the dollar vigilante blog

Your Country is Dying... And It Wants To Take You With It

We are nearing the end of the grand experiment in nation-states, democracy and socialism.  In case you hadn't noticed, it failed miserably.  Hundreds of millions were killed in wars engendered by nation states and made possible by fiat currencies and countless more were impoverished by the central banks instituted by the state.  Riots and protests around the globe from Rome, to Egypt to nearly every major city in the US now attest to that.

Countries, however, are like living organisms and they will do almost anything to stay alive.  They have always treated their tax-slaves (citizens) as milk cows and they will treat them as beef cows if worse comes to worse.

It is for this reason that it is more important than ever to both understand what is really going on - hint: whatever the government or what the newsreaders on your nightly news say is not what is really going on.  It is also more important than ever to begin to protect yourself from your own government.

HAVING A SECOND PASSPORT GIVES YOU OPTIONS

Last year I got a call from an online brokerage I use in Luxembourg called Internaxx.  After having had an account with them for a few years they called to let me know they'd be closing my account immediately.

I asked the obvious question: Why??

The lady replied that Internaxx had recently been bought out by a Canadian brokerage, TD Waterhouse, and since I was registered with Internaxx as a Canadian citizen (I was born in Canada and have a Canadian passport) that Canadian laws state that no Canadian stock brokerage can accept a Canadian client when it is operating outside of the country!

So, even though I thought I was safely away from the criminal Canadian Government's rules and regulations in Luxembourg, all it took was for a Canadian company to buy that brokerage and all of a sudden I was persona non grata.

Luckily, and smartly, for me, I have another passport and so I said to the lady, "I am also a citizen of XXX country, could you unregister me as being Canadian and put me down as being from that country?"

She said yes.  So, I didn't have to go through the hassle of moving my account elsewhere.  But, it just goes to show the benefit of having alternative citizenship - preferably in a country that does not have the resources nor the ability to police you around the world.

Sure, this time they were only looking to close my account.  But, with all western governments drowning in debt, the next time it could be to impose an asset tax or even to seize my assets.

GOLDMONEY CLOSES DUTCH ACCOUNTS

Recently, a similar thing happened to Dutch citizens who held money or gold with Goldmoney.com in England or Switzerland.

Goldmoney.com sent a notice to all of its Dutch clients stating that their accounts would be immediately closed because the Netherlands financial regulator had deemed Goldmoney.com was "offering investment objects in the Netherlands without a licence."

A licence, for those that don't know, is a form of extortion done by criminal organizations such as governments or mafia to get you to pay for something you don't need nor want.

Nonetheless, Goldmoney.com felt obligated to close all the accounts for Dutch citizens instead of facing the wrath of the Dutch Government.

Again, it was only to close accounts this time.  But as things continue to collapse you will want to have options with other passports in order to evade the attempts by your own government of seizing your assets.

A SECOND PASSPORT IS MANDATORY FOR SAFETY

We consider holding at least one other passport as important as any other facet of your financial portfolio for the coming years.  Leaving yourself at the whim and control of one government, especially if it is one of the heavily indebted western governments (which is almost all of them), is tantamount to playing russian roulette with your assets.

It is for this reason we recommend that people look to get at least one other foreign passport - and preferably from a government that is not intricately tied to the western financial system nor heavily indebted.

For this reason we have identified two countries which not only offer a passport without you having to live there but also offer it for very cheap by international standards.  It takes about three years to get each but you will have residency nearly immediately after your first application which could help you organize your assets in the meantime.

The two countries we prefer and have covered heavily in The Dollar Vigilante for subscribers are the Dominican Republic and Paraguay.  We have set-up a custom service to help get you a passport in either of those regions as quickly and easily as possible.  You can find more info on the Dominican Republic passport service here and the Paraguay service here.

NO INCOME TAX AND OTHER BENEFITS OF FOREIGN RESIDENCY & CITIZENSHIP

Of course, having foreign residency and citizenship can have many other benefits as well.

For those who earn income over the internet or from outside of your home country attaining foreign residency could reduce your income tax dramatically, even to zero if you set it up properly.  Paraguay, as example, has no income tax.  And the Dominican Republic only charges income tax on income made in the Dominican Republic.  Check with a tax advisor before making any decisions but residency in locales such as these can possibly save you a lot in taxes - all legally.

As well, should you wish to leave your country and reside somewhere for an extended period, having your residency or citizenship in a foreign country makes it all the easier.  The Dominican Republic and Paraguay are both civilized, modern, beautiful places to live.

IT'S ALL HAPPENED BEFORE

Preparing now for what is obviously coming only makes sense.

It's not like any of this is new.  The US Government forced Americans to turn in their gold to the government in 1933.  In Ireland they have begun charging an annual "asset tax" on all pensions.  And, in Hungary, some pensions were already seized and forced to invest in government bonds.  This is the likely tact of the US Government in the near future as they begin to run out of creditors other than the Federal Reserve.  They will likely look first to nationalize 401k's and IRA's and force them into buying government "patriot bonds"... for the greater good, of course.

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY

We think the phrase, "better safe than sorry", is widely overused (see "Being Better Safe Than Sorry") but in this particular instance we think it is wiser to take precautions than to leave everything up to chance.

If the western financial system implodes in an organized and structured manner then it may turn out that having a foreign passport wasn't a necessity.  However, if it implodes in a chaotic way - which is the way these systems always collapse - when the time comes that some countries institute capital controls and begin to seize their citizens assets you will be very thankful that you took a small amount of time and money to set yourself up with a second citizenship whereby you have a much better chance of protecting your assets from your own government.

Comments (12)

Peter004's picture

Kanan Alexander wrote just above: "It

kanan alexander's picture

you make a valid point peter, but generally one must still live in the country of application while one waits for residency/citizenship, so it helps if that country is a pleasant and safe place to live, which will not bust your bank.

Jeff Berwick's picture

Just fyi, the Dominican Republic does not require you to live in the country to attain a passport: http://www.dollarvigilante.com/dominican-passport/

Peter004's picture

In the Asian country where I'm living now, there is a helpful idiom:"Mistakes are our teachers."I hope my comments in this post will be helpful teachers for Kanan and others who are thinking along similar lines.Many people make the same mistake as Kanan did above, assuming one must live in a country for some years in order to get their passport.There are some countries where you just need to visit for a few days or a few weeks to go through the bureaucratic processing. Exactly that is explained for Dominican Republic, right here on this web site.And there are many web sites which explain official requirements for other countries.Kanan also makes a second mistake which is worth emphasizing, because it easily overlooked by those with little experience in the way of life outside The West.That mistake is that the published requirements are the real requirements.Often, not so.If you "go by the book", it may require 3-5-10 years of residency in order to qualify for a passport.But, with some "encouragement", the process could be reduced to a matter of months.Don't assume that "encouragement" is only money "under the table".In most places in the world, personal contacts are highly valuable in getting things done quickly.Of course, one who asks for a favor will be expected to return the favor, often with interest, at some other time.When I need to go to my target countries for paperwork processing, medical test, Etc, I'll just stay in a hotel for a few weeks.I have no intention of living there.No, I'm not going to reveal my target countries.It is easy enough to do your own research.-- PeterChiang Mai, ThailandPeter4@allmail.NET

J.Powell's picture

Not long ago , I read that " W " Bush purchased a 100,000 acre ranch in Paraguay ( with one of the largest deposits of under ground water in the world ), I wonder if he has a second passport ............ ?

Brian's picture

Jeff, could you please post a response here regarding the issue of whether or not Paraguay does not allow dual citizenship? Thanks!

Michael Bach's picture

Hi xy16644,Paraguay does not allow dual citizenship and if you have a Paraguay citizenship and does not visit in over 3 years you could lose it.If you have any questions feel free to hit me up at: Skype: acamikesterMSN: bachmichael@hotmail.comUS: 315 219 4653MX: 744 124 72 36

kanan alexander's picture

Uruguay could also be another option for citizenship, where duel citizenship is allowed. Once you have residence you can obtain citizenship in three years. Also there is no tax on foreign income. I am living there and currently have temporary residence status, which can be obtained immediately on arrival once you submit your residency application. You will need to show a small monthly income, from memory its only about $500 per month. It

Peter4's picture

PB wrote: "The comparison between the two countries is inescapable - why is the United States requiring its citizens to report foreign bank accounts? "----------------------Thank you, PB, for posting that comparison, with Jamaica, of all places.Superb research on your part.About that time, I had reason to go to Kingston, Jamaica.Couldn't help but see that it was descending into a Communist hell-hole.Not pretty to see, but I figured what was happening there could never, ever, happen to Americans.So it didn't worry me.But recent events -- like those Jeff wrote about above -- are showing how wrong I was.In every Western country, "We are all Jamaicans now."PB, I hope to read more of your posts here.-- PeterChiang Mai, ThailandPeter4@allmail.NET.

xy16644's picture

I have read your web site regarding the Paraguay passport. Upon further research I have read that Paraguay does not allow dual citizenship. Can someone please confirm or deny this? I know DR allows dual citizenship but I am more interested in Paraguay as it seems to be more respected than the DR passport.This post reminded me of some of the stories I have read about people fleeing Zimbabwe after the year 2000 when things started getting ugly. The writing was on the wall for years there and those that ignored it paid a heavy price: they lost everything. Many people just fleed the country with absolutely nothing but their passport(s). You weren't allowed to even take any cash for you (and it wasn't worth the chance for most people). So they lost their cash, home, retirement and all personal items. I have read that one couple went and bought the best first class ticket (to spend SOME of their money) to escape ZImbabwe.Like I always say: Rather 10 years early than 10 minutes late!

Bill Lodderhose's picture

Bravo Jeff, keep up the good work.

PB's picture

Last year the United States Congress passed a law that requires all citizens and resident of the United States to report to the IRS all foreign bank accounts. The law requires that they state the name of the bank, the account number, and the balance at the beginning of the year and again at the end of the year.In comparison, in 1974 the Jamaican dollar was trading and linked at $ 1.10 US. The Jamaican government passed a law to make citizens report to the government all foreign holdings - stocks, bonds, bank accounts, real estate, etc. All foreign holdings. Two years later it passed another law requiring the people sell the foreign assets to the Jamaican government and they'd be paid in Jamaican dollars. Also, there was a law preventing citizens from changing more than $300Jamaican into other currencies without special permission. The obvious outcome was that Jamaican citizens saw their assets forcibly converted into Jamaican currency which, by law, had restricted conversion rights.Today the Jamaican dollar is trading at about two cents US. Those people were screwed by their government. The smart ones were the ones who defied the law and failed to report.The comparison between the two countries is inescapable - why is the United States requiring its citizens to report foreign bank accounts? They already know of citizens' hard assets through their tax returns and deduction of foreign costs on real estate.

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