Independent World

Everyone who slaves over a 50 hour a week job, sacrificing time from the family, the stress of meeting other people’s expectations, living paycheck to paycheck, dreams of exiting the rat race. The hope of early retirement drives them to save more, work harder now, and one day they can tell their boss, “Take this job & shove it”. But few understand the reality of what it looks & feels like after that event, and how it is easy to become a non-person in early retirement.

I am recording this episode at the end of the calendar year of 2023. It is at these times, when workers often get some break for the holidays, that their employers will praise them for their annual contribution – and often with some paltry “Christmas bonus” that typically is best portrayed in Charles Dickens “The Christmas Carol” with Ebeneezer Scrooge not rewarding Bob Cratchit with some hopeful bonus for a year of toil. And yet if only Bob Cratchit recognized his contribution and talents, and had the courage to ask for what he was really worth…

Recently the state of Arizona had one of its border checkpoints in Lukeville closed by the US Federal Government. This was in response to an unexpected surge of inbound travelers and asylum seekers coming into the USA. The immigration challenges that we hear about on the Nightly news are far from the real story here, so I wanted to delve into the real story of what is going on and how it affects those of us attempting to be unconstrained.

As many of you know, I had a career in the early 90s as a recording engineer in Hollywood. I left that to make money to feed my family, as I didn’t want to put them through the ‘hit & miss’ nature of that industry. After 25 years back in the tech space, I didn’t agree with where it was going, and in my mid 50s left it to return to my recording work. The result was the building of a massive private recording studio in central Mexico. I wanted to talk through the business case for this and why we need some serious ‘out of the box’ thinking when it comes to funding art in all forms for the future.

I’ve recorded a number of episodes on the perils of AI a few months back. As we march towards this innevitable chapter of our evolution, I realize that most of my issues with it is not because the technology is bad. It is the very limited few that will wield it like a weapon against us. So in what I think will be a thought provoking episode, I’m going to look int to the humans behind all of this and dig deeper as to what we have allowed our species to become.

The song ‘It’s the most wonderful time of the year’ might hold up well for a warm feeling as the temperatures drop, but it was co-opted by the retail industry in a way to control the mind of the masses into mass consumption. Retailers make more money in this season than at anytime in the year, and the constrained are enslaved in debt from being guilted into buying stuff for other people. Let’s go through a few tricks you can use to survive this period without having to be Uncle Scrooge to get through it.

I came across this study on Seeking Alpha recently. It found that younger millennials — those around age 30 — would likely need at least $3.6 million saved up to enjoy a comfortable retirement. To be on the safe side, it might be wise to round that up to an even $4 million. This assumes that you want to retire no later than age 62 and have not yet saved anything except emergency cash. How the hell can anyone do that? Well in this episode, I’ll prove why this traditional mindset is just plain wrong, and how you really can do this with 1/10th of the savings that these so called experts are saying.

I’ve had a lot of first hand experience in the USA at trying to get to simply see a doctor, and I’ve never seen it this bad before. When I hear recent news that the billionaires are inserting themselves into the tech AI space for healthcare research, and all these unicorn & rainbow stories we hear about how AI will change the game for healthcare research and curing viruses, it seems so disengenuous when the average US person can’t get to see a doctor in a timely basis, or even afford to. Let’s get the truth of this failed healthcare system in the USA and why it affects your safety and your very life expectancy in your attempt to be unconstrained.

After selling our rental real estate, we were left with few forms of smart income. I began searching for alternatives. I realized that for the next few years, much of my time would be spent outside of the USA, so I needed something that didn’t require me to be physically present to manage them, but paid me a tidy sum each month. This led me to dividend stocks, and so far I am very happy with the results.

In 2008, at the height of the global financial crisis in the US, I was heavily exposed to real estate debt due to some deals that had been done in the prior year, and ran the risk of being entirely wiped out. If it wasn’t for having assets in another country and sold them to fund the underwater position I found myself in, I would never have survived it. In this episode, I want to fast forward to 2023 and explain why you MUST have an international diversification strategy for your assets if you wish to mitigate the risk of an adverse event in your country.

Central planners are at it again. The fear of a ‘housing crisis’ has empowered government to create government housing by proxy. By using building regulations as a weapon, AZ government has created a trajectory towards 1970s style ghetto housing reminiscent of the low income apartments of Brooklyn. This model seems to be a reflection of the California model, which didn’t work either. Is this what we want in America and how is this happening?

It is now the third quarter of 2023, and already the media are gearing up to distract you, extort your attention and pumble your brain with more FUD, and anxiety than ever before. This is all in the lead up to the US 2024 Presidential Election. Regardless of the barrage of lies and distorted facts you will be subjected to, in this episode I want to give you a set of tricks you can use to hack the media and keep your sanity through these trying times.

The temptation when a podcast gets to 200 episodes is to celebrate how we got this far. But when I did that, I realized that my success with this podcast came because of those who came before me, had faith in my work and befriended me. Gary Collins was one such person, and with his passing last year, I was shocked to see how his work was being lost to Internet fade. So in this episode, I'm joined by my friend Remso Martinez, who also was a good friend of Gary, and we look back at the message of The Simple Life and how it touched and affected all of us.

I was recently interviewed on another podcast in which the subject of why they thought Bitcoin was a poor store of value. I argued that Bitcoin is a perfect store of value – the question really comes down to what you are actually valuing it in. Where most of us choose our local currency as the basis of value and our wealth, I’m here to tell you that this is why most of society is dead broke. Let’s discuss.

Once in a while, you bump into someone that is doing something unusual and creative and seems to understand the concept of Smart Income, as we teach it. Today I’m going to introduce you to one such person - Josh Lawlor, founder of The Film Shoot Rental Roadmap, and he’s going to explain how you can make big bucks by renting out access to your home or other real estate for film and video shoots.

While your attention was being distracted towards the war in Ukraine, Debt ceiling negotiations, and even inflationary challenges, the central planners have been at work crafting the ultimate set of handcuffs the world has ever seen – FedNow. And in July 2023, this weaponized freedom grabber will go into full effect. In this episode, we will look at this new tool, how it works and why you should run away from it.

Sometimes I get people asking me, “Myles, why is it that you left Australia where the government provide free healthcare, education, and a social security for the US where you have to work for it all, pay 12x more? And then you take that to the next level and are building in Mexico where the government provide almost nothing?”. There’s a simple answer to this. If you live on the principle that you will be 100% responsible for you and your family, then you can choose where and how you want to live. But for those that have just given up on personal responsibility on the premise that their government will take care of you, this is your wake up call. Because they WON’T!

The rapid advancement of AI will create opportunities for early adopters. Even by the time you listen to this podcast, those opportunities have probably already been acquired, since only those with enormous capital reserves can afford the data centers to own the robots. But what will be left will be a perfectly laid out design document of totalitarian control from the George Orwell playbook. In this episode, I’m going to talk about my fears of the AI empowered future and how governments may be the early adopters.

Let’s face it – the world needs more creative and out of the box thinkers. These ‘disruptors’ change the future – look at people like Elon Musk as an example. Despite Elon’s businesses and residence being in the USA, Elon is not from here, yet he has a cult like following in the USA. The reality is that we immigrants see the world as a huge playground rather than limiting ourselves to one country. So why is it that so many parents (and students) limit their education to only one country? In this episode we will explore how any student can get a free bachelors degree that will be respected and propel them forward like Elon Musk, by using the very creative and out of the box thinking that is the very essence of what employers and society is screaming out for in these challenging times.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-04-18/higher-education-in-the-us-faces-a-systemic-crisis

https://www.bachelorsportal.com/articles/2460/where-to-apply-for-english-taught-bachelors-degrees-in-germany-in-2023.html

https://edurank.org/medicine/do/

On March 15th , 2023, the world changed forever. The release of GPT4 expanded the capability of AI to the point where a software bot could pass the bar exam and get a law degree, could get a degree in Biology at university, could understand images & sound as well as text, and even exhibited signs of AGI – Artificial General Intelligence, where it became self-aware. Let’s talk about how this will change all of our lives and what opportunities present.

If you currently or wish to embrace the idea of doing the polar opposite of everyone else, you will be ridiculed, ostracized and even in some cases made an outcast of the social norms. Dealing with this can be the biggest challenge of anyone seeking extraordinary results in life. In this episode we will talk about the psychology of being a contrarian and how to maintain and thrive in an alternative world.

As I record this, the news headlines are about failing banks and managing inflation. Generally those that feed us with the information about what is happening in the world are negligent at telling the true story about risks & rewards. In this episode I want to bring some sanity to the discussion and challenge much of the fear mongering with a reality check – there is no progress without risk.

We are entering a world where you are a data point and they are creating a ruleset in which you must live. AI puts the human flaws of dominance and fear on steroids, and oversight will be years behind implementation. The warning of Orwell’s Big Brother have not been taken seriously, so now what do you do? In this episode, we’ll explore the current state of AI and where this is going, and why it is probably the greatest threat to anyone questing to be unconstrained.

Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad stated, ‘ Your house is not an asset. Rather it is a liability.’ Whereas I agree with this statement, as a contrarian I have to see this more of a challenge rather than statement of fact. In this episode I want to explore how you can make your home an asset rather than a liability.

Cheap Crypto Miner: https://evergreenminer.com

Music income: https://52cues.com

https://makemusicincome.com

Stock photography income:

https://shotkit.com/making-money-with-stock-photography/

Dividend Bull YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@DividendBull

Sure Dividend champions list:

https://www.suredividend.com/dividend-champions-list/

It is no secret that the western world is going through economic hard times right now. It might not feel that way if you look at the stock markets, but the average family is dealing with company lay-offs and wage reductions, while costs are souring due to economic mismanagement by central planners. As a result, the average person has to find a way to do more with less. But few are well trained in this, and most will make what can often be considered fatal mistakes in how they attempt to remedy this situation.

Referenced video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5qvBKbMd74

On January 25th 2023, the world of smart income took a big hit in the form of the Biden Administration’s ‘Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights’. This bill, which would likely be an executive order by the president, attempts to address the rental housing affordability crisis as they would see it, reduce homelessness and other progressive ideals. But the unintended consequences of such a bill would destroy freedom, reduce housing affordability, penalize independent rental property ownership , eliminate the biggest part of smart income for financial sustainability, and constrain all of us to the world of predictable worker slaves until the day we die.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/01/25/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-new-actions-to-protect-renters-and-promote-rental-affordability/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/01/25/biden-proposes-renters-bill-of-rights---heres-what-it-will-do/?sh=61e257b950f3

Today I want to talk to you about the extreme danger of having a job. Or even thinking that Jobs are a good thing. Because it seems that the wizards of hypnosis and social manipulation - the governments and bankers - are at it again, lying and championing their success based on jobs. So ask yourself this - if you had the perfect life, would it include the crappy job you are forced to spend 75% of your waking life going to each day?

In the world of computer software, we design code based on what we call ‘tight’ or ‘loose’ coupling. Tightly coupled systems make assumptions about what they connect to – that they are stable and predictable. Loosely coupled systems better account for flexibility and change. However when I look at the world today, I see the 21st century is the result of humans building ONLY tightly coupled systems. In this episode, I’m going to deep dive what this means and why it leads to this boom & bust world that we are all being subjected to.

On a recent trip to Las Vegas, a friend of mine & I commented on the state of tipping. As someone who came from a country where tipping is not customary or expected, it was a culture shock to an immigrant in the USA. However there are pros & cons for tipping, so in this episode I want to deep dive the culture of tipping and how to protect yourself from vultures, yet incentivize the individual.

For as long as I have been alive, technology has shaped our world. In fact, it created my wealth since I bought the first commercially available personal computer in 1977 – I turned it into a career. But after over 40 years of being a part of that world, there’s something going on in the road forward now that is unusual, scary and you need to know about this if you intend to be a part of that industry, or someone that is punting on massive returns in that sector.

The biggest misconception that most people chasing financial independence is that it is all about investing. They do everything to save as much money and invest it. Yet 90% of those doing this are not experts in investing. They just put the money in the hands of counterparties to invest for them and hope & pray. Then get back to earning money to put more money in those investments. In this episode we are going to explain the weaknesses in this approach and why it won’t help you unless you know what you are doing.

There are dozens of advocates on the Internet, YouTube, Podcasts, etc. that tell you to get second or third residencies, multiple passports, etc. But few will ever disclose the level of effort to maintain these things. In this episode, I’m going to tell you my own challenges with these things over time, and what is required as a US person to be compliant and yet have the freedom of movement to be unconstrained.

The concept of ownership and property rights has been a core part of our history, our laws and our freedom. Most people believe they have the right to own title to things and protect those things our homes, our businesses, our financial assets, etc. But we are moving towards a world of You own nothing and be happy and this is being pushed upon us both aggressively through the WEF, but also covertly through the idea of the subscription model. In this episode, we are going to unveil the pure evil of this movement and what you can do to fight back and regain your control.

Since the 1990s, when China entered the World Trade Organization, there has been a euphoric move towards outsourcing to cheaper countries for manufacture and labor services. Although this brings down pricing, and helps curb inflation rise, it means the emerging market countries benefit while the client countries reduce expenses, but adjust their labor force accordingly. In this episode I want to explore the current and future trends of de-globalization, when countries retreat to their own borders and what both causes this, and what impact it has for all of us going forward.

Government & their best intentions can destroy the hope and future of a country. Whether it is from corruption, or just poor management, putting all of your faith & trust in central planners never seems to work out. In this episode, I tell the story of exactly that - government taking away the future from a country with so much promise and trying to sell it as a victory for the average Joe.

All over the world, the dreaded ''R'' word is being thrown about. For many people, they never remembered what a recession was like. For some, particularly here in Australia where they had a bull market economy for the past 30 years, memories of recessions may either be faint or non-existent depending on age. In this episode I'm going to tell you how to survive (and thrive) in a recession and what you need to do to adjust your mindset.

I discovered a TV series on the Reality TV network called Self Employed, which has the description Entrepreneur Jonathan Morris travels the country to share the inspirational stories and new challenges of small business owners and their journeys to building their dream jobs.. In this episode, Im going to get real with you about small businesses - why they succeed and fail and why a TV series sends a dangerous message to those looking to break free and become unconstrained.

Life is complicated. Surely, you cant be expected to manage your own life, right? You deserve the benefits of just showing up where every child wins a prize. And why not? Your central planners have got your back and know what is good for you. These are cynical statements, if you didnt know that already. But in this episode lets just illuminate why putting your faith & trust in counterparties to have your back doesnt work out well particularly when they are the US Federal Reserve.

Being unconstrained has always been about active pursuit of freedom. Freedom from financial obligations, having the right to speak freely, freedom from overt surveillance and privacy, and freedom to travel. Anyone who achieves all of these things is a hero. And on todays episode I am going to introduce you to one of my heroes. A humble regular guy who did, what most people who dont enjoy those freedoms I have explained, what some could call a radical thing and left the country of his birth to find his utopia. You will see how I relate to Jerrys story in so many ways, but more important I think it validates why pursuing a life of being unconstrained is so important to all of us.

The concept of retirement assumes a finite end of work. When one is older, they may not be able to work due to age, but for those capable and younger, the idea of retiring early assumes you are not doing what you love to begin with. In this episode, I react to many that are defending the idea of retiring early in a world of high inflation, low stock market returns, etc. rather than addressing whether the entire strategy is flawed to begin with. And I offer an alternative.

Throughout the western world, we have generations that have been raised on the idea of getting things that they want with other peoples money. Understandable since earning & savings hasnt been wise for a very long time due to low interest returns. But things are about to change, and I fear that western society will be faced with a shocking scenario it is not prepared for. In this episode we will talk about the debt mindset and what you need to do to shake it, and be unconstrained.

I would hope that in todays world, the general rule of thumb is that it is better to invest than to speculate. I think Warren Buffet really underscored this principle, but I see all around me people not understanding the difference and even those that do, seem to follow the herd into the world of speculation when they should be investing. So in this episode, we will deep dive the different approaches to help you become unconstrained.

Much of the chaos that we see surrounding us right now was predicted and fortold. But few took notice. Those that did, already set themselves up for the greatest wealth transfer that will be seen in 100 years. But those that idly sit by watching, are doomed to be victims to it. In this episode, we are going to explain The Fourth Turning, and why this is critical in understanding why things are the way they are right now.

If there is one thing I think we unilaterally agree on is that George Orwells 1984 was a brilliant work of fiction that has become a playbook by governments & humanity to enslave us. How we could take a warning like that and turn it into a standard operating procedure just shows how we do things against our best interest. So I decided to try and fight back and built my own De-Googled privacy phone, and took it to Mexico to test it out. Lets find out just how well I did.

On this episode, I'm joined by Brandon Miller who is an expert in helping people move to Canada. I was surprised to find out that the barriers to entry to Canada that I thought were there change everyday, and Brandon knows of literally 100 different methods that people can use to migrate to Canada if they choose to. Additionally, we talk about Brandon's own experience in living in Asia for many years, what he learned by being an actual nomad himself so that he can completely relate to what his clients want for themselves and their families.

As I record this, Goldman Sachs have stated that they expect the US Federal Reserve to raise interest rates 6 times this year. And many speculators are thinking the Fed will try and get to about a 2.5% base interest rate in order to try and reign in inflation. But although we had this only a couple of years ago, this could result in a lot of changes in the economical world that we all live in. In this episode I want to discuss different strategies that you can have to deal with rising interest rates in your own personal finances.

Something noticeable appears to be happening. Countries are starting to get real with COVID, and move from a strategy of containment to a strategy acceptance and learning to live with it. Calls for some countries to accept that past strategies of containment havent worked, and have in fact destroyed individual freedoms, commerce and mental health, are being heard everywhere. No more so than in my home country of Australia. So in this episode I put out the same call for sanity here, and how the future may look for all of us.

Since the days of George Orwell in the 1940s, we have been warned of a dystopian future a future of Big Brother, lack of personal freedom and individual sovereignty, but it wasnt until about 25 years ago, that the technologies became available that would give Big Brother the weaponry to entrap humanity at scale. As we launch into a new year, I want this episode to remind us all of the perilous descent to enslavement that we find us on, and what you need to do to remain vigilant and unconstrained.

As someone who was raised in another country, and came to the USA at the age of 25, I already had the ideology of the country of my birth stamped into my psyche, but I was still at an age where I could carve it into the American experience. But 30 years later, the molding of my past with my American experience has unveiled so many observations that are often unseen by my American friends. So in this episode I wanted to talk about these things, and maybe youll hear something that will be unexpected.

In this first episode of 2022, I'm going to talk about my experience in my early 20s that helped form much of my world view as to the connection between nature, our planet and our economy. I'm going to do a historical look back at events and how things could have turned out so much differently than what we are dealing with today, and what you may need to do for you and your family as a result.

The round peg & the square hole the concept of amassing liquid capital and saving, living frugally, and having a nest egg as some magical method for a life of leisure, quitting the 9-5 workforce and retiring, seems to be the dream sold to all of us by the financial services industry. But it doesnt work in a world of inflation, out of control govt spending and an economy that only survives based on consumption. Yet this is the continual debate on whether this method works, particularly for those in the FIRE community.