About

The “Find a Free Country Project” was stimulated as much by frustration with the do-nothing attitude of Conservatives, as by anger at the near total domination of the United States of America by the Radical Left through its total control of the Government, the Political Parties, the Bureaucracy, the Judiciary, the News and Entertainment Media, and the Education System. Did I leave out Big Business? My bad.

I have been asking Conservatives for practical solutions on how to restore freedom in the USA, and all I generally get is endless complaints or pie-in-the-sky false optimism. As freedoms in our country are slowly eroded year after year, Conservatives continue to do little more than complain and hope for the best.

Conservatives love to complain about our leaders (Obama, Clinton, and sometimes Bush), complain about our elected officials who seem to say everything we want to hear and then do the opposite, complain about a complacent ignorant population that is more interested in Reality TV than in Reality, complain about our political parties that seem to be in collusion against the People, complain about the corrupt and biased Media, or our failing Education System, etc. However, when you press them on how we can resolve our country’s problems, the solutions inevitably involve a particular leader, some actions to be taken by elected legislators, some sort of popular movement that is/are going to change the way things happen in Washington and the USA, or fairness in the Media and Education. Or worse; they have no solution at all and no real interest in trying to find one.

What the hell is going on with Conservatives?

Now I have some ideas, but let me premise them with a fundamental bias I have:

  • The USA cannot be fixed,
  • It is going to get a lot worse, and
  • No one in the USA is going to do anything to improve things.

I have challenged Conservatives who say there is still hope to give me concrete solutions on what needs to be done, and I usually just get vague platitudes like “We have to keep trying”, “We cannot lose hope”, or even worse “I will keep fighting until the end!”. Yeah right. I have gotten my ass kicked way too many times depending upon people like that to back me up. I don’t think they really believe there is any hope, but they just refuse to admit it. People only hear what they want to hear, see what they want to see, and believe what they want to believe. Conservatives are no different in that respect.

However, there are some people out there trying to find solutions. A few that I like, and my thoughts on them:

  • The Free State Project – essentially it involves 20,000 Libertarians agreeing to move to New Hampshire and thereby add a significant Conservative/Libertarian voting block to an already Conservative state. Sounds good to me, but unless I am mistaken, New Hampshire is still part of the USA. Furthermore, it is surrounded by some of the most radically Left-Wing states in the country. I don’t see how strengthening the Conservative voting block of New Hampshire is going to do a lot to restore the eroding state of freedom in the USA. Nice idea, but just too little too late. The problem isn’t New Hampshire but the USA.
  • Texas Independence – speaks for itself, but is about as popular in the state of Texas as being the designated driver. Everyone likes the idea, but no one wants to do it. There is an interesting organization in Texas that seems to be gaining a bit of momentum, the Texas Nationalist Movement, but they are poorly organized, lack inspiring leadership, and are unable to motivate more than a few hundred people in Texas to do much of anything. It is the same problem as with New Hampshire; by placing the focus on a territorial location inside the current boundaries of the USA it is going to be a hard sell. There may be hundreds of thousands of Texans willing to be Free!!!! (I really doubt this, but let’s just play along and pretend they really exist…) But there are millions willing to sit on their ass, watch Reality TV, and ignore everything other than what’s for dinner.
  • The Free City Organization – This is a really interesting idea of creating “Free Cities” within existing countries with the premise being of allowing freedom and opportunity for political, economic, and social experimentation on a small local level. It is the ultimate “Free Trade Zone”. In return for allowing a “Free City” to establish inside your country, your country benefits from an infusion of new people, money, business, ideas, etc. without having to totally commit your country. There have been a few places where this has worked, and it seems like a solid idea. Although the movement is well organized and has made some serious inroads into a number of countries, it is really just a think-tank, and there has been no country, other than a few of the Emirates, willing to step forward with the experiment.

What to do?

How about combining the best elements of all the above ideas, and eliminate the bad elements?

  • I like the Free State idea of Conservatives joining together to form and/or contribute to a new and vibrant community, I just don’t think locating it inside the USA is a good idea.
  • I like the Texas Independence idea but don’t like the fact that it rather depends on those pesky Texans going along with it, and the rest of the USA letting Texas say “Adios”.
  • The Free City idea is great, but it might never happen.

Thus was born the “Find a Free Country Project

The goal of the “Find a Free Country Project” is to research, explore and find:

  • a safe and secure free country outside the USA,
  • that is not too large,
  • has a relatively open immigration policy,
  • has a friendly business climate,
  • has a non-intrusive government committed to freedom,

and then move to it.

Instead of trying to create a free country from nothing, like the Free City program, we would already have a country ready and waiting for us.

Instead of trying to separate an uncooperative apathetic political subdivision (Texas) from a hostile government, again it would already be there waiting.

Instead of moving to a small insignificant state inside the USA that would have absolutely no political impact on the USA as a whole, a relatively small number of Conservative Americans moving to a small friendly pro-Conservative nation (or as close as we can get) would potentially have a very positive influence on Freedom.

This website was established to help advance this goal. If you are interested, please join and help us Find a Free Country!

January 25, 2013

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25 Responses to About

  1. The Plague Doctor says:

    I just came across this great idea and great blog. I thought about starting something like this, glad you beat me to it. Unfortunately all countries in the world suck, however, I think the best country for such a project is the Bahamas. Take a look at the Heritage Foundation Index of Economic Freedom. While the Bahamas are not on the very top of the list, they have the following advantages:
    – One of the lowest tax burden in the world.
    – Of the countries with the greatest overall score, they have one of the lowest rates of government spending. (Spending is more important than overall freedom in the long run, because a growing government debt will decrease freedom in the long run.)
    – Small population (350000 people).
    – The official language of the Bahamas is English, the most common language in the world.
    – An isolated (group of) island(s) is somewhat harder for other countries to invade with a military.
    – Easier immigration policy than some of the countries at the top of the list.
    – The Bahamas are currently a haven for the drugs trade.

    What do you think?

  2. Croatian Capitalist says:

    Hello, I think that the best country for you judging from your criteria would be Switzerland, and Croatia is definitely a country that you don’t want to move to, it is totally anti-business and the government isn’t committed to freedom.

    Kind regards and good luck in whatever country you end up going to.

    • fafc says:

      The problem with Switzerland is cost and a closed immigration system. It costs a great deal of money to live in Switzerland, and they don’t want new people. But otherwise I must admit, Switzerland does seem ideal. Maybe if I fall into a pile of money! Until then I need to keep looking for places with the same characteristics, but a little more affordable.

      • Croatian Capitalist says:

        The salaries in Switzerland are very high as well, so I think that they more or less cancel the high costs out.

        As for the closed immigration system, it depends, if you are an accountant/banker/financial analyst, engineer or IT specialist, it really shouldn’t be a problem for you to get a high paying job and a work permit.

        Another thing you might want to consider is getting EU citizenship (even though Switzerland isn’t a part of the EU, it is a part of the EEA, so all other things being equal, EU and EEA citizens have the advantage over non-EU/EEA citizens in as far as getting hired goes) if you have ancestry from an EU country which allows you to get citizenship based on ancestry (Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, etc.).

        • fafc says:

          Well I suspect very few people would have the skills and experience to land a good job in Switzerland, so that leaves the ultra-wealthy which really isn’t a big part of this collection. Maybe I will fall into a fortune!!!

          As for other European nations, I think there is something to be said there, but the problem is this: would you be any better off? I think it really depends upon the country. As you pointed out, Croatia is not pro-business. Poland seems to be pro-business, but I suspect it would be a tough thing for a non-Pole to move to Poland. I just don’t get the impression the Poles are all that welcoming to foreigners. Latvia is a country I like a lot. I have been looking a lot at Georgia; the place is so screwed up that there is only room for improvement, and there is a lot of improvement taking place. It is open to foreigners, lots of business opportunities but not jobs. As long as the Russians don’t invade…

          • Croatian Capitalist says:

            As long as you learn to speak Polish fluently and behave respectfully, I don’t think that you would have any social problems in Poland.

            As far as Eastern Europe goes, I think that Estonia is the country that is closest to what you want.

            The Russians won’t invade Georgia, unless of course the Georgians attack Abkhazia and South Ossetia, but that is highly unlikely.

  3. Croatian Capitalist says:

    This is something that you might find interesting, the USA has the highest corporate tax rate in the developed World: http://taxfoundation.org/blog/us-has-highest-corporate-income-tax-rate-oecd

    As well, only Aruba and Sweden have a higher maximum individual tax rate than the USA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_tax_rates

    It’s sad to see what has become of America.

  4. Croatian Capitalist says:

    So, have you decided where you are going to move to? I have removed 2 countries from my shortlist, so that leaves 3 in the running.

    • fafc says:

      If I had to go today, I would go to Belize or Mexico, simply for logistical reasons. I can get there easily, maintain my current business, etc. But I cannot see that as a longterm solution. There I am leaning towards Latvia, Estonia, Georgia. what about you?

  5. Croatian Capitalist says:

    I am leaning towards moving to Estonia, but I do not like the fact that it is s member state of the EU, which appears to be heading the way of the USA, meaning that the leading EU politicians want more power for the “federal” government (with Bruxelles being to the EU what Washington D.C. is to the USA), and less for the individual member states, especially the smaller ones such as Estonia.

    • fafc says:

      My worry about Estonia is its negative relationship with Russia. As the USA and Western Europe slides toward oblivion, Russia is going to become ever more important regardless of how screwed up and backward Russia may be. Countries that do no learn how to accommodate the Russians are going to be hurt.

      • Croatian Capitalist says:

        Russia doesn’t worry me, the two main issues in regards to Estonia for me are the potential centralization of the EU (even now it meddles too much in the strictly domestic affairs of the member states) and the low TFR (Total Fertility Rate) (the average Estonian woman only has 1,59 children during her lifetime and the number is decreasing), Estonia has a population of only about 1,3 million people, so it is a much bigger problem there then in bigger countries (such as Germany or Poland for example) with low birth rates.

        The only countries located geographically (some such as Kazakhstan only minimally) in Europe which have above replacement level fertility (which is 2,10) or are very near it are Kosovo (2,20), Turkey (2,08), Kazakhstan (2,59), the Republic of Ireland (2,05) and Iceland (2,02), France (2,03) and the Faroe Islands (2,40).

        The only European country (to my knowledge anyway) where the TFR is constantly increasing is Russia, the TFR there has risen from 1,29 in 2005 to 1,72 in 2013 (in rural areas it is already above replacement level (2,215 to be exact)).

        • fafc says:

          It is good to hear that Russia is reversing its abysmal low birth rate. It is sad that I am less worried about Russia, ruled by a corrupt dictatorship, than by my own country.

  6. Croatian Capitalist says:

    In any case, I will move to a country east of Croatia, because I have totally lost faith in the Western World (meaning the countries that constituted “The West” during the Cold War), I read Western media outlets more or less every day, and every day there is at the very least 1 depressive and mind-boggling story which would have been totally unimaginable to the vast majority people even as little as 50 (or even less) years ago.

  7. Greg says:

    Links to the alternative solutions would be good. I like the Free State Project. I was unfamiliar with the Texas one but their web site makes it sound like they’re more conservative than libertarian. I can’t find anything going on with the free cities efforts… pity, because they seemed to almost pull one off a while back.

    • fafc says:

      Well to be honest I am not really very interested in those other alternatives other than for curiosity. As I have stated before, I think they are doomed as is freedom in the USA. Too few are even willing to acknowledge there is a significant problem let alone willing to defend their freedoms. For me the USA is a dead thing. Something I once loved, but no longer exists. I am making my way outside the USA. This website is focused on encouraging others to consider that option.

    • fafc says:

      On the other hand there is places in the forum that address other issues, and we can always add other topics.

  8. Hi,

    This is a little premature compared to what you’re after, but I have a project for starting a new country (likely inside the US as there seem to be no better options) with a little bit of a following and no formal plans: http://newcountryproject.com/

    If you just want to move to an existing country, Chile might not be bad. In particular if you go to Fort Galt: http://www.fortgalt.com/

    Good luck finding a freer place!

    -Teran

    • fafc says:

      I get where you are coming from and where you want to go, but I don’t see how that can happen inside the USSA. How can you create a micronation inisde a police state? They will simply crush you and make it look like it is all your fault. It will be another massacre. I understand how Americans don’t want to leave America, but America is no longer a country that is conducive or even safe for liberty.

      As for Chile I must admit to a profound distrust of all Latin American countries. Their cultures are not pro-liberty. The culture of Latin America is steeped in centralized government control. They are either controlled by corrupt dictators or juntas, oligarchies made up of aging and corrupt elites, or communists who agitate an ignorant and indoctrinated population while looting the treasury. True, Chile seems to be the exception, but it is slowly abandoning the free market reforms which gave it prosperity and is sliding back towards the Latin American norm: centralized socialist government, corruption, and poverty.

      My vote is on Eastern Europe and I have put my money where my mouth is. I have moved to the Republic of Georgia. It is not perfect, but it has many appealing qualities. I hope to improve the place in some small way without destroying the very things I find so appealing.

  9. Croatian Capitalist says:

    I agree with you in regards to Eastern Europe, the V4 (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary), the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) and Georgia seem to be best bets for the future of Western civilization, the way I see things, if nothing changes drastically for the better soon in places like the UK, Germany, Sweden, etc., apart from the countries mentioned above and the East Asian countries (Japan, (South) Korea and China) there will hardly be any other civilized countries left in 50 years time.

    • fafc says:

      Must agree. The future of Western civilization is looking quite grim.

      • Croatian Capitalist says:

        Yes, and even if those countries ever return to sanity, it won’t be anytime soon, so for the purposes of the goal of this website countries like Sweden are useless.

        As for the non-insane countries mentioned above, if nothing unexpected comes up, I will visit a few of them soon, so I will write my impressions of them after I return.

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