From: Duncan Frissell <frissell@panix.com>
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997 00:26:02 +0800
To: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
Subject: Re: Scared of US; Where to relocate?
In-Reply-To: <199711121431.PAA11022@basement.replay.com>
Message-ID: <3.0.2.32.19971112111546.0077f570@panix.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



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At 03:31 PM 11/12/97 +0100, Anonymous wrote:

>It has become very clear to me over the past few years that amerika 
>is headed for some pretty rough times, and I've decided to leave before
>it becomes illegal for me to do so. The only question is, where to?

Certainly Gary North's "Remnant Review" promotes this view and is causing 
many Right-Wing Nuts to experience bouts of severe depression.  I am not as 
pessimistic.  civil war seems much less likely now than it has in various 
times past.

>I've been looking around for about a week, and the only country that's
>looked good so far was Anguilla (lower travel costs for FC99!), but it
>doesn't meet my requirements for a number of reasons...

Bad net connections.

>Key features I'm looking for are:

>1) Stable political environment. I'm making the move, after all, to AVOID
>participation in a civil war.

The US has had the most stable (even self-satisfied) political environment in 
the world for the last 150 years or so.  Most European and Asian countries 
have been conquered by fascists or communists for some period over that 
timeline.  Switzerland has been stable for 150 years or so.  Hard to get into 
though.

>2) Stable economy, with local sources for all the basics (food, water,
>energy).

Rough in an integrated world.  There goes Japan, all of Africa, most of Asia 
and South America (stable economy).  You are stuck with the OECD countries 
(and Bermuda).

>3) Reasonable level of medical technology, and local talent. I want good
>care for my wife during childbirth, for instance.

The OECD countries.  The High Seas might otherwise qualify but they lack 
doctors.

>4) A job market for unix sysadmins / networking gurus / hackers would be
>nice, but I wouldn't mind learning a new trade either.

The OECD countries.

>5) Right to keep & bear arms + Freedom of speech are musts, other
>"bill of rights" type laws strongly desired.

What kind of free speech do you want?  Sex or hate?  The US is the only safe 
haven for "hate" and political speech.  A number of countries bordering on 
the North and Baltic Seas are reasonably safe for sex speech.  You have to 
choose.  

For guns it almost has to be the US.  Most Swiss Cantons have lax gun laws 
but the Federal Government passed a new law to take effect next year that 
restricts concealed carry and other aspects of gun freedom.  Switzerland will 
remain better than other European countries in this regard.  Since the UK 
recently banned all private ownership of any handguns it is obviously off the 
list.

Mozambique and Afghanistan have loss some of the gun freedoms they had a few 
years ago (open weapons markets and low prices) and fail you criteria for 
other reasons. 

Most tax havens have quite restrictive gun laws.

>6) Low or no taxes would be nice, but if the first five points are met
>even a fairly high (30-40%) tax rate would be endurable.

New Hampshire or Alaska.

DCF
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