Feedback Friday – September 20, 2013

Well, no war (yet), as John Kerry may have found a solution by putting his foot in his mouth. Maybe not. Maybe he’s a genius politician and diplomat.

Yeah, probably not.

In fact, have you noticed most of the mainstream media discourse about Syria has almost completely evaporated?  Just as predicted by our resident guru, Jeff Berwick.

Want to join in the discourse? Send your questions, comments, queries, and concerns to [email protected], comment on a post, or get on the forums.

On to the feedback…

WHERE ENERGY AND CREATIVITY CAN BE PUT TO USE

I'm in college right now in Alabama, US, and am ready to leave the US for good. I have a little over $4,000 in my credit union account. What are my options?

I'm an intelligent guy who can do any kind of math, can write well in English, can learn music by ear and play the piano and guitar, and is a great photographer and videographer (with professional experience). I'm studying computer science in college so I can also do a little programming too. Basically I'm a really hard-working person and am just really frustrated that I live in a world where being smarter and more talented than average is frowned upon, and for the most part everyone just pats each other on the back for living in fear and ignorance.

I have so much energy and creativity; I just want to finally use it for something besides memorizing random crap for tests that have no real world value.

Tyler A.

Jeff’s Response:

Hi Tyler,

You sound like you have a lot of potential!  Did you know, in inflation adjusted dollars that in the early 1900s a lot of people came, mostly from Europe, to Ellis Island with $90 in their pocket (on average), to New York just for just a hint of opportunity?

You have — and excuse me as I don't have a calculator — a lot more than them.  I would use it to get out now.  Take a plane, train or automobile (or ship) to almost anywhere else and hussle.

Before you go, get on TDV Groups, which you can access through the basic subscription to TDV (less than $15/month) and connect with expats, businessmen/women and entrepreneurs worldwide to get your start.  You won't believe how easy it is.

 

401Ks

Dear TDV,

What investments make sense when rolling a 401k in Hedge Funds to a self directed? I'm interested in someone who has done it. I'm anxious to get started but feel as if I'm flying by the seat of my pants.

Penn R.

Jeff’s Response:

Hi Penn,

All retirement plans in the US will be nationalized in the next 1-2 years.  Mark my words.

So, definitely either cash them out (if possible) and take the tax hit or roll it into a self-directed IRA (which we can help with at TDV Self Directed IRA) as soon as possible.  From there you can invest in almost anything worldwide and get it outside of the tax-farm dragnet of the US.  If, for example, you bought real estate at Galt's Gulch Chile and the US government tried to nationalize your IRA, they'd have to have some form of technology I am not aware of to get that property back to the US.

The US government is going down… no question about it.  Don't let them drag you down with it.

FAMILY VS. FREEDOM

Jeff Berwick's essay on how he and his loved ones survived Acapulco's tropical storm relates one very powerful reason why I am hesitant to leave the US despite the inherent dangers. I would rather be with my family and friends during a crisis than not.

Chris M. (TDV Facebook Group)

Jeff's Response:

Hi Chris,

That is a very reasonable concern.  And, you may survive the US government and dollar collapse where you are… but it might still be a few years before that collapse and the US economy is going to get worse and worse… and seriously worse.  

The rest of the world is not only not scary at all but it has almost unlimited potential.  I'd advise to check out TDV Groups (through our Basic TDV subscription) for about the same price as you pay for three Starbuck's coffees a month to find out what countless others are doing around the world.  There are so many places where you can be surrounded by like-minded people and, very quickly, build up networks.

So, you can stay where you are and know a bunch of people who are drowning…or you can get out there and build a new network of like-minded people that are ascending.

Gary's Response:

I just had to chime in here. Are you sticking around because of a small chance of some natural disaster…while there is almost a 100% guarantee that there will be continuing man-made (or government and central banking-made) economic and political disaster in the US? I'm not sure that's a good trade off. 

My loved ones and I have all been through multiple hurricanes and even a few minor earthquakes. My being around wasn't particularly helpful to anyone and no one was ever in much danger. I can say with conviction that the US government and the Federal Reserve are several orders of magnitude more dangerous to all of us than any natural disaster that we may face…as long as we don't live in Tornado Alley or at the foot of an active volcano. 

A FREE WORLD WOULDN'T HAVE MONEY?

Gary,

Does your flavor of Anarchism prohibit people from living in "dictatorial technocratic collectives" or "Occupy Wall Street" inspired communities? Do you feel you are superior to people who would choose to live this way?

You might want to get with Jeff and dig a little deeper with him in his "I am a deeply spiritual and a live spirit…"

So long as you see a need for Money (or Government), you will be tolerated by TPTB authoritarians, because they know that as long as one or both exist in a society, they will retain a foothold which will allow them to eventually regain control of that society. That is why they hate and vilify the left Anarchists who say we shall live in equality without government OR money.

Best,
Bob A

Gary's Response:

My "flavor" of anarchism allows people to do whatever the hell they want and live however the hell they want as long as they don't impose anything on anyone else. If someone wants to live without owning any means of production in some commune of smelly, unshaven collectivism…fine! Just don't try to prevent anyone else from owning factories and using money in the free market that will naturally exist in the rest of the world where people bathe and tame their body hair and where money allows for a much bigger, more efficient market than barter and where price signals allow the markets to do their job and keep raising standards of living. 

A world without money is an irrational place where authoritarian violence would be required to prevent the development and use of money and a pricing system. Money is the offspring of spontaneous economic order. It's what free people find themselves using in an actual free market. If you think money is "bad" or has something to do with government, then government indoctrination has been very successful with you. Government has monopolized money, the way it has monopolized education, protection and infrastructure. It doesn't mean that money, education, protection or infrastructure are themselves bad. The way they currently exist is thoroughly corrupted…but they would continue to exist in a stateless world. They'd just be radically different…and be infinitely better…than they are now. There would be many forms of each offered by competing providers with no provider having an advantage provided by the laws (guns) of the state. 

Money is such an integral part of a free society and its attendant free market that it annoys me to no end when supposed "anarchists" poo poo it as if it were something dirty. Where there is property and free exchange there will be money. It takes some impressively bad thinking to believe otherwise. And it would take an impressive amount of centralized coercion to make sure that money wasn't used.

Again, you are free not to use money in a free society, just as you would be free to be poor or to do any number of things the hard way. Just don't believe that the rest of us won't be enjoying the fruits of specialization, the division of labor and money. 

ON TAIPEI

Great article. My wife of 17 years is Taiwanese (from Taipei) and I've found the country is greatly improved since my first visit in 1997. The to-do's for Taipei are spot on.  There's so many places to see that you could spend a long time doing that.  I recommend Kenting and Taroko Gorge for quick starters. We are seriously considering relocating here from the USSA. I want to start a business there. My Mandarin sucks so I'll need to get cracking on it.  But this is great info and very comforting for me. 

Thanks!!!

msmccray (from the TDV forums)

TDV Taipei Group Moderator Simon Robinson’s Response:

Hi,

Yes, Taiwan is like the well kept secret of Asia all the benefits of places like Thailand but with a very secure banking system (bankers do get prosecuted here!) and one of the few places that a foreigner can 100% own a business. Yep, 100%.

Contact myself on the TDV or join our Facebook Group here  should you need any assistance.

Enjoy!

Simon

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