[Editor's Note: The following post is by TDV Editor-in-Chief, Jeff Berwick]
Having had the bad luck to be born in North America's version of Siberia, Canada, and believing solely in individuals and not a collectivist idea life I always feel a bit left out whenever the local slaves celebrate "Independence Day". Whether it be in Canada, on July 1st or in the US on July 4th or in Mexico on September 16th. I especially like to ask those in the US on July 4th if they "agree with secession?" Most say no and I then usually ask, "So why are you celebrating July 4th?"
But, as April 30th is "tax" day in Canada I have decided to make this is my own personal independence day. Having left Canada in 2003, for all the reasons which I now expound on daily at The Dollar Vigilante, this is now my 10th anniversary of Jeff Berwick's Independence Day.
I began the steps to free myself from slavery ten years ago and Canada's tax day only seems fitting on which to celebrate. People look at me strangely as I cheer and shoot off fireworks while waving my anarcho-capitalist flag—but I am very happy just to celebrate it on my own.
I now, legally, am much less of a slave than prior to 2003. Sure, I'm still somewhat of a slave. We all are, unfortunately. It is difficult to avoid sales taxes, no matter where I might be although I do my best to purchase as much as I can via the Internet (which now is succumbing to sales taxes, most notably in the US) or via Bitcoin on the black (AKA free) market on places like Silk Road. I try to avoid customs/excise tax as much as possible by knowing exact limits and various loopholes and the odd sneaking of things cleverly hidden. I can't avoid property taxes completely, but I can choose to own property in places with property taxes that to your average American look like pocket change – like in Mexico where I own properties (like at AcaCondos) where the average annual property tax is less than $200.
And, of course, I am still treated as a slave whenever I travel outside of any particular tax farm as it is almost impossible to travel nowadays without your proper papers and permission also known as passports (i.e. slave cards). But, even here, I have endeavored to legally attain passports in numerous countries to limit the amount of problems, levees and fees involved (and help people attain the same at TDV Passports).
And business ventures I do are always based out of a zero tax jurisdiction (and I help people with that too at TDV Offshore). And I also attempt to bank and use brokerages in non-tax jurisdictions as well.
But, in 2003 I finally broke away from some of the most horrible forms of slavery. Incomes taxes, capital gains taxes, dividends taxes and more. Income taxes are by far the most horrible of the taxes as they punish you for producing and creating wealth. After all, if the purported reasons for sin taxes such as alcohol and cigarette taxes is to de-incentivize people from drinking and smoking, what do you think an income tax does?
And, if having 100% of your labor taken away forcibly is slavery at what percentage is it not slavery? Hint: zero.
PERPETUAL TRAVELLER/PERMANENT TOURIST/PRIOR TAXPAYER
What I have been describing above is called the PT Theory. The PT can stand for any one of the three above listed subjects. The actual theory was first concocted in the late 1950s by Harry Schulz when he first left the US to live that lifestyle. He was a true pioneer and I am honored to follow in his footsteps.
Wikipedia describes the PT Theory as the following:
In practical terms, perpetual travellers (PTs) are people who live in such a way that they are not considered a legal resident of any of the countries in which they spend time.
By lacking a legal permanent residence status, they seek to avoid the legal obligations which may accompany residency, such as income and asset taxes, social security contributions, jury duty and military service.
For example, while PTs may hold citizenship in one or more countries that impose taxes based solely on residency, their legal residence will most likely be in a tax haven. PTs may spend the majority of their time in other countries, never staying long enough to be considered a resident.
This is how I've decided to arrange my affairs and I've never been happier. And, this is what we regularly cover at The Dollar Vigilante.
In the old days (a few decades ago) only the very wealthy could realistically undertake this lifestyle. Now, however, thanks to the Internet, it has come into the realm of the middle class – especially if they have a type of business that can be operated from anywhere (and most can nowadays, again thanks to the Internet).
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY
And so, today, while many Canadians have returned home after trudging through the snow to the government post office after having spent weeks or months poring over all their records as to what money they have to report and pay to their extortionists I sit happily at one of my favorite Mexican beach bars and raise a glass to never, ever having to file a Canadian income tax form again.
That seems more like something worthy of celebration! What everyone else is doing on July 1st or 4th is hard for me to fathom. I suppose it must be something to do with the Stockholm Syndrome with which so many Westerners seem so festered.
It's truly sad to see how many have fallen. After all, in 1773 in Boston, people fought for freedom in the face of fear against a tax increase of $0.03 per pound of tea. Today, in 2013, Bostonians gave up freedom in the face of fear while being subject to a maximum tax rate over 50% and hundreds of other taxes and regulations.
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And to be locked in their houses. Yay!
What most obviously don't yet realize that we are in the midst of a paradigm shift of epic proportions. Many still believe their government is there to protect them and hat their money is sound while balking at things like gold, silver and Bitcoin. One Fox Business news anchor even berated me asking me "who runs Bitcoin?" I responded, "No one, and that is a good thing."
He'll soon find out that the charlatans and thieves who operate the Federal Reserve and other central banks are not on his side. He'll also find out that taxes are theft. He'll also find out that almost everything he believes to be true is not.
It will be very hard for those who have been propgandized and indoctrinated in these systems to find out that those systems are not there to protect them but to enslave them. They'll find out either by educating themselves or by living through the collapse and coming out on the other side. Either way, they'll find out. In the end, I wish the same for them that happened for me. I hope that any independence day they celebrate is for their own independence and not a celebration of the traditional basket of propaganda and lies concerning their local nation-state human tax farm.
