Yes the US will help get you out when you need to. Hostage rescue by special forces in Nigeria[1]. State Department Wuhan evacuation in Jan 2020[2]. 100,000 people evacuated by State Department as of June 2020.[3]
> I’ve known people living in places like Costa Rica, China, and all over Europe. No one had to pay a cent ever.
> How much taxes do you pay to the US?
Anecdata won't get us very far in understanding.
The point is there are plenty (no idea the exact number) of US citizens abroad that pay taxes. If you're making much over ~$110K and don't have significant deductions, you are paying US taxes. As you can imagine these people are typically experienced technical engineers, executives, business owners, etc. True, most US citizens abroad won't go over the ~$110K, but many do.
Either way, you still have the burden of filing taxes in the complex US tax system which is a non-trivial cost in time and resources - in addition to filing taxes in your host country. Is it worth it? Yes, for most, but simplifying the overly complex tax requirements would make it a lot less burdensome for all US citizens at home and abroad.
Yes the US will help get you out when you need to. Hostage rescue by special forces in Nigeria[1]. State Department Wuhan evacuation in Jan 2020[2]. 100,000 people evacuated by State Department as of June 2020.[3]
[1] https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2020/10/31/...
[2] https://www.state.gov/the-untold-coronavirus-story
[3] https://washdiplomat.com/as-coronavirus-spread-state-departm...