re: #114 wheat-dogg, raker of forests, master of steam

I think they believe it’s as easy as getting your state driver’s license or a US citizen getting a US passport. One office, one visit, one fee and Bob’s your uncle.

It’s only that easy in the Schengen zone. Every other place in the world, you have to jump through dozens of hoops to become a citizen — or if you’re a rich person, a sizable investment in the local economy.

Just to get a residence permit in China, I had to first get a Z visa (work visa) from the Chinese consulate before I came to China. This required an employer’s sponsorship and a shit ton of documentation, Then once in China, we had to visit four different offices to process different forms, and then I had to wait 20 days before my passport was returned to me with the residence permit affixed. I’m in that 20-day period now, because I renewed my passport earlier this month.

Yeah I really do think they think it’s that simple. One trip to one office, one fee, and whamo! It’s a lot of paperwork and you’d think that conservatives who are supposed to be adverse to big government and bureaucracy would be rubbed the wrong way by it. I didn’t even realize it until I worked at the firm I did from October of 2016 to October of this year. It taught me a lot and it’s definitely why I’m such a staunch liberal on immigration.