to foreign offiicials, has no effect under their laws.) . . . I didn't realize that. Thanks for clarifying.

It is true that when becoming an American citizen you must renounce foreign allegiances, but that doesn't prevent you from holding dual citizenship.  Not sure how that works if the other country also requires you to renounce foreign allegiances.  Mexico just recently allowed naturalized American citizens who had been Mexican citizens to have dual citizenship, and allows them to vote in Mexican elections. Hm. Would a Mexican naturalized into American citizenship then have to apply to have his Mexican citizenship restored? Seems to me that by swearing one was no longer a foreigner upon becoming a naturalized American is meant to be an explicit act of renouncing citizenship.

In other words, apparently the State Department makes the rules determining the circumstances under which a passport or visa is required to enter the US. The State Department fought to keep some authority over passports and visas, feeling that it would hurt US foreign relations if Department of Homeland Security made all the rules.

What's the matter with you? Americans don't carry their passports with them, not having to make daily crossings of international boarders where they are required. This will END spur-of-the-moment trips. Depends on what the plan is with this legislation, and how they plan to use this over time. In Russia, the passport is used as a national identity card.  Even if you want to do such a thing as rent a pedal powered boat on a captive pond, the officials need to see a passport.  Visiting a national museum of some sort?  Need to present a passport.  Obtaining any sort of intercity transportation?  Need to present a passport. Perhaps the idea is that eventually, just as is the case in Russia, the passport would become a national identity document that everyone would have with them at all times, just as a national identity card is used in a number of countries. I'm not saying it is a good idea.  I'm just saying that might be the direction that this is eventually intended to go.  Many other countries have national identity documents, and our national identity document is the passport.  The administration is already set up to issue passports as identity documents (drivers licences are not supposed to be used as identification if you look at the fine print on them, though that is how they are used in the USA).  Therefore, I can only conclude that if the plan is to have a national identification card system, as has been suggested by some after the 9-11 attacks, the easiest way of doing this is to use the existing passport issuing agency - as Russia is doing.

Jack May schrieb: This myth has been discussed many time.  Countries split off the losses into other organization to make full accounting difficult,  Some European countries even hide it and classify it in the military budget. Bring proof for that. He's simply mixed up what the US does with what he thinks Europe does.