This might sound like a pedantic correction, but IRS people I've spoken to are quite adamant about this: the people of the United States have, through their Con

This might sound like a pedantic correction, but IRS people I've spoken to are quite adamant about this: the people of the United States have, through their Congressional representatives, decided that they deserve a share of fellow citizens' foreign-sourced income. The IRS has no discretion in this matter; they just deliver the bill.