I'm an American expat (albeit a young one) and I agree that you have plenty of good points there. But how many are exclusive to the problem of expats and aren't just problems with the tax system in general? Maybe it's because I do see value in having an American citizenship, but I wouldn't mind paying taxes, even as an expat, if it were simpler.
Luckily I'm young and make less than $97,600 (yet another seemingly arbitrary corner of the tax code), so I don't have to pay taxes. Of course, I still have to file and then request an exemption, but that's no surprise in a system where lawyers are the only ones voting on the laws.
I don't mind paying taxes. What I do mind is the overreaching US tax system which puts a huge reporting burden on expats.
If you're young, things are slightly simpler. You don't have a financial history, you (usually) only have one bank account, no savings, no trust funds, no stocks, no shares in companies, and often no mortgage. Believe me, it gets much, much more complicated later on. But I do hope you know what FBAR and FATCA requirements are when you say that you file and request an exemption.
I've seen other tax systems and the US one is the only one with these overblown reporting requirements.
Luckily I'm young and make less than $97,600 (yet another seemingly arbitrary corner of the tax code), so I don't have to pay taxes. Of course, I still have to file and then request an exemption, but that's no surprise in a system where lawyers are the only ones voting on the laws.