Idbeenthinkingalotaboutwhatitmeanttobeacitizenofanywherewhen,just

weeksaftergraduatingfromjournalismschool,IlearnedthatIdwontheU.S.
DiversityVisalottery,alsoknownastheGreenCardlottery,whichwouldfast
trackmeintopermanentresidentstatusintheUnitedStates.Thelotteryspremise
istogivecitizensofunderrepresentednationsachancetocometoAmericaand
contributetothediversitythatthisnationpridesitselfon.IdappliedasaSwiss
national.LikemanyinternationalstudentsintheU.S.,Idbeenstrugglingfor
yearstoobtainaworkvisasoIcouldremaininNewYork.WhenIfoundoutthat
Ihadwon,thenewsseemedtoogoodtobetrue.
Itwasmyapplicationwasultimatelydisqualified.TheU.S.governmentdidnot
considermeaSwissnativebecauseIwasntbornthere.Thatrenderedmywhole
application,andthedrawofthewinningticket,invalid.Butmydisqualification
alsohintedatalarger,structuralquandary:Why,inthetwentyfirstcentury,are
peoplestillcategorizedbywheretheyreborn?Whydonationshavethelastword
indeterminingouridentities?Whatofalltheserumorsdeclaringtheworldflat,
andthenationstatepass?
Afewmonthslater,IreceivedanemailfromASmallWorldinvitingmetoa
GlobalCitizenshipconference.ASmallWorldisasocialnetworkforthe
privatejetset,thekindofwebsitewhereItalianbankerslivinginSingapore
debatethemeritsofthelatestGulfstreamandthepitfallsofintercontinental
dating.Iwrotethesiteoffasamildlyodiousgimmickandgaveitlittlethought
untilthisparticularemailevadedmyspamfilterandmadeitswayintomyinbox
onaslowworkdayafternoon.
Itwasthetermglobalcitizenshipinthesubjectlinethatcaughtmyinterest.
Thinkingthattheconferencewouldconfrontmyquestions,oratleastfloata
coherentvisionofwhatitmeanttobeglobal,Iclickedthroughtothelink,opened
thewebpage,andstartedreading.WhatIfoundwashardlyasoulsearching
philosophicalenterprise.Theglobalcitizenshipconference,itturnedout,wasa
tradeeventonhowtobuy,sell,andrenouncenationalcitizenshipcompletely
legally,andaboveboardinordertotravelmorefreely,paylowertaxes,hide
fromtheirgovernments,andoverall,buyaplanBincaseoftroublebackhome.
Addingtotheintriguewasthefactthatthisbusinessappearedtobemediatedbya
smallhandfulofprivatelyheldcompaniesthathelpedpoorcountrieslikeSt.Kitts
andNevisandDominicaselltheircitizenshiptothewealthyfromRussia,China,
andtheMiddleEast.OneofthesecompanieswasusingASmallWorldtoreach
theirtargetdemographic.
ThecharactersImetattheconferencefascinatedme:theSwisspassport
impresario,preachingthegospelofglobalcitizenshiptoacrowdofbuttonedup

taxlawyers;theexAmericanwithfivepassportswholivedonTheWorld,a
cruiseshipthatcirclestheglobe,takingitsdenizensalloverthehighseas;thetall,
redbeardedchairmanofASmallWorldwhodgonetoboardingschoolwith
somefriendsofmineintheSwissAlpsandwasnowtravelingtheworldpitching
St.Kittsasatrendylocationtobuyasecondpassport.Itsnotsurprisingthatsome
ofthesegobetweensareknownlocallyaspiratesoftheCaribbean.
Thebiggesttriumphofthemodernnationstatehasbeentoconvincelargegroups
ofpeoplethatastatusconferredtothemarbitrarilyuponbirthwas,infact,notfor
sale,andindeed,worthdefendinguntodeath.Regardlessoftheactualinequality
andexploitationthatmayprevailineach,thenationisalwaysconceivedasadeep,
horizontalcomradeship,thepoliticalscientistBenedictAndersonwroteinhis
important1983bookImaginedCommunities.Ultimatelyitisthisfraternitythat
makesitpossible,overthepasttwocenturies,forsomanymillionsofpeople,not
somuchtokill,aswillinglytodieforsuchlimitedimaginings.Butthe
conferencesuggestedthatcomradeshiphadgivenwaytocommerce,andthat
citizenshipbothnationalandglobalwasbecomingaluxuryconveniencetobe
boughtandsold.ThephysicalandemotionaldistanceIfeltfrommycountriesis
notunique;likeshipsflyingflagsofconvenience,morepeoplecarrynationalities
ofconvenience,andagrowingnumberofcountrieshavesteppedupto
accommodatethem.
Citizenshipinthetwentyfirstcenturyischanging,changeable,interchangeable;
newcrisesexplodetheoldmythologiesofnationalpowerandtakepersonal
allegianceswiththem.A2015PoliticostorydetailedhowBritishcitizens,fearing
theircountrysexitfromtheEuropeanUnion,werescramblingtoapplyfor
citizenshipofotherEuropeannationssothattheycouldkeeponlivingand
workinginBrussels.Inaworstcasescenario,Imgoingtohavemarry[sic]my
partnerofthelasttwentyyears,becauseshesgotanIrishpassport,oneBrittold
PoliticoEurope.Inaslightlylessworstcasescenario,IhavetobecomeBelgian,
whichIactuallywouldntminddoing.IdquiteliketobeBelgian.(Romance,at
least,stillknowsnoborders.)
ThedefinitionofglobalcitizenshipthatIlearnedaboutwhileattendingpassport
sellingeventswasonethatappliestoaverysmallnumberofpeoplenotthe1
percent,butthe0.1percent.ASt.Kittspassportcouldbeminefor$250,000.But
afterimmersingmyselfintheworldofhighendpassportbrokers,Ihadafeeling
thatthestoryoftwentyfirstcenturycitizenshipwasbiggerthanafewbillionaires
seekingtheirnextpassport.
Thatfeelingturnedouttoberootedinfact:Inaconversationwithafriendin
Dubai,IlearnedthatthegovernmentoftheUnitedArabEmirateshadlauncheda

novelprogramtograntcitizenshiptothebidoonstatelessresidentsoftheUAE
whohadnodocumentation,andwhomthecountryconsideredillegalimmigrants.
OnlytheGulfmonarchydidntgivethebidoonEmiraticitizenship;itboughtfor
themcitizenshipfromtheComoroIslandsanimpoverishedarchipelagooffthe
eastcoastofAfricawhoseverynamemostofthesewouldbecitizenswouldnt
recognize.TheagreementtheGulfstatehadwiththeComorosdidnotincludea
provisiontoactuallyresettlethemontheislands.TheirComoriancitizenship
wouldbe,bydesign,paperthin.
Whatkindofcitizenshipwasthis?Whohadcomeupwithsuchaplan?How
muchmoneywasexchanginghands,andhowdidthebidoonfeelaboutsuddenly
becomingComorian?Thestoryseemedtoindicatethatspillovereffectsofthe
highendpassportmarketwerealotmorewidespreadthanhelpingthewealthy
expatriate.Itsuggestedthatrepressivegovernmentshadidentifiedamarketbased
solutiontocitizenshipasavalidwaytomanipulateasecondclasspopulation.
This,too,wasconfirmed:Ilaterlearnedthatoneoftherecipientsofthis
citizenshiphadbeendeportedtoThailandforspeakingoutagainsttheauthorities.
ItrackedthemandowninLondon,Ontario,wherehedsoughtrefugeestatus.
AfterspendinghisentirelifeasastatelessnoncitizenoftheEmirates,he,too,had
becomeaglobalcitizenalbeitanunwittingone.
TheglobalcitizenswhobuypapersfromCaribbeantaxhavenswithoutsetting
footintheiradoptedcountries,andthedisenfranchisedresidentsoftheEmirates
whoobtainComoriancitizenshipwithnoplanstoevergothere,representtwo
sidesofacommonphenomenon.Theychallengeanymeaningfulconnection
betweenmanandstate.Globalcitizenshipisitselfanewformofstatelessness.
Thisbookisaproductofthissenseofstatelessness,ofbeingsomehowofthe
worldwithoutbelonginganywherewithinit.Whatdoescitizenshipbecomewhen
itbecomesdetachedfromanykindofcivicengagementandpoliticalidentification
whenitisamatterofconvenience,notcommunity?Whatarethestakeswhen
membersofacommunitynolongerfeelaparticularkinshiporloyaltytoany
particularplace?Whatdoesitmeanwhenthewealthycanmovefreelybetween
countriesandexploittheborderlessworldthatglobalizationhaspromised,but
thatthepoorwhotrytocrossborderscantor,iftheycan,routinelydietrying?
Whoamongusgetstobeglobal?Ithinkthestoriesinthisbookbegintogivean
answer.