Runaway

To my fellow Americans who now or in the future dream of fleeing their nation for more promising lands, I have just one suggestion: Don't!

To begin with, there is the simple fact that the country you are fleeing to might have an extradition treaty with the United States, which means that if America really wants you back, your newfound home will be powerless to protect you. In some such countries you have the legal right to an appeal, but in most others they simply are not powerful enough to oppose the the will of Uncle Sam, and so you will be in danger of being dragged back home kicking and screaming.

But more treacherous than such a contingency is the fact that, once outside the United States, your Constitutional rights become a bit more murky. Does the CIA have the right to drop a bomb on your head? Do they have the right to abduct you and carry you off to a Black Site in some Third World country, where they can torture you to death? Some legal scholars would say yes, while others would say no. But -- long story short -- there is enough of a grey area that, wherever you fled to, you would have ample cause to be looking over your shoulder both day and night.

So in conclusion, as contradictory as it may seem, if you are an American citizen who fears your government, the safest place for you could very well be right where you already are.