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It's been two-and-a-half years since we posted a similar
article to this. In just that short time, the national average gas price has
gone up from $2.86/gallon to $3.72/gallon, a 30% increase. This is our updated
list of where to bug out to.
That which mathematically cannot continue will not continue.
Western countries, led by the United States
and Europe, are in deep economic trouble.
Massive debt levels are strangling their economies, and once great nations like
Greece and Spain have been
reduced to third-world status with staggering unemployment levels and almost
daily violent riots.
Those that say it can't happen in the US are dead
wrong. The value of the dollar has been slowly eroded over a century, but now
that decline has accelerated and is destroying the savings of hard-working
honest Americans. This erosion in dollar value is also threatening the reign of
the dollar as the world reserve currency.
The ramifications if it is dropped as the reserve currency
should not be underestimated, especially by Americans. At this stage of the
game, the dollar only has value because of its supply and demand. A tsunami of
supply has been flooding the banks since the 2008 financial crisis, while the
global demand is dwindling as nations like the BRICs (Brazil, Russia,
India & China) have
begun internal trading without dollars.
Meanwhile, Western nations (NATO) are entangled in endless
wars that have nothing to do with protecting their nations. The so-called war
on terrorism has led to spending huge sums of tax dollars building Big Brother
control grids within these countries. In turn, any sense of civil liberties or
individual freedom citizens had at one time is being snuffed out for perceived
security.
It's been two-and-a-half years since we posted a similar
article to this, 5 Best Countries to Escape America's Decline.. In just that
short time, the national average gas price has gone up from $2.86/gallon to
$3.72/gallon, a 30% increase. Whose savings or wages went up by that amount?
Besides the threat from inflation, for the past two years
Western governments have been operating on a "crisis management"
approach, applying band-aids to a festering disease and they're running out of
band-aids.
In other words, it's obvious that the United States
and the West more generally are headed in the wrong direction for anyone who
cares about peace, liberty, and economic stability.
Slave Queen 1oz. Silver Medallion
Some say it's cowardly or unpatriotic to abandon a sinking
ship and escape to a better setting. Some say it's important to stay and fight
the corrupt system. Yet it can't be denied that collapse is coming whether it
happens in slow motion or abrupt upheaval. The ship is sinking and the corrupt
system will collapse with or without you as a passenger. No amount of fighting
can stop its inertia.
Luckily, there are some nations that still value these
principles and moving to them is not nearly as difficult as you may think. It
starts with making a simple decision to live by your principles and find a
pleasant and accepting environment to spend your limited time on this planet.
Do you want to be stuck in negativity while the system collapses around you? Or do you want to be surrounded by joy,
peace, and freedom?
Some changes have been made to our previous list of
desirable locations. The criteria for determining the best safe haven countries
has remained: social stability, economic freedom and opportunity, freedom of
self-expression, relative self-sufficiency, reasonable cost of living, ease of
visas and residency, and insulation to Western collapse.
Here is our updated list of the 5 best countries to move to
before the West collapses:
Chile
Wiki image
The secret is out about the opportunities in Chile. Two of
the most renowned "escape artists", the Sovereign Man Simon Black and
the Dollar Vigilante Jeff Berwick, both agree that Chile is the best country to escape
to. Each is developing vast expat communities in Chile (SovereignValley.com and GaltsGulchChile.com). Chile
is a fully developed country with modern cities and a rich countryside with
stunning views of the Andes mountains from
almost any location. Wikipedia tells the whole story; "Chile is one of South
America's most stable and prosperous nations, a recognized middle
power and an emerging economy. It leads Latin American nations in human
development, competitiveness, income per capita, globalization, state of peace,
economic freedom, and low perception of corruption. It also ranks high regionally in
sustainability of the state."
Chile
maintains a lower cost of living than North America
especially for rent and fresh food. Americans can get a tourist visa (good for
90 days) on entry to Chile
for a cost of $160. Residency
requirements in Chile
are relatively flexible. Escapees can qualify for a Chilean Retirement and/or
Income Visa by proving an income of between $500-$1000/month. Entrepreneurs can get residency by starting a business and foreigners can easily get a visa by
working for a Chilean company.
Uruguay
Wiki image
Uruguay
was number one on our list last time around and it's a close second this time. Uruguay, also in South
America, is considered one of the freest, most libertarian
countries in the world. This small peaceful country has the charm of Europe, modern infrastructure, a stable economy with
agricultural self-sufficiency, world-class tourism activities, and a healthy
banking system. Uruguay
maintains the highest nominal GDP per capita in South
America. Thebanking system in Uruguay still has some privacy
protections (though less than in the recent past) and attracts many foreign
investors including slews of Argentinians who are escaping their current
inflation crises. While personal use of all drugs is already decriminalized in Uruguay, it is
set to become the first nation to officially legalize cannabis. Finally, Uruguay is
striving for energy independence through renewable sources by 2015 which adds
to its overall stability.
Living costs are much lower than the United States,
especially for rent, health care and food. Americans can buy real estate and
own businesses, and they have a free automatic 90-day visa to explore Uruguay. For
residency, expats only need to have a proof-of-income of $500/mth to qualify.
Thailand
Thailand
is a beautiful peaceful country with a rich Buddhist culture, an excellent
climate, and has the lowest cost of living on this list. Thailand is
technically a kingdom with harsh laws against speaking ill of the royal family,
yet there's a significant amount of personal freedom on the ground due to the
country's organized chaos. Food and trinket kiosks, taxis and most small
businesses are regulated by the word-of-mouth free market as opposed to
government restrictions. This newly industrialized country is welcoming to
Western expats who can enjoy a high level of modern comfort for much cheaper
than almost anywhere else in the world with great food and $10 massages. Thailand also has world-class health care for
pennies on the dollar compared to America. The beach town of Phuket, the comfortable city of Chiang Mai and small towns like Pai have
become very popular with expats. Thailand
is a great central hub to explore the rest of Southeast
Asia.
Foreigners cannot technically buy property in Thailand, but
they can buy condos through contracts that act similar to 50-year renewable
leases. Americans are given a 30-day tourist visa upon arrival and it's easy to
get extended visas for a small fee. Retirees can get residency by proving
around $2000/mth income only after they stay on extended visas for a couple of
years.
Malaysia
Petronas Towers, Kuala
Lumpur
Malaysia
is the most developed country in Southeast Asia besides the city-state of Singapore. Malaysia has a
booming economy, a well-educated population, excellent infrastructure,
fantastic public transportation, and nearly everyone speaks English. It's capital,
Kuala Lumpur,
is one of the most affordable and cleanest modern cities in the world.
Wikipedia says Malaysia has
"one of the best economic records in Asia"
which is "relatively open state-oriented" but with the state having a
"declining role in guiding economic activity". Malaysia has had a self-sufficient
economy well before their tourism explosion in recent years. Now it is one of
the most optimistic countries to be in. Malaysia is a
melting pot of cultures and religions living in complete harmony with each
other and offering diverse foods and festivals. Forbes named Malaysia the
3rd best country in the world to retire in 2013.
The cost of living is not quite as low as Thailand, but significantly cheaper that North
America, Europe, or neighboring Singapore.
Fully-furnished 3BR apartments in Penang
(highly desirable area) are around $650/mth. Foreigners can open bank accounts
easily with just a passport and proof of a local address, they can own property
(a rarity in the region) and run a business.
Free 90-day visas are given on arrival and they aren't too strict about
quick border runs to renew them. Residency can be gotten through starting a
business, getting a job, or showing a bank deposit of $50,000 for retirees.
Mexico
Wiki image
Yes, Mexico.
Not Ecuador, Costa Rica, or Panama like everyone else would say
(although those deserve honorable mention). Panama
uses the US dollar, Costa Rica's
bureaucracy can't get out of its own way the last few years, and Ecuador is
politically unstable and cheap for a reason. Mexico has gotten a lot of horrible
press because of violence from the war on drugs, but that typically occurs in
isolated areas and will begin to simmer down from the growing liberation of
marijuana north of the border. Mexico
is a large country with many stable attractive places for expats to live
peacefully and ride out any economic storm comfortably. Mexico is an economic powerhouse and, although
they rely heavily on trade with North America, they maintain a high level of
food and energy self-sufficiency and have a much freer economy than the US. Also, Mexico's national debt is about 43% of its GDPcompared to America's
106% debt-to-GDP. Healthcare is an
entirely free-market system with both public and private options for a fraction of US prices prices but with similar high-quality care.
Mexico's
cost of living is significantly lower than North America
with average rents being around $500 for a 3BR house. Americans are given
180-day (6-month) visas on arrival and can easily get extended rentista visas
with proof of monthly income of $1,000 for an individual and $500 for each
dependent.
Tell us what countries you think are the best safe haven
nations and why...
Sign up before Midnight to watch our video,
“Biggest Ponzi Scheme in U.S. History to Crash,”
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We respect your privacy!
We will never rent/sell your e-mail address.
That’s a promise! And you can opt out at any time.