Reader asks a very simple question here
“Hello George:
I have been reflecting on the many articles on your site and other reading and research that I have been conducting, and feel that it may be time to sell everything but the clothing on my back and leave the USA.
Problem is that EVERYPLACE I look into has similar problems that we are facing, or tall requirements to immigrate that country to boot. It almost seems like someone sat down and systematically blocked all the exits that one could use to leave the US for a country that has a similar standard of living.
I have spoken to my wife and relatives about this, and they pointed out that things may not be better elsewhere.
What advice do you have? I am confident that if one of your readers (myself) is thinking about this, others may be too.”
Yeah…the world is doing an odd harmonic of the German ban on exiting circa 1929, isn’t it? Why, even if you can leave, there’s the problem with the 10-years worth of tax liability to IRS which will follow you around ball & chain fashion for the next 10-years.
Not sure how to deal with your ‘urge to flee’. A lot of people go out finding sites like Escape from America and a bunch of expat sites, but the time for leaving is a quickly closing window for a couple of reasons.
If the linguistics are anywhere near right, after November it may not matter. A big clue should be reports of where former US presidents are, like the ones that have land in Paraguay. What do they know that we don’t?
Sure, things are pretty cheap in Panama right now and some other countries, but a lot of the rich in those parts of the world (drug dealers and such) are reportedly looking for places well north (or south) of 40º so prices in those areas seem to be firming, especially since headlines are popping about how “2010 on track for warmest year on record” although you couldn’t prove it by temps here at the ranch.
Problem with most of the idyllic escape plans is they all on closer inspection seem to rely on an input of money from somewhere with few exceptions, but again, Paraguay and Ecuador and Chile are some exceptions.
Without Panama Canal trade and tariffs, Panama would descend into being what could be (pardon this) a third world shithole and take away oodles of offshore dough and Belize and other countries could go the same way. Absent vibrant offshore banking, places like the Cayman Island might only be supportable for a very small handful of people since it take diesel to make the power that runs the big desal plants there. No water, no people. And how’s their turtle farm going to work pumping heavy crude around? Always questions.
It’s as we’ve been saying (amongst time monk types): We are in #2 of a trifecta of events this year that will underscore how government is powerless to respond once problems reach a critical threshold. Get to those threshold levels and self reliance is your only toolkit.
A similar kind of letter from a reader in Florida this morning:
George,
In Florida near Tampa, so I doubt I’ll see much oil here. I’ve been to the Key’s many times and the water is clear and the area is beautiful. The reefs although I’ve never dived, I know are beautiful. All I see in my mind is pictures of a a clear water scene with an encroaching black mass under the water moving towards the reefs. Daily I’m amazed at the lack of press coverage but then again I remember with stupid reporters like this running around the msm is pretty worthless for the most part. The riots in bangkok also seem like something far off and not related to earth. Even though people are dying and as we speak the stock market amongst other things are burning. Things seem to happen so fast yet so slow lost in a time warp perhaps.
Where’s the gold? Sorry rambling off People acted all surprised when these plumes of oil were found. Yeah maybe the unknown massive quantity of “dispersants” had something to do with hiding the surface oil. Our mentality seems to be to hide problems and pretend they dont exist. yeah the straw has been inserted into the 2 foot in dia pipe and 1/5 of the oil is being captured from one of the 3 leaks. Granted its the largest leak leaking 85% of the total, but big f’ing deal. mean while approaching the reef is this giant black mass.
I ramble sorry basically I’m quite upset and feel helpless. Anyways
I think I’ll buy a nice camping tent today
That is damn fine thinking right there.
Elaine & I were on a tangentially related point last night – We are what we think. And what we think is not very good.
Let me explain: I had wandered over from my office about 6:30 PM and E was about to start watching a movie on TV that began with a gruesome scene in a morgue of three or four dead bodies. “Turn that shit off, dear, please?”
I then expressed my feelings that the ‘real thing’ will likely be along soon enough, so we should watch something a little more positive. Then I made a shocking discovery: When I put on the “no killing or murders’ filter, seemed like more than half the content of NetFlix wasn’t of interest.
Not that this is NetFlix fault – they are a consumer-driven operation and people watch really sick gory shit on television. It’s maybe because I spend so much time staring into the future with Cliff that it gets a bit much and when I want to watch TV it better not be the same stuff that is coming along anyway.
Which circles us around and back to the question: Is there anywhere to hide? Nope, sorry, there is not. Your own karma will determine if you make it to 2013 and it’s simple as that. If you are standing on top of a volcano erupting and Universe decides you should live, you will. If you are squirreled away in a safe bunker with it’s own air supply and six years worth of food and every start-over option the in the world, but Universe figures you’re not worth it, then not matter all the preps, you won’t make it to ‘the other side’ of this period of history.
At some point, we come back to learning the lessons we have tried so hard to hide from. We learn to accept ourselves for what we are, and others for what they are. And no matter what, there’s always an exit within 25,000 days for everyone, or maybe as few as tomorrow.
Humans are thought (by better minds than mine) to at some level create their own reality in concert with Universe. It’s a wave we surfboard together. But put enough negatives in your life, enough greed, and enough distraction and there’s no room on the board for Universe, and then you’re on your own in a deep and profound way.
Consciously helping someone in an unexpected way each day and deliberately not watching violence to be entertained by it are simple, small steps. I can ruthlessly kill to protect family, don’t get me wrong. But in my free time, I don’t play battlefield scenes over ad naseum. Plenty of that may be coming at all kinds of levels.
What I am trying to do, however, is make a little more room on the surfboard of life for Universe,. and tune more closely if possible with its moves, its hints, its shifts, and its flows.
There’s a fine Richard Bach quote in Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah
So no, ultimately there is nowhere to hide, but go bravely, try to do service for others, and keep spare room on your board. There’s only one exit anyway, since all waves go to the beach.
Besides: Going bravely doesn’t cost a single cent more and it makes the ride oh, so much better, since your partner on the board steers better than you.
Changing Our Name to Clampett?
Here’s something interesting: Just about the time the world is about to be smothered in oil from the runaway ‘volcano of oil’ in the Gulf of Mexico, our little ranch will be visited by a couple who’ve dedicated years to developing new electronic underground oil & gas searching technology. And here’s the neat part: They’re going to be testing it here!
One reason why? We’re within walking distance of numerous wells that are producing, been around since the oil rush here in the early 1900′s. The North end of the Palestine Salt Dome is a highly productive area with much lower (read: less dangerous) pressures than those that are (if I read it right) about to kill one third of the oceans.
Consequently, I’m considering changing my name to Clampett if there is oil under the south 16 acre piece. Or putting a big sign out that says “Oil Lease for Rent”. Why, if I can scare up a little wildcatting interest, we’d rent out that part of the property for enough money to buy a getaway up0 north and – if it comes in – get a piece of the action.
Elaine’s close enough looking to Ellie Mae…and a big mansion isn’t our cuppa tea. Just some modest little house on the beach with a 50-foot sailboat parked in the front yard would be fine.
We’ll keep you posted on how all this develops. Universe winks and suggests a new word: wryrony.
Send your comments to george@ure.net
Shop Till You Drop Department:
Peoplenomics This Week
Lying About ELE’s Part One
Not too many times I can think of in my life when the whole planet has faced multiple ELE’s – extinction level events – but we have several that are coming into view now. Just for fun, sport, and amusement, I thought it would be a worthy project this weekend to put some of them on the table: The extinction of fiat money globally, extinction of the Euro, the extinction from the Gulf oil spill, the extinction of the US government due to economic unsustainability…well, you get the picture. But first up, we need some framing references.
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Cookie Video
The folks at Maxa Research have put together a short video (sound track by guess who?) that shows the Maxa Cookie Manager. You can see it here.
I don’t usually get all whipped up about software, but this is one of those dandy tools that just simply works great. First thing I put on my new computer when I got it was Avira Anti-virus and Maxa Cookie Manager (MCM). Either follow the on-screen download instructions of simply click:
Once you try it out, to upgrade to the fully functioning version, just click the upgrade button (!) on the upper right hand side for the $35 unlock to get it to remove even those nasty and highly intrusive ‘non-browser specific’ cookies. Bonus: You computer may run faster.
“Live on $10,000″ A Year
Having a hard time making ends meet? (Like who isn’t, right?) A good starting point to better match up income with outgo is our $10 e-book “How to Live on #10,000 a Year…or less!”
It’s an automatic download. It’s written in an information dense style: The whole thing runs about 65 pages, but it gives you a vision of how to not only live on the cheap, but also how to migrate up the economic foodchain if you have a little hustle left. A bonus section called “How to Build Anything” should instill confidence if you’ve never taken on a home improvement/home creation project before, too….. Click here for the index and details.
MyGroPonics
My commodity broker JB Slear and I have written a simple book to get you started on high density hydroponics. It’s an example of how someone with a little creativity, access to a few ‘dollar stores’ and willing to try out some new farming techniques can grow an amazing amount of produce sin a very small space – like even an apartment balcony (if it gets some sunlight). Sound interesting? It’s just $10 bucks here…
Pass It On
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