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I have been wondering why Costa Rica is considering a change in Migracion requirements. I don’t believe in coincidence. Is it probable that the current world economic crisis may have more weight in this change than any other consideration? Is it probable that world leaders such as Oscar Arias have a pretty good grasp of the severity of this crisis and that they understand that what is coming is going to be more horrendous than they are politically able to express? Is it probable that most people do not comprehend how life changing this is going to be?
This time, the world seems to be acting in unison to deal with the problem. Might the new Costa Rican immigration requirements be a part of international co-operative planning? An unusually large increase in movement of retirees from the U.S. to Costa Rica could be expected if a depression takes hold making retirement in the States impossibly difficult for many U.S. citizens. Both countries have a huge interest in controlling that situation and I find it hard to believe that there is not some official consultation going on right now between Costa Rica and the United States. If this is so, the new law WILL pass. And if this is so, I think it is probable that a debilitating world depression is likely.
Those new immigration laws would certainly curb the mass exodus to Costa Rica of boomers who have lost nearly everything and can’t afford to live in the US. We’ll never know who the puppet masters are in the new frontier, but I ‘ve suggested several times that the US was (perhaps) dictating some of these new laws.
Yup! Yup! Yup & Yup!
We are on track for a debilitating world depression and if I’m not mistaken Scott Oliver has mentioned on this site how he expects immigration controls to be implemented by he US on it’s own citizens “for your protection” so this would be a good time, although earlier than he anticipated, to start that don’t ya think?
The ideas above might not be that far from the truth! Just think… MILLIONS of baby boomers hitting retirement age in the US. We’ve all heard the forcast of the changes in the social dynamics that this was to bring about. A social security system headed for a fall… Medicare even a bigger problem. Health care systems overwhelmed. Food shortages… and let’s not forget energy and global warming! Plus decreasing tax revenues as the doomers leave the workforce. All around a pretty nasty future. But now… 401K’s have been all but cut in half… so many people near or thinking about retirement… and sadly many people IN retirement… will be forced to continue working (or returning to work)…paying taxes… adding to SS… paying into Medicare… Millions more people that would have been enjoying a retirement, perhaps escaping America, will instead be showing you where the washers are in isle 6 at Home Depot or welcoming you to Wal-Mart!!! All locked into a system to keep it fueled! Sounds almost like “The Matrix” doesn’t it? A pretty sad reality.
The proposed changes seem quite rash… but in the new world there will be those that can afford to live comfortably in retirement… and those that will serve them. This change has been coming for a long time… when we saw the shift from defined benefit plans (company pensions) to defined contribution plans (401k/403b/457) years ago. Companies and the government threw the task to the worker to plan their future and make the right moves. Sadly most didn’t, they were too busy buying 54″ plasma TV’s and cars they couldn’t afford. Tapping the equity in their homes (the “old school” nest egg of our parent’s generation) like it was an oil well… and spending it as fast as they could! And those that did contribute to a DCP, they have seen their life savings in these accounts vanish in the blink of an eye (well over the last 4 months)! So now we have a shrinking housing market, a stock market in freefall, and millions of people with NOTHING to fall back on! The old one-two punch! And don’t think for a minute it will all come back in the next few years!
I got out in March and have been thrilled sitting on the sidelines as the “doomsdayer” as many of my friends and family called me. But then again they all thought I was CRAZY with the whole Costa Rica thing too!!! LOL
This disaster has been coming a long time… and is coming to a head sooner than many thought. Has anyone ever witnessed how widespread this financial meltdown has become, or the speed at which it is happening? Or even thought it possible even two years ago? There are bigger problems coming. All those folks that NEVER put a dime away in a tax deferred plan at some point will be looking to “retire”. Even though they have nothing put away. That’s the next big “bailout” coming. As all the babyboomers hit 65, are unable to work, unable to live on SS income, and have no other income… then it gets REAL interesting! And that’s where the proposed changes in income levels come in here in CR.
Oscar and the boys are just trying to make sure that when the bottom falls out in the US and the mass escape starts that CR doesn’t get hit with wave after wave of poorer retirees that will drag the economy in CR down… funny how the US is headed towards becoming a third world country and CR is raising the requirements for admission!
As for the contents of this posting… my Crazy 8 ball came up with most of these ideas…. so don’t blame me! LOL
Edited on Nov 24, 2008 09:04
I wouldn’t get too comfy as a resident of Costa Rica either, if things get as bad as they can. Governments are reactionary which means that when the economic bucket hits the bottom of the dry well, an over reaction by the Costa Rican government could be induced by a suffering population.
An over reaction could take the form of rescinding residency, regardless of constitutional guarantees, in the name of saving the country from further degradation of social services. Whether foreign nationals are responsible or not won’t matter. A backlash against foreign residents could happen anyway if economic suffering reaches a certain level. Fear is a terrible and destructive force in human nature. It trumps logic nearly every time.
No country or culture is immune to such over reactions. Look what the U.S. did to its Japanese citizens during WWII despite all our supposed contstitutional guarantees.
Edited on Nov 24, 2008 12:32
Wow! From “The Bard” to “Imxploring” we are all in some sort of agreement! Now I know the end of the world is coming! lol..
We’re actually rethinking whether we sell our house in the States or not based on the unknowns of Costa Rica — the escalating crime, proposed changes to immigration, inflation, rising costs on food, etc. The thought of being tossed out of CR at some point isn’t a comforting thought at all, especially if you’ve divested in property in the States and have nowhere to go back to, until and assuming you could sell your property in Costa Rica. Our little community in CR, which we once bragged about being safe and secure, how nobody had bars on the windows, etc. — well, we can kiss that concept goodbye. Last week three of my neighbors, including the guy RIGHT next door to me, were burgled. One single woman lost a bunch of electronics and gamesboys (or was it xbox?) etc after the ladrones kicked in her door; another neighbor lost his TV, a couple of rolexes, and a wad of cash. The cops blame the woman for the marginal company she keeps, and they blame the dude for having hookers delivered to his house by taxi. My neighbor (the one right next door to me) keeps the lowest profile of anyone I know and yet they jimmied his sliding glass door, and then left it ajar — were they coming back? Did they get interrupted in the midst of the burglary? Who knows? But now, everyone is rushing to get bars, guns, alarm systems to protect their goodies. The cops are now patrolling the hood several times a day and night, but this is a harbinger of what’s to come — more crime in a poor country; the Nicas, drug addicts, and basic ladrones are out Xmas shopping. So, if crime in my hood got really bad, well, I think I want a house in the States to come back to if all else failed. I’ve been assured that it’s not likely that the new immigration bill will pass as it’s proposed; there may be a raise in statutory requirements for residency, but it won’t be anything close to what they’re trying to push through. The bottomline is that I don’t think we can trust any government right now; they will do what they want and we will either have to comply or lump it. . . or leave.
Crime is not a separate issue from the economic crisis for obvious reasons. The other insecurities. inflation, deflation and scarcity of food and fuel, all these things will be present no matter where you find yourself should the world economy go teats up completely. A nasty world depression could be nearly as bad as a world war and the battle front would be almost everywhere. And therein lies the problem. People behave differently under stress.
This one aspect of a nasty depression, should it manifest itself in Costa Rica strongly, would make it impossible for me to move there. I saw this photo on another expat web site last week. It was taken an in San Pedro to accompany her posting about the new immigration bill. “FUERA GRINGOS” is spray painted on a foot bridge over the road.
http://abroadincostarica.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b8b869e2010535ef6576970c-popupNow that’s a lovely sentiment. Maybe I should’ve moved to France. They may hate americans there but at least they aren’t plotting to kill you or clean out your house. And all the precautions in the world won’t protect you if you have what they want. A friend of mine’s mother just built a fancy house in Baja; she’s been robbed three times of everything! Even after she put bars on the window, the ladrones showed up with a propane torch and cut the bars off and loaded up the truck they’d back right up to the front door. As the economic climate worsens, crime will increase no matter where we are. People are robbing churches in the States and stealing everything in the food bank. What does that tell you?
It could be the C.R. government is aware of the
coming devaluation of the USD. Maybe it will be
so bad that next year 2000 Yankee dollars will
only buy what 600USD does now.Now this is going to be out there, so be prepared.
What if there was some misinformation being spray painted and possibly placed on websites, not saying this one, to sway people from wanting to leave the USA.
I told you it was out there.
Not saying that I personally believe it, but wanted to share anyway.By anyone, or Government that would want people to stay in the USA.
Kinda of like a scare tactic to make people uneasy on leaving the USA and moving to CR.Now I’m not saying that this is true, but think about how many people are reading this forum and other forums that are interested in moving to CR. Think about how many Gringos see that overpass and ask what it means.
How many of those people would/could be swayed into thinking twice about moving there.
The decision to move or not to move is made in a persons mind. Information, accurate or inaccurate will tend to make the person decide to go, or not to go.
Perception is a power tool.
Again, not saying that this is what is happening, just food for thought.
If I worked for a Government and my job was to think of ways to prevent the subjects from leaving I would certainly try this as it cost very little to pull off, does not reflect bad on the Government that is actually behind it, and can be very powerful since it makes CR, in this case, look as bad as the place from where they are running.
I think that misinformation has been used in the past when at war with Japan or so I’ve heard. Would it be too much to think that it would not be used in a case like this?
Just thinking out loud, don’t label me nuts just yet.Edited on Nov 25, 2008 11:12
Well, I hope it DOES scare people from moving to CR.There are too many there now as it is and I still intend to make it my home unless they up the requirememt for pensionado to $20,000 a month guaranteed income.
But Costa Rica depends upon tourism and I doubt there would be any official attempt at killing that goose and her golden eggs. But who knows?
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