Escape Artist Insiders magazine - December 2020 - Featuring Luigi Wewege

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ESCAPE ARTISTESCAPE ARTIST
INSIDERSINSIDERSM I G R A T I O N + A S S E T P R O T E C T I O N + A L T E R N A T I V E I N V E S T M E N T SM I G R A T I O N + A S S E T P R O T E C T I O N + A L T E R N A T I V E I N V E S T M E N T S
Dec 1st, 2020Dec 1st, 2020
A DEEP-DIVE INTO
THE MOST POPULAR
MESSAGING APPS
FOR A LOOK AT WHAT
DATA IS BEING
STOLEN AND WHO'S
LISTENING IN
H O W D O O U R
‘ F R E E S T C O U N T R I E S ’
F A R E W I T H T H E R I G H T
T O B E A R A R M S
12
HOW SECURE
ARE MESSAGING
APPS?
Tourism
Loopholes
Interesting destinations
that are open, which
you wrongly assumed
were closed

Director & Chief Editor
MIKKEL THORUP
It’s funny how things can come together. The connections and paths that
come about when building a magazine like this are often not apparent until
after it is completed, and I suppose that’s why I always wait to write my
Director’s Notes until the very end. As Steve Jobs so famously said - “You can't
connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking
backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your
future.” The longer I am on this offshore journey I see how right he was.
When I look back at my own life and how I decided to stop going to school
when I was 12 years old I can see the first steps towards libertarianism. When
I started travelling internationally a few years later I was experimenting with
different forms of exploration and expat living. When I began playing with tax
deferred retirement accounts when I was 20 I was figuring out how to free
myself from state intervention. And when I started blogging in the early
2000s about my journeys backpacking and hitchhiking through Latin America
I was learning how to put these thoughts onto paper. At the time did I know
all these things would line up perfectly for me to take charge and run the
largest and oldest offshore website in the world? Certainly not. Just like when
I started this magazine earlier this year; I did not know the vibe or flavour it
would project, and in that same vein, how each issue would turn out. This
month we will be looking closely at the impact of the election and what
practical steps you can take today to protect your freedom and liberty by
overreaching authorities and the trending socalist agenda.
www.EscapeArtist.comESCAPE ARTIST INSIDERS| 02
Director's Notes
05. ESCAPE ROUTE
Carter Clews
09. DIRECTOR'S THOUGHTS
Mikkel Thorup
21. SUE’S TRAVEL CORNER
Susan James
25. DIGITAL NOMAD
Clint Townsend
28. PRECIOUS METALS
Rich Checkan
39. DIGITAL PRIVACY
Paul Rosenberg
47. Bitcoin
Eyrka Gemma
A Look At How Things Line Up From Escape Artists
Director & Chief Editor, Mikkel Thorup
Monthly Columns
FREEDOM
POLITICS
PROTECTION

5. NOT POLITICS - REALPOLITIK - By Carter Clews
With Election Day 2020 only a month off, we asked our resident
Political Analyst to predict the winner. Will it be Trump or Biden? We
also asked the question ‘Will America ever come back from the Covid-
19 hoax’?
09. 10 TOP EXPAT DESTINATIONS WHERE I CAN STILL OWN A GUN
- By Mikkel Thorup
Mikkel looks at the top 10 countries in the world that allow
ownership of guns. If you’re truly looking to leave your current home
and are looking to take your guns with you, read on.
Table Of Contents
15. GETTING TO THE HEART OF OFFSHORE BANKING
- BY LUIGI WEWEGE
Have you ever wondered if Offshore Banking is for you? Luigi and
Mikkel break it down and explain in layman's terms what exactly
offshore banking is and who and why you would need one.
21. SUE’S TRAVEL CORNER - By Susan James
As Covid-19 is a bigger topic than ever, Susan has listed a few
countries that you can travel to over the next few months as the
weather gets cold in Northern USA and in Canada.
GOLD
25. TOURISM LOOPHOLES
THAT YOU SHOULD
KNOW ABOUT
- By Clint Townsend
Week by week, more
destinations are opening
their borders once again.
Likely due to the need for
tourism dollars. Clint
discusses some very
interesting destinations
that are open, which many
have wrongly assumed to
be completely closed.
28. AND THE WINNER IS…
- By Rich Checkan
The election is now 4
weeks past and no
president has been
announced. Rich walks us
through the past year with
precious metals, NASDAQ
and Bitcoin.
TRAVEL
DIGITAL NOMAD
OFFSHORE BANKING

32. THE PEOPLE STILL STRUGGLE FOR A GENUINE POLITICAL
“REALIGNMENT” - By Chris Temple
Americans have been waking up bit by bit to the fact that the two-
party duopoly that “runs” this country on behalf of the real powers
behind the scenes is not their friend.
39. HOW SECURE ARE MESSAGING APPS? - By Paul Rosenberg
I wonder how often Paul hears this question “How do I protect my
computer”? And “Do I need Antivirus Software”? Paul breaks it down in
layman's terms so we don’t have to ask ever again.
45 . HOW DO OUR ‘FREEST COUNTRIES’ FARE WITH THE RIGHT TO BEAR
ARMS - By Mikkel Thorup
As an added bonus, Mikkel looks at the 12 countries from the past 3
issues to see what the gun laws are and how they would apply to
those wishing to move there.
47. BITCOIN, A BEACON OF FREEDOM - By Eryka Gemma
Are you trying to figure out if it’s too late to buy Bitcoin? Should you
buy today or wait until 2021? Eryka helps us to understand what
Bitcoin is and what the future holds.
53. OFFSHORE CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE - By Susan James
Is Christmas a daunting time for you? Can’t think of the very best
present to buy your kids or grandkids? And one that parents will thank
you forever for? Susan’s got a few suggestions to make this Christmas
the best ever!
Table Of Contents Continued...
DEFENCE
POLITICS
DIGITAL PRIVACY
BITCOIN
NEXT MONTH

NOT POLITICS - REALPOLITIK
B Y C A R T E R C L E W S
Welcome back to Escape Route, where I now have
some good news and some bad news for you.
The good news is that if you voted for Joe Biden, your
need for an escape route is no longer urgent -- because
you are about to get all that you desired… and deserve.
The bad news is that if you voted for Donald Trump,
your need for an escape route is no longer urgent… it is
existential – because you are now under a socio-
economic death sentence.
That’s not politics, folks. That is realpolitik.
And I will tell you why…
You see, I am not saying that you should, or should not,
have supported either Biden, or Trump. I am from the
old school that believes for whom you vote is your own
damn business. And enfranchisement is a sacred right
ESCAPE ROUTE
to be respected.
Unfortunately, many on the left decidedly do not feel
that way. And that is why, for the first time in my long (74
years) memory, a clarion call is being issued to punish
those who failed to fall into lockstep support for the
candidate of their choosing.
And the worst news is: I kid you not.
Within hours after Biden had been declared President-
Elect, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted, “Is anyone archiving these
Trump sycophants for when they try to downplay or
deny their complicity in the future? I foresee decent
probability of many deleted Tweets, writings, photos in
the future.”
Quite literally adding fuel to the fire, popular leftwing
actress Janelle Monae, tweeted (in a since-deleted post)
“f**k every American citizen” who voted for President

Trump, saying they should all “burnnnnn.” How nice.
Highly placed leftist political operative Emily Abrams
immediately jumped in to help “AOC” and Janelle carry
out their vendetta against smoldering Trump
sycophants by establishing a website to track the
miscreants, tweeting: “We’re launching the Trump
Accountability Project to make sure anyone who took a
paycheck to help Trump undermine America is held
responsible for what they did. Join us and help spread
the word.”
Not to be outdone, former Obama administration staff
member Michael Simon took it all a step further,
declaring that the pogrom of Trump supporters should
include “Every Administration staffer, campaign staffer,
bundler, lawyer who represented them — everyone.”
Note to Trump supporters who had the audacity and
temerity to put up a yard sign, sport a bumper sticker,
or maybe even wave a Trump flag: you are among that
“everyone.” Feeling safe?
Well, if you are, you shouldn’t – because just to make
sure you get the heinous message of hate, leftwing
Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin spelled out
the left’s “final solution to the Trump problem” (to
paraphrase Der Fuhrer) even more clearly:
“Any R now promoting rejection of an election or
calling to not to follow the will of voters or making
baseless allegations of fraud should never serve in
office, join a corporate board, find a faculty position or
be accepted into ‘polite’ society. We have a list.”
Make no mistake: If you supported Donald J. Trump,
that “list” will one day include you – if it doesn’t
already. That’s how mob mentality works.
Again, please understand, I am not relating any of the
above to be political. Because actually, none of that is
“political” -- in the sense of politics as it had been
practiced for the 232 years preceding the 2020
presidential election.
In the past, your right to actively support the candidate of
your choice and cast your vote accordingly was not
merely respected; it was sacrosanct.
But, unfortunately, folks, as the above quotes make
abundantly clear, we now live in an era when (The Bard
notwithstanding), the past is no longer not merely
prologue; it is thoroughly rejected and disdained.
So now, if you do not want to be on the expurgation “list”
of “everyone” who is to be unceremoniously cast out of
“polite society” in America, you have two distinct choices:
One, you can meekly don and display on demand “The
Mark of the Biden” – at which point (assumedly), even if
you did commit the egregious indiscretion of supporting
“The Orange Man,” you will then be allowed to “buy and
sell” (Revelation 13) and go about your daily life (if, one
imagines, you show proper contrition).
ESCAPE ROUTE

as many as a million to follow). At which point, you will
then join the 40 million Americans already forced into
unemployment (if you are not already among them).
What, then, is the -- perhaps, unintended, or, frankly
deliberate -- endgame to all of this ineluctable, unending
horror -- if you choose to stay in Joe Biden’s America?
Well, perhaps, Joe’s good buddy Klaus Schwab, founder of
the leftwing World Economic Forum (think Davos – where
the elite meet annually to plot your demise) put it best. By
2030, he has informed us “You vill own nothing. And you
vill be happy about it.”
And if you don’t care to simply “be happy about it”?
Well, the alternative, as suggested above, is to liquidate
your possessions, gather up your cash, shake the dust off
of your feet – and move now to the country of your
choice in Central America (at this point, I would
recommend Nicaragua)…
Where you can live an incredibly good life, at a
remarkably low price…
And escape the scourge, the purge, and America’s coming
economic collapse. ■A massive confiscatory federal tax hike (as in 20%)
already announced by President-Elect Biden…
Prodigious new escalations in state and local taxes,
fees, assessments (and whatever else the politicians
choose to call them)…
Very possibly ruinous negative interests rates –
which means you will pay the bank to hold your
money (no, I am not making this up; the European
politicians have already imposed them throughout
the EU)…
And, rolling covid lockdowns that will finish wiping
out America’s businesses – 100,000 of which are
already closed for good, with, according to Moody’s,
Otherwise -- and I tell you this as a veteran of 50 years
in Washington politics -- you are not merely running the
very real risk of brutal and oppressive ostracization (not
my claim – AOC’s, Janelle’s, Jennifer’s, Michael’s, and
Emily’s), you are facing:
Or, two, you can (with due kudos to Welsh songwriter
George Henry Powell) “pack up your troubles in your
old kit bag” – and mile, mile, mile...
As in, move as far south as you can as fast as you can –
and take everything you can with you.
ESCAPE ROUTE
Carter Clews has long been considered
one of America's foremost political
operatives. He has worked on numerous
major election campaigns, from the
congressional to the presidential levels.
And he currently serves as a strategic
advisor to some of Washington's top
political organizations and media
groups. Contact Carter at
CarterClews@EscapeArtist.com

C I T I Z E N S H I P B Y
I N V E S T M E N T
With heightened political
uncertainty, investors all over
the world are seeking quick and
easy routes to earn citizenship
in a new country. By taking your
wealth and life offshore, you can
benefit from a higher quality of
living, heightened asset
protection, and a more personal
freedom. Dual citizenship can
also open up a world of
opportunity, from lower tax
responsibility to easing travel
restrictions.
We have exclusive partnerships
with experts in all things second
citizenship. including what
countries offer a second
passport program and how to
earn instant citizenship.
Get a residency on the path to
citizenship or an instant second
passport in these countries:
E A R N A S E C O N D P A S S P O R T
Our experts will help you to earn
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information on which countries
offer the best citizenship by
investment programs based on your
needs, how to qualify for dual
nationality and anything else
regarding earning second
citizenship, contact us below.
C L I C K
H E R E
Portugal
Spain
Greece
Austria
Canada
USA
Bulgaria
Cyprus
Malta
Turkey
Dominica
Saint Lucia
Antigua & Barbuda
Saint Kitts & Nevis
Montenegro
Moldova

10 TOP EXPAT DESTINATIONS WHERE I
CAN STILL OWN A GUN
I can only imagine that after this past election in the
US, many of you are fed up and ready to make that
move.
You want, and need, to spend the rest of your life
somewhere safe, low taxed, and ideally, a country where
you can take your firearms with you. Does this place exist
for you? Are any of the countries that we included in ‘The
Freest Countries in the World’ make it on to this list?
In our 3rd installment in this series, we took those same
countries and looked closely at how they dealt with the
past 9 months of Coronavirus and lockdowns.
Now, it’s time to look at the gun laws around the globe.
Are any of the freest countries on this list, let’s find out...
The reality is that American would-be expats might be
in for a big shock when it comes to owning firearms in
other parts of the world. Most countries have strict gun
laws that differentiate between long guns and
handguns, allow permits under different sorts of
circumstances, prohibit firearms with certain
exceptions, or prohibit guns completely. For example,
many Eurasian and Asian countries prohibit handguns,
but Yemen lets you obtain and possess guns without a
permit like in the U.S.
The Second Amendment is quite rightly dear to the
hearts of many Americans. However, if you’re seeking
economic and political freedoms beyond the U.S., then
you may struggle to find realistic expat destinations
where you can both enjoy the freedoms and lifestyles
DIRECTOR'S THOUGHTS
By: Mikkel Thorup
Center Pattern: MP5 Fully-Auto
Top Pattern: Scar-16 Semi-Auto

The situation is similar in Guatemala, where firearm
ownership is associated with severe restrictions. As of
the constitution of 1985, you have the right to bear arms
here for personal use in your own home. Although you
can’t own fully automatic weapons, semi-automatics,
handguns, rifles and shotguns can be possessed if you
have a permit. However, this can be difficult because
you’ll need governmental approval and must re-apply for
this and re-qualify for your firearm license at least once
DIRECTOR'S THOUGHTS
Here, both long guns and handguns shall be issued
You’ll have no trouble being issued with firearms
you’re looking to own for reasons of personal
protection
Unfortunately, you’re not allowed to carry openly but
you’ll still be issued for carrying concealed firearms
Fully automatic firearms are prohibited with no
exceptions
As is the case with many countries on this list, you’ll
be subject to firearms checks and you’ll have to
register your guns
As in much of South and Central America, you’ll have
no problem being issued with long guns and
handguns
You can also obtain a firearm for personal protection
quite easily – all you have to do is declare your desire
every three years. The good news is that guns are widely
available in Guatemala.
However, there are some countries that give you much
more leeway in terms of possessing a gun. These can be
broken down most concisely into different global
regions, namely Central and South America, Europe, and
Russia.
(For convenience, this article uses the terms “shall issue”
and “may issue” in the same way as these terms are used
in the U.S. In “shall-issue” states, the authorities must
give a licence to the applicant if the applicant fulfils the
legal regulations surrounding the firearm(s) in question.
In “may-issue” states, the authorities are not legally
obliged to do this and therefore reserve the right to
refuse to give a licence to the applicant even in cases
where the legal regulations have been fulfilled.)
LATIN AMERICA
Costa Rica:
El Salvador:
you’re looking for whilst also owning a firearm as you
would in the U.S.
Although Bolivia, Costa Rica, Colombia, Honduras,
Nicaragua and Liberia all once included in their
respective constitutions the right to own firearms, only
three countries currently have the constitutional right to
bear arms: the U.S., Mexico and Guatemala. Mexico’s gun
ownership laws are quite strict. You can buy a gun but
this entails a long-winded bureaucratic process and
restrictions still apply. Mexico’s 1857 Constitution was
amended in 1917 after the revolution and this is when
restrictions were brought in to reduce the civilian
purchasing of firearms and to stop civilians from carrying
weapons in inhabited places. You’re also not allowed a
handgun with a calibre greater than .38 for home
protection. Finally, there’s only one place you can buy
guns in Mexico; this is located on an army base in Mexico
City.

You shall be issued with long guns and handguns.
You don’t need to provide a good reason for this and
this also applies to the purchase of firearms for
personal protection
You can’t open carry but you may be issued for a
concealed carry firearm
You may be issued with fully automatic firearms
Uruguay:
DIRECTOR'S THOUGHTS
You’ll be subject to firearm checks and you’ll have to
register your firearms
There is a penalty of up to 12 years for breaking
these rules
Semi-automatic long guns and all handguns shall be
issued
You don’t need a permit for a repeating long gun
For both long guns and handgun purchases, you’ll
just need to provide a simple declaration of reason
such as hunting, sport shooting, collection, etc.
You shall be issued when it comes to buying firearms
for personal protection purposes
There is a may-issue policy for open carry in Austria
but there are exceptions: you can open carry without
a permit if you are a member of a rifle club
There is also a may-issue policy for concealed carry
but unfortunately, this is restricted
You may be issued with fully automatic firearms
You can have an unlimited magazine
You will be subject to checks and have to register
your firearms unless they were made before 1871
There is a penalty of up to 2 years for breaking these
regulations
You’ll have to pass a written exam and shooting test
to obtain a hunting rifle in Austria and there is some
paperwork to fill out too
You can only obtain your long gun three days after
you’ve bought it in order to satisfy regulations
intended to reduce the impulsive purchasing of guns
Fortunately, Austria offers an excellent hunting
culture and there are many opportunities to hunt all
over this wonderful country.
Many territories where you can hunt are privately
owned
You can find out more about Austria’s big game and
hunting seasons here
EUROPE
Austria:
You’ll be issued for carrying a concealed firearm
You’re not allowed to possess fully automatic
firearms
You’ll be subject to checks and have to register your
guns in El Salvador
There is a penalty of up to 5 years if you are in breach
of these laws
You can obtain long guns and handguns on a shall-
issue basis and, crucially, you don’t need to declare a
reason for doing this. These rules also apply to
owning a firearm for your own personal protection
You’re not allowed to carry openly but you shall be
issued for carrying a concealed weapon
Fully automatic firearms are not allowed
You can have an unlimited magazine in Puerto Rico
firearm once you’ve bought it
laws
for self-defence and this is sufficient
Puerto Rico:

DIRECTOR'S THOUGHTS
You can’t open carry but you shall be issued for
concealed carry as long as there’s no bullet in the
chamber (there can be a bullet in the chamber if it’s a
revolver though, just as in the case of Estonia)
Fully automatic firearms are prohibited
Unlimited magazines are permitted
You’ll be subject to checks and you’ll have to register
your firearms
rules
Similar to Estonia, Lithuania offers a range of small
game and big game hunting experiences
Semi-automatic long guns and all handguns shall be
issued
You don’t need a permit for a repeating long gun
In the case of both long guns and handguns, you only
need to provide a good reason for obtaining the
firearm if the reason is not hunting, sport shooting,
or for collection purposes
You don’t always need a permit if you’re buying a gun
for personal protection but some guns do work on a
shall-issue basis
You can’t open carry
Concealed carry works on a may-issue basis but
unfortunately, this is still restricted
No fully automatic firearms are allowed
Unlimited magazines are forbidden
firearms
You don’t need a permit for long guns
Handguns work on a shall-issue basis
Only hunting guns are free from checks and the need
to register
laws
Liechtenstein and Switzerland:
Monaco:
There is a shall-issue policy for long guns and
handguns but you’ll need to provide a good reason
for this such as hunting, target shooting, collecting,
etc.
Firearms bought for personal protection are allowed
but you’ll need to declare this
You can’t open carry but you shall be issued for
concealed carry as long as there’s no bullet in the
chamber (however, there can be a bullet in the
chamber if the firearm in question is a revolver)
firearms
laws
In terms of big game, you can hunt deer, wild boar,
brown bear and wolf in Estonia. You can find out
more here
There is a shall-issue policy for long guns and
handguns
You’ll need to provide a good reason for obtaining
your guns, such as hunting, sport shooting, collecting,
etc.
Acquiring a firearm for personal protection is allowed
but you’ll need to declare your desire for self-defence
when you do this
Estonia:
Lithuania:

Mikkel Thorup is the Director at
EscapeArtist.com the oldest and
largest offshore website in the world
and hosts The Expat Money
Show podcast. He is also the author
of #1 Best-Selling book Expat
Secrets on Amazon.
Mikkel has spent over 20 years in continual travel
around the world, visiting more than 100 countries
including Colombia, North Korea, Zimbabwe, and
Iran.
His goal is to help people just like you to generate
additional streams of income, legally eliminate your
tax bill, and take advantage of offshore structures so
you can travel the world freely and never have to
worry about money again. Follow Mikkel Thorup on
Twitter @ThorupMikkel
DIRECTOR'S THOUGHTS
Long guns work on a shall-issue basis
Handguns are forbidden
However, you don’t need a permit for a shotgun
Once you can prove you’ve owned a shotgun for five
years, you‘ll no longer need a permit for a rifle either
Only shotguns are allowed for personal protection
Open carry is forbidden
Concealed carry is only allowed if the weapon is
unloaded
Unlimited magazines are forbidden
firearms in Russia
You’ll have to pass a number of tests showing an
understanding of relevant laws, firearm handling
skills and first-aid competency
Hunting big game is still very popular in Russia: here
you can take your pick from bears, wolves, lynx, boar,
moose, ibex and much more
Russia has more big game species on offer than
anywhere else in the northern hemisphere and most
big game areas are not managed, which means that
you’ll be hunting in a natural habitat that is not
regulated or tampered with by humans. This means
that hunting in Russia is much more challenging and
exciting and much more rewarding. Click here for
more information about hunting in Russia
Russia:
FINAL THOUGHTS
There you have it, the top 10 countries in the world for
firearms and how they deal with and handle the right to
bear arms. Please remember, this list doesn’t mean there
are not another 20 or 30 countries that have ideal gun
laws for you.
As a bonus, I would like to touch on one country that
doesn’t make this list, but we do discuss so much at
Escape Artist that I think it is worth digging into, and that
country is Panama.
Panama:
Obtaining firearms in Panama requires a Firearms
Possession Certificate, which requires a lengthy
background check and training. The minimum age to
own a firearm is 18 years. A separate permit that allows
carrying a concealed firearm, with all the same
requirements, is available to those aged 21 and over.
Certain kinds of firearms and ammunition, such as
automatic firearms, long guns whose barrels have been
shortened, or armor-piercing rounds, are prohibited
even for licensed gun owners.
A gun permit is simple to obtain, but can take a long time
to finish. The main problem in Panama is that a gun
control bill has been passed in hopes of lowering the
violence here, prohibiting all gun imports into Panama.
All in all, I would say it is very difficult to buy a gun in
Panama as there are few stores that carry them and
prices of these guns are extremely expensive. ■

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L E A R N M O R E A T E X P A T M O N E Y S H O W . C O M

GETTING TO THE HEART OF
OFFSHORE BANKING
B y L u i g i W e w e g e
In a recent interview with my good friend Luigi
Wewege, we sat down in my office here in Panama
and discussed offshore banking.
Mikkel Thorup
Let's start off by defining: what is an offshore bank?
Luigi Wewege
I guess a simplistic answer is that it’s an international
financial institution located outside of the jurisdiction in
which you reside. Although it's best to use an example.
You have a lot of North Americans that come down to
visit the Caribbean islands and they fall in love with the
place and naturally want to buy a property there. They
then call their bank in the United States or Canada, and
OFFSHORE BANKING
the bank tells them there is no way they’re going to
actually finance anything in Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua,
etc. Then the individual would go to a local bank in that
country and the local banks would not finance the
purchase at all because they’re not a resident or citizen
of that respective country.
So with the role I'm in, regarding international banking,
people then come to us because we are allowed to
provide financing and help them achieve their dreams
and goals for their property purchase in their chosen
region.
Mikkel Thorup
Do you think that's most offshore banks? Or is this
Dummy text

And it's like, well, actually you can't hold your money in
Belizean dollars in an offshore bank. How I understand it,
it’s actually against the law, it’s illegal. So that's not
something that people need to worry about, but give me
a couple of other examples, besides our real estate
example, of why people might choose to use an offshore
bank. Why aren't they just using their local bank?
Luigi Wewege
Sure, and once again, I will use Belize as an example.
Belize has a very strong bank secrecy act, and a lot of
people are attracted to that. Also, our bank reserve
requirements also known as liquidity ratios are, I'd say
about five times higher than those in North America. So
basically, for every dollar that goes into the bank, a
quarter of it has to sit there in cash, so people are also
attracted to that. People are also conscious of exchange
controls. So, if you want to wire in several million today,
you can wire out that several million tomorrow. In Belize
there's actually no exchange controls in place.
specific to offshore banking in Belize? Is that a location
specific role example?
Luigi Wewege
Well, a lot of international banks are fairly similar and
it’s how they got started, to help people with financing
offshore. A lot of people saw a gap in the market for
financing for foreigners attracted to the region, and to
provide them with general banking services, being able
to open accounts remotely, and for them to have
accounts in multiple currencies. Also, I believe people
just wanted a bit more asset or financial diversification
than what they can currently get in say the United
States or Canada.
Mikkel Thorup
And then I've seen a lot of people who seem to not
understand when you're using an offshore bank, and
we can use Belize as an example, a Belizean bank as
an offshore bank actually doesn't hold Belizean
dollars.
Luigi Wewege
Yes, that is right and per the international banking act,
we’re not allowed to bank Belizean citizens or
residents. We don’t offer Belizean dollars at all to any
clients, but we transact in all major currencies,
Canadian dollars, British pounds, Euros or US dollars,
but no Belizean dollars. And that's not just strictly in
Belize that's also throughout the region with the
majority of international - offshore banks, wherever
they are based they are not permitted to deal with the
local currency.
Mikkel Thorup
I've seen that before. Clients have come to me and
they said, well, I want a bank in one of these countries,
but I don't want to hold my money in Belizean dollars.
OFFSHORE BANKING
"[In Belize] for every dollar that
goes into the bank, a quarter of it
has to sit there in cash, so people
are also attracted to that..."
There are a number of positives like these, and then
obviously also access to financing where, as mentioned,
you wouldn't necessarily have been able to finance your
dream home before but now can.
Mikkel Thorup
What about for entrepreneurs from a business side? I've
seen a lot of times when people are trying to do business
and maybe their partner is in another country. We work a
lot with drop shippers and people that are sending things
out of China, maybe they want the bank physically
located closer to where they're doing business.

of that, it's like a dirt road basically. So, if you're using a
local US-based bank, they understand that ecosystem
completely.
But what they don't understand is the dirt road and that
right there is kind of our specialty. So if you're doing
international business and you have multiple suppliers in
several countries and invoices needing to be paid around
the world, then you're going to need an international
bank to facilitate these wires for your business with no
interruptions.
Mikkel Thorup
What about people who are living in a country and have a
9-5 job. Would offshore banking make sense for them? Or
should they just be using a local bank where they have
their residency. For example, a Canadian living in
Singapore, or a Canadian living in Thailand. Do you think
that an offshore bank is the right option for them if they
have some type of a job, or is it really for the examples
that you just mentioned?
Luigi Wewege
Typically in most countries throughout the world, you
would use an international bank if you were working
there temporarily, in other words you would use it until
such time you had residency or citizenship, and then you
would move over to a domestic bank. But during that
period of time, when you aren’t able to have access to the
local banking system, you would actually use an
Luigi Wewege
Yes, absolutely, and that is a good point, Mikkel. For
example, a North American based bank within the US
financial system that works really well for USD, but
when you need to make a transfer outside of the
system to Thailand or Malaysia or Hong Kong, it starts
to get a little bit more problematic.
A reputable international bank that's already in the
offshore ecosystem and understands how this type of
banking works can actually help you facilitate these
transactions a lot easier and better.
Mikkel Thorup
Okay. So, I understand your examples from that side,
but let's dive into some of the examples from the expat
side, from the international side, there's a lot of digital
nomads out there and there's a lot of expats out there.
Maybe they don't want to use their local bank account.
Can you explain some of the ways or reasons that
offshore banking might be able to assist with them?
Luigi Wewege
Of course. I have briefly mentioned when you are within
the US financial system, wire transfers - think of it like a
massive highway, a five or six-lane superhighway, that's
the US financial system. And then when you go outside
OFFSHORE BANKING
BELOW: Belize City, Belize

international bank to get started in your respective
jurisdiction.
Mikkel Thorup
I'm hammering home on this point because I hear it
from people all the time. They put up the objections of,
this is not for me or this doesn't make sense for me.
It's really important that people understand, the first
question everyone is always going to ask is, “is this for
me?” I think that in everything we do, we have to
understand, is this for me? Or is this for somebody
else, only for people who are worth a hundred million
dollars or billionaires or Apple and Google, or is this
for everyday folks?
Luigi Wewege
The offshore space is a big tent and we have touched
on the financing property aspect, we've touched on if
you have an international business, or if you're an
entrepreneur. There's also another huge aspect, within
international banking which I believe it's mostly used
for and that's asset protection. People set up various
corporate structures, they set up trusts, etc. and in
turn these entities have corporate bank accounts.
It's a way for you to financially diversify as well as
OFFSHORE BANKING
ABOVE: Belize is located on the Northen part of Central America
LEARN MORELEARN MORELEARN MORE
Offshore Banking – How Privacy And
Control Can Protect What’s Yours
The popularity of offshore banking has
largely been affected by negative
stereotypes. Offshore bank accounts are
usually talked about when big corporations’
financial scams are exposed. Placing
financial assets in accounts maintained in
foreign countries is completely legal.
Keeping in view the dismal financial
situation of the US, it’s time to break the
myth and take advantage of offshore
banking.
manage and preserve your money for generations. It
can also protect your assets due to splitting up your
footprint so to speak, and you may live in country A,
but your corporation is headquartered in country B
and your corporate bank account is in country C.
Mikkel Thorup
Give me some examples or situations where an
offshore bank would help with asset protection. No
one can just go into Wells Fargo and take your money
out of the bank if you live in the States. I mean, what's
the difference by going offshore?
Luigi Wewege
As I mentioned before it's obviously the first Belize
bank secrecy. Someone can't just walk into the bank
and request your information. There has to be
something formal such as a court order, and even
then, there's a process that's followed before any
information is handed over. I guess one situation or
example which came to mind when you mentioned
that was a certain structure, that I've seen more and
more of, and that is incorporating a Panama company
It's a zero-tax jurisdiction and so you have the
company in Panama, and you have a corporate bank
account in say Belize. So now you've got not only two
different jurisdictions, you've got two different legal
systems and you've got two different languages. A lot
of people are starting to not just house all their
financial affairs in one country, but actually split it up..

Mikkel Thorup
When I work with clients or when I do a lot of my
writing, I find that offshore banking is the first step
that a lot of people make when they go into the
offshore markets. There's different degrees of how far
you want to go down this rabbit hole. What type of
profession you have, what you do for a living, what
your personal situation is, as well as your business
situation.
And of course, I think this is an opportune time to say,
you're not giving financial advice in this interview. I'm
not giving legal advice and I'm certainly not giving tax
advice. This is just for educational purposes. Have you
also seen this, that people who enter the offshore
markets, maybe banking is the first thing that they
take care of?
Luigi Wewege
Typically, it's the first step. One of the reasons this
happens is because when you apply for residency in
another country, what some governments will do is
they outsource their compliance due diligence. What I
mean by this is if you’re able to open a bank account
for yourself then you’re good enough to move forward
in the process and get residency thereafter. So yeah,
typically it is the first step that I've noticed to get the
bank account and then, you know, to carry on doing
whatever else that you wanted to possibly achieve.
Mikkel Thorup
And then what comes next, a foundation, a multi-
generational trust or is it something maybe a little bit
simpler?
Luigi Wewege
I have to admit on a daily basis I see all various kinds.
We see trusts, foundations, IBCs, IRAs, we see a whole
mix of things, it's not just one thing, I wouldn't
OFFSHORE BANKING
Luigi Wewege is the Senior Vice
President, and Head of Private Banking of
Belize based Caye International Bank, a
FinTech School Instructor and the
published author of The Digital Banking
Revolution – now in its third edition.
You can reach out to Luigi by clicking here
necessarily put my finger on it and say, ‘that's generally
what we get.’ It certainly does vary.
Mikkel Thorup
I was being a little bit facetious, because I have people
who come out and they're like, yeah, I want to have a
Panama foundation or I want to have a Belize trust or a
Nevis trust. And it's like, okay, cool. We can do that for
you. Let's look at your situation. Let's look at some of the
things that you already have in place. And maybe an IBC,
maybe an LLC is a simpler structure that will take care of
those things. And obviously we won't get into too much of
the weeds about the different structures today, we're
talking about finance and banking.
Luigi Wewege
It's highly variable. So I'm sure in your line of business,
you have to look at the complete background of the
person, residencies, where they want to go, what they are
trying to achieve, what they currently have in place, etc.
It's not very linear at all and typically what I have seen is
people already making steps without the end goal being
that well defined for them. The problem in these
situations is that they have already put themselves
towards a path of where they can now have a corporate
bank account due to the residency or citizenship acquired
or the country of incorporation for their company.
I really want to thank Luigi for being a guest on our
podcast. He has a wealth of information and if you are
interested in an offshore bank account make sure you
reach out to Luigi Wewege. ■

NAGEL & ASSOCIATES, LLC
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
INTERNATIONAL LEGAL EXPERTS
“Providing International, Innovative
Solutions to Our Worldwide Clientele”
♦Offshore Corporations
♦International Finance
♦International Insurance
♦International Capital Formation
♦Corporate Structures Including
Banks, Hedge & Mutual Funds
Joel M. Nagel
409 BROAD STREET SUITE 204
SEWICKLEY, PA 15143, USA
TEL. 412-749-0500
FAX 412-749-0505
NAGELLAW@AOL.COM

FAVOURITE WANDERLUST TRAVEL BOOK
I’d love to hear from readers what your favourite
wanderlust travel book is. What got you started
travelling the world? And if you haven’t taken that
step, why? I’ll post in January 2021 your answers.
Please send to Susan at publisher@escapeartist.com
TRAVEL RESTRICTION NEWS
It’s December 1st and for many people around the
world, this is vacation time. Flee the snow and cold
and go somewhere warm. However, this year, things
are so different and if you really want to get away, you
can, it will just take patience and perseverance.
Here are a few islands in the Caribbean that are open
for business and what you need to do to get through
immigration.
Aruba: Passengers are subject to medical screening
and must have a medical certificate with a negative
Coronavirus PCR test issued at most 72 hours before
departure. Passengers without a medical certificate
are subject to a PCR test on arrival at their own
expense and will be quarantined for 1 day.
Masks are only mandatory at the airport but
recommended elsewhere.
Currently open to the USA, Bonaire & Curacao,
Canada, Europe, The Caribbean (excluding the
Dominican Republic & Haiti)
All visitors will be required to complete the online
Embarkation/Disembarkation (ED) card process, and
be approved, in order to be permitted entry to Aruba.
The new ED card process is available online and the
requirements of the ED card will include:
What actually happened: The man had worked
for prolonged periods of time next to an
infected coworker but lied about it to
authorities.
Last week, authorities in South Australia lifted an
emergency six-day lockdown early, after it was
revealed a guy who worked at a pizza shop
deliberately misled contact tracers.
The backstory: The worker said he contracted
Covid-19 shortly after picking up a takeout pizza at
a restaurant (not the one he worked at). That
prompted Australian authorities to institute one of
the strictest lockdowns in the world, banning
outdoor exercise and even dog walking, fearing a
new hyper-infectious strain of the virus had
emerged.
Bottom line: In the time of Covid, a single person's
actions can affect the daily lives of everyone in their
region—in this case, 1.7 million people.
SUE'S TRAVEL CORNER
B Y S U S A N J A M E S
SUE'S TRAVEL CORNER
COVID UPDATE FROM
AROUND THE GLOBE
Cruise Lines
It’s hard to believe that cruise lines are now
booking cruises for 2023-2024 with the hopes of a
good vaccine. Never before have we seen this,
maybe 18 months out, but not much more than
that. I’d be very wary of booking and putting a
deposit down on a cruise that was 2 to 3 years out.
At this point, we don’t really know which cruise line
will survive having little to no income. I would also
assume that the sales are incredible for these
cruises and the perks are outstanding. If you’re
thinking about a cruise, make sure those two things
are better than you can even imagine.

The completion of the standard
Embarkation/Disembarkation form details.
Approval confirmation must be provided at
check-in.
A self-health declaration 72 hours prior to travel
to Aruba.- Documentation of the requisite health
insurance coverage as required by the
government of Aruba.
All travellers wear a mask while in-flight to
Aruba.
This does not apply to passengers who are 10
years and younger.
As part of the Travel Health Visa application,
travellers will be required to opt-in to COVID-19
health insurance that covers them for the
duration of their stay in The Bahamas. The cost
of insurance is included in the Travel Health Visa
application fee
Travel Health Visa applications take up to 48
hours to process and should be completed with
adequate lead time
The cost of the Travel Health Visa is dependent
on the length of stay
Wear a face mask and physical distance when in
public places
The Aruba Tourism Authority has announced that as
of November 1, 2020, there will no longer be a
distinction between U.S. “hot spot” states and other
US states. From that date, residents of all 50 states
will have the same options available to them,
namely the option to take a PCR test upon arrival at
the airport in Aruba as well as the option to provide
a certified negative test result prior to travel to
Aruba.
Bahamas: Passengers must have a medical
certificate with a negative Coronavirus (COVID-19)
RT-PCR test result. The test must have been taken at
most 5 days before arrival.
Once in possession of a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR
test, travellers can apply for their required Bahamas
Travel Health Visa at travel.gov.bs
Once on the Island:
Barbados: The government of Barbados officially
reopened its borders to international travel on July
SUE'S TRAVEL CORNER
12th, 2020. There are a number of precautions and
safeguards being implemented to protect, both
locals and visitors while on the island. Please see the
official travel protocols for visiting Barbados during
the COVID-19 pandemic.
Travellers are required to complete the online
Immigration and Customs Form which will be
available 72 hours prior to your arrival in Barbados.
You can fill out the form HERE.

December 1, 1990 - England was connected to
mainland Europe for the first time since the Ice
Age as engineers digging a railway tunnel under
the English Channel broke through the last rock
layer.
December 2, 1804 - Napoleon Bonaparte was
crowned Emperor of France by Pope Pius VII in
Paris.
December 2, 1971 - The United Arab Emirates
was formed, consisting of seven Arab kingdoms
on the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula
including the former Trucial states Abu Dhabi,
Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al Qaiwain and
Fujairah. Ras al-Khaimah became a member in
1972. The area has some of the world's largest
reserves of petroleum and natural gas.
December 2, 1979 - Electors in Iran voted
overwhelmingly in favour of a new constitution
granting absolute power to Ayatollah Khomeini.
December 3, 1967 - The first successful heart
transplant was performed by Dr. Christiaan
Barnard at Cape Town, South African, on Louis
Washkansky, who lived for 18 days.
December 6, 1865 - The 13th Amendment to the
U.S. Constitution was ratified abolishing slavery,
stating, "Neither slavery nor involuntary
servitude, save as a punishment for crime
whereof the party shall have been duly
convicted, shall exist within the United States, or
any place subject to their jurisdiction."
December 6, 1877 - At his laboratory in West
Orange, New Jersey, Thomas Edison spoke the
children's verse "Mary had a Little Lamb..." while
demonstrating his newly invented phonograph
which utilized a revolving cylinder wrapped in
tinfoil to record sounds.
December 8, 1980 - Former Beatle musician
John Lennon was assassinated in New York City.
December 15, 1964 - Canada adopted a new
national flag featuring a red maple leaf on a
white background. (I am Canadian after all!)
December 15, 1995 - European Union leaders
announced their new currency would be known
as the Euro.
December 16, 1773 - The Boston Tea Party
occurred as colonial activists disguised as
Mohawk Indians boarded British ships anchored
in Boston Harbor and dumped 342 containers of
expensive tea into the water.
SUE'S TRAVEL CORNER
THIS MONTH IN HISTORY: DECEMBER December 20, 1606 - The Virginia Company
expedition to America began as three small ships,
the Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery,
departed London under the command of Captain
Christopher Newport. In May of 1607, the royally
chartered company established the first
permanent English settlement in America at
Jamestown (Virginia).
December 21st - Winter begins in the Northern
Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, today
is the beginning of summer.
December 21, 1846 - Anesthesia was used for the
first time in Britain during an operation at
University College Hospital in London performed
by Robert Liston who amputated the leg of a
servant.
December 23, 1888 - Dutch painter Vincent van
Gogh cut off his left ear during a fit of depression.
December 26, 2004 - An estimated 230,000
persons were killed and 1.5 million left homeless
when a magnitude 9.3 earthquake on the seafloor
of the Indian Ocean set off a series of giant
tsunami waves that smashed into the shorelines
of a dozen countries including Indonesia, Sri
Lanka, Thailand, India and Somalia.
December 27, 1831 - Charles Darwin set out from
Plymouth, England, aboard the ship HMS Beagle
on his five-year global scientific expedition.
Darwin collected fossils and studied plants and
animals, gradually beginning to doubt that many
diverse species of living things had sprung into
existence at one moment (creationism). In 1859,
he published On the Origin of Species by Means of
Natural Selection
December 30, 1922 - The USSR (Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics) was established through the
confederation of Russia, Byelorussia, Ukraine and
the Transcaucasian Federation.
December 31st - New Year's Eve, the final evening
of the Gregorian calendar year, traditionally a
night for merry-making (too bad the evil totalitarian
will cancel it this year). ■
Susan James is the Publisher of
EscapeArtist.com. She graduated Westervelt
College with a diploma in International Travel
and Tourism. Susan is a lifelong entrepreneur
and owns an online travel agency. She has
visited more than 30 countries over the last
40+ years of exploring the globe. You can reach
Susan at publisher@EscapeArtist.com

C A R I B B E A N
citizenship by investment
G E T A S E C O N D P A S S P O R T
Whether investing in real estate, government bonds
or a donation to the country, there is no two ways
about it, for the fastest and cheapest second
passports you have to go to the Caribbean!
C L I C K H E R E
www.EscapeArtist.com/CaribbeanPassports
C O N T A C T U S F O R M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N

Week by week, more destinations are opening
their borders once again. Likely due to the need
for tourism dollars, this trend will continue at an
increasingly rapid pace until the pandemic ends
once and for all.
At this time, however, there are several interesting
destinations that are open, which many have wrongly
assumed to be completely closed.
Indonesia is not accepting tourists in any capacity
right now. But the island of Bali is afforded a certain
level of autonomy, and as such the Balinese
government is currently issuing e-visas for “business”
DIGITAL NOMAD
or “investment” purposes. Rest assured that business
and investment may be interpreted rather loosely.
Indonesia’s 211 e-VISA allows you to stay up to 60
days upon entry, and it may be extended 4 times for
30 days with each extension. The cost is about 8
million Indonesian rupiahs, which is nearly $600 USD.
Each extension costs about 1 million rupiahs, or about
$70 USD. Among the most important details of this
visa is that your passport should be valid at least 18
months, and you should be able to show a bank
statement with at least $10,000 USD.
You probably can’t submit an application without the
TOURISM LOOPHOLES THAT
YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
By: Clint Townsend

assistance of a local agency. There are a number of
hoops which they’ll help you navigate. Keep in mind
that some hotels offer visa packages.
Maybe Asia doesn’t interest you. Perhaps you’re more
interested in a European-style island. But isn’t most of
Europe closed to Americans? Not quite. Lucky for you,
the Autonomous Region of the Azores, a Portuguese
archipelago in the center of the Atlantic Ocean, is open
to tourism.
I visited Sao Miguel (the largest island of the Azores
archipelago) three years ago, and it was simply one of
the most beautiful places I have ever seen, even more
so than my current home in Moorea, French Polynesia.
It’s also relatively cheap, like mainland Portugal.
Entry requirements are quite lax in light of the fact that
passengers are afforded the opportunity to test 72
hours in advance of the origin airport, or you may
simply test on arrival—free of charge! You’ll want to be
aware of a handful of other requirements, which you
may read about here.
Azores airlines services direct flights to the island of
Sao Miguel from both Toronto and Boston. Beware
DIGITAL NOMAD
that it’s not the most luxurious airline, but it will get
you from A to B.
Moreover, I would advise those considering the Azores
to read through Azores Airlines entry procedures, as
the airline has published information about testing that
conflicts with the policy outlined by the Azorean
government. Specifically, Azores Airlines states that you
“must present, before boarding, proof of an RT-PCR
laboratory test to COVID-19 for screening for infection
by SARS-CoV-2, with a negative result, carried out no
more than 72 hours before the flight, otherwise they
will not be allowed to board.” This would seem to
preclude the possibility of testing on arrival, which the
Azorean government explicates as a possibility.
Did you catch that line earlier about my “current home
in Moorea, French Polynesia?” Yes, indeed—I’m here on
a tourist stamp until next month. All tourists are invited
to visit French Polynesia so long as you test negative
for Covid within 72 hours in advance of a flight
segment departing directly to Tahiti.
I have been on the island of Moorea since early
October, and I have enjoyed it. I warn some that
Moorea may be a little too desolate. If I could re-do it, I

would have found an apartment on the more sizable
island of Tahiti. For more about this, catch up on my
article about French Polynesia from last month’s issue.
My next destination—which you may also consider—will
be the recently opened Costa Rica. Conveniently, Costa
Rica has dropped any testing requirement, so this will
make things much easier for me, although I’m not certain
that it’s a best practice from a public health perspective.
Incredibly, my flight from Tahiti to San Jose, Costa Rica
only cost me $353 through United. And I’ve negotiated an
apartment for $800 per month. Cheap enough!
There are many more countries that are now open, but
these are just a few that are less-publicized. Americans
looking to escape to safer shores for a short stint might
consider some of these destinations during these
troublesome times. I’ve certainly been safer and have
enjoyed life a lot more during my months in Aruba and
now Polynesia than if I had resigned to riding out this
pandemic era from the United States. ■
DIGITAL NOMAD
Clint Townsend is a rootless
cosmopolitan and citizen of Earth who
looks forward to a future without
borders and government as we know
it. As a solopreneur, he runs a
boutique digital marketing and web
design agency, and he loves working
with companies and projects that
advance a freer world. Follow Clint on
Twitter @RovingClint

Uncertainty and volatility
Last month, as this magazine was delivered to your
inbox, we were just a couple days away from the U.S.
Presidential Election. For weeks afterward, ballots
were still being counted… and contested. The United
States – and the world – stood by and watched and
waited.
And the winner is…
How’d we do?
If you recall, last month, I suggested that no matter who
became the next president, gold would do just fine. After
all, both candidates have a history of spending too much
money that doesn’t exist until printed. They just spend it
on different things.
So, I laid out the case for gold appreciation going
forward due to…
AND THE WINNER IS...
B Y R I C H C H E C K A N
PRECIOUS METALS
Stimulus and U.S. dollar debasement
Artificially low interest rates
Sentiment and trends
Post-election, gold rallied. Then, it gave back all the
gains later in the week. And, it continued to trade in
range.
No surprises here.
In fact, the only real surprise was the announcement
that Pfizer had a 90% success rate in Covid-19 vaccine
trials. That gave a much-needed boost to the ailing
stock market… for a while.
Short-term, gold performed as predicted. Long-term, I
fully expect it to perform as predicted for all the
reasons I laid out last month.
Enough Election Talk!
I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard and seen enough.

One way or the other, let’s move on.
Instead, let’s take a look back at 2020, and see which
markets were the big winners…
#1 Bitcoin… UP 126.4%
#2 Silver… UP 38.7%
#3 NASDAQ… UP 31.3%
#4 Gold… UP 24.4%
#5 Palladium… UP 22.2%
As a precious metals owner and dealer, I’m pretty happy
having precious metals account for 60% of the top five. I’m
especially pleased, since we are just getting started in the
early stages of a bull market.
Of course, the entire Top 5 benefited from two factors this
past year… the ongoing pandemic and the falling U.S.
dollar. Millennials (and others) flew to the perceived safety
of their “gold” A.K.A. Bitcoin. Despite the potential for
volatility, it has rewarded them well.
Hopefully, they are astute enough to take some money off
the table periodically.
The NASDAQ had a two-fold benefit from the pandemic
and the government mandated shutdowns that followed…
and are still in place today. Technology companies are
involved in the race to find a cure. But, the sector also
provided the necessary platforms for virtual, business,
learning, and societal interaction. And, a weaker dollar
makes all share prices look more attractive than they
really are.
Precious Metals
I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating. The bull
market in precious metals started long before Covid-19
appeared on the scene.
We hit our bottom in December 2015. We consolidated
for the eventual breakout for the next couple years.
Gold broke out with a vengeance in May of 2019.
Covid-19 was simply a case of kerosene being liberally
applied to an already raging fire. It accelerated the
time needed for gold to reach a new all-time high of
$2,075 per ounce earlier this year, but it did not cause
the bull market. It simply sped it up for a while.
And, since gold is a strong leader, silver, palladium,
and platinum followed gold higher.
To me, the biggest driver of precious metal success is
the weakening U.S. dollar. A 3.76% loss in a year does
not seem like much, but anything below 95 on the USD
Index suggests weakness. A little over a year ago, the
USD Index traded at 104. Today, it is struggling to
reach up to 93.
That’s significant for the world’s reserve currency.
Make no mistake.
What’s Next?
That’s a good question, and I plan on tackling that next
month as we bring in 2021 with a forecast for precious
PRECIOUS METALS
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administrative, sales, and
marketing departments, as
well as serving as ASI’s Compliance Officer. ASI's
mission is: "Keep What's Yours" and is
accomplished through carefully designed wealth
strategies accessible to all. To contact Rich via
email: RichCheckan@EscapeArtist.com
metals in the new year. I’ll be sharing with you
my predictions for what I expect to see from gold
and silver in the new year. I will also identify the
key factors to focus upon to Keep What’s Yours!
Who knows? By then, we might have declared a
winner in our presidential election. Let’s hope!
Until then, all of us at Asset Strategies
International wish you and yours a wonderful,
healthy, and happy Holiday Season!
Remember, in the end, what happens in the
White House is so much less important than what
happens in Your House!
Be the shining example for your family. Treat
your friends and enemies with respect. And,
follow the Golden Rules…
1/ Do unto others as you would have done unto
you.
2/ He who has the gold makes the rules. ■
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THE PEOPLE STILL
STRUGGLE FOR A
GENUINE POLITICAL
“REALIGNMENT”
Half a century ago one particular day, I ignorantly
behaved as did the great majority of Americans
who recently voted in our national election.
I was outside in the playground area during the lunch
hour at St. Patrick’s grammar school in my hometown
of Binghamton, New York. A two-sided ruckus and
shouting match had broken out involving a number of
my friends.
Going over with another classmate to check things out,
there were basically two groups yelling names at each
other. “Ali!!” said one group to the other. “Frazier!!”
retorted the other.
Since a couple of my closer chums were in the “Frazier
camp,” I joined in. “Frazier!!” I yelled as loud as I could.
It didn’t matter that I had little idea of who either
fighter was.
I later understood that it was largely parents’ very
polarized taking of sides in what was then billed “The
Fight of the Century” that had rubbed off on my
classmates (and me). An array of political and social
issues were wrapped up in the looming context
between these two boxers. In the end, both men put
on a sporting performance for the ages; the single-
greatest sporting event he had ever seen, said the late
sports columnist Pete Axthelm (who later amended that
when an “even greater” performance—Secretariat’s record-
shattering and other-worldly victory in 1973’s Belmont
Stakes—supplanted the Ali-Frazier fight).
We’ve all just been treated to a modern-day and allegedly
“adult” version of that school yard shouting match.
“TRUMP!!” shouted roughly half the country; at least the half
that voted. “Never Trump!!” shouted roughly the other half
of voters. Most of that latter contingent, of course, didn’t
have the excitement or interest to yell “Biden!!” in support of
a candidate who engendered as much excitement as
happened in 1996, when the Republicans nominated a half-
dead man to oppose a weakened president running for re-
election.
POLITICS
By: Chris Temple

Of course, for the majority of those who voted either for
or against President Trump, the decision was little more
informed than was my yelling of “Frazier!!” nearly 50
years ago. In part due to the very flawed Orange
Wonder himself, it came down to a personality contest;
and one skewed by an Establishment media which
loathed him.
One unfortunate fact that 2020’s election season
evidenced, in my view, is that the issues that Candidate
Trump ran on in 2015-2016 have become either
“discredited” (by that same Establishment) or have been
turned upon by The Orange Wonder himself. I’ll be
discussing a few of them. Instead, this recent “choice”
came down to whether one was a Trump sycophant
who blindly believed that this “God-appointed” man was
the second coming of Jesus and George Washington
rolled into one, or instead had Trump Derangement
Syndrome and would hate the Bad Orange Golem
whatever he did.
HOW AND WHY DID TRUMP GET ELECTED?
Americans have been waking up bit by bit to the fact
that the two-party duopoly that “runs” this country on
behalf of the real powers behind the scenes is not their
friend. Not since Ross Perot in the 1990’s—a curious
man who created and then single-handedly destroyed the
most viable third party effort since George Wallace in
1968—had the country been given (Freudian slip
there??) the opportunity to vote en masse for a REAL
“outsider.”
Suddenly with the brash serial bankrupt and reality T.V.
host Donald Trump, America seemingly had the chance
to vote for an outsider… a disruptor… who had managed
to position himself within that two-party system. And he
articulated issues that have resonated for years but had
never previously come together—or seemingly so—in
any one candidate: Economic populism, “America First”,
controlled borders, whittling the Military-Industrial
Complex back down, ending foreign entanglements,
freeing free enterprise from excessive regulation and
the rest.
For those who truly understand such issues, 2016’s vote
seemed a no-brainer. Trump’s opponent Hillary Clinton
was and is 100% owned by the Establishment. At least
with Trump—despite his never having been “house
broken” politically, as I liked to say—there was some
chance of policies that actually would help Middle
America and the country overall.
And enough people agreed that Donald J. Trump
became the nation’s 45th president.
That Trump apparently lost a narrow race for re-
election at least demonstrates that many of the
issues he raised and initially campaigned on still
resonate. The media had its thumb on the scales
against him far more earnestly than it did in 2016;
obviously favoring Biden over Trump at every turn
because it can. (Example: Trump was impeached for
unfounded rumors over using money as leverage
against Ukraine. Meanwhile, Joe Biden is on video
personally bragging about holding up aid—loan
POLITICS

DOWNLOADDOWNLOAD FREEFREE
guarantees—to Ukraine until the government fired a
prosecutor whose investigations could have
implicated his son and him. But nothing to see there
according to The Fourth Estate!)
In the end, Donald Trump was insufficient to the
monumental task he took on. For all his claims and
bluster otherwise, “The Swamp” remained what it
truly is and has been since the last president to take
it on met his untimely end in 1963: a federally-
protected wetland where you simply DON’T disrupt
things. And I will also opine here that The Donald
largely did himself in this time around, in a race he
still could have won despite the Establishment media
and Deep State array against him.
WHERE TO NOW?
It falls to us now to keep important principles
alive while—at the same time—bringing all our
political and societal discussions back to those
issues themselves and away from the persona of
Trump. For some, this might include working with
what little is good in one or both of the Establishment
parties. For others, this will mean doubling down on
their favorite third party, be it Libertarian (unlike my
support for candidate Trump in 2016, this go-round I
was compelled to support Jo Jorgensen), Green or
otherwise.
For the Democrat Party, an enema is deserved…and
may be in store. The much-predicted “Blue Wave”
never showed up. Of all things, the G.O.P. won a
number of House races; nobody predicted that. And
before Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are even sworn
in, true progressives within and now outside of the
Corporate Democrat party are attempting to warn all
the rest of us that we have been “had” once more.
The Democrat Party giving its campaigning over to
POLITICS
virtue-signaling Hollywood sorts and looters/rioters in
major cities were BAD moves politically and nearly cost
them the White House. It cost them in a number of state-level
contests as well; and that will give the Republicans an even
bigger redistricting advantage than they had already.
I for one am thoroughly enjoying the civil war breaking out
anew already within the Democrat Party, with a President
Joe Biden set to govern as every bit the Establishment
centrist as were the last two presidents that true
progressives put their chips on.
For the Republicans, it is going to be gut check time.
The Establishment and chattering classes are brow beating

the party to throw off anything to do with Donald Trump.
Yet among other things, the recent election
demonstrates that many of the issues championed by the
outgoing president resonate with the majority of
Americans even if the man himself was woefully and
sadly inadequate for the job.
The present time is not the first by any means in
American history where the major parties underwent
major change/realignments. Love him or loathe him,
Trump has done a lot to regain the middle class for the
G.O.P. Surprisingly, he has also revealed the shallowness
and smugness of the Democrat Party’s “ownership” of
minority voters; he won a reported third of Hispanic
votes and tripled the pitiful 2012 showing of then-
Republican standard bearer, corporate raider and fellow
grifter Mitt Romney among black voters.
The G.O.P. will be making a horrible mistake if it
throws out “Trumpism” with the flawed man himself.
The Democrat Party has more than ever revealed itself
as the condescending, wine-and-cheese crowd. It is the
elite; and an elite that knows what is best for you.
Republicans and all of us must keep the core issues of
limited government... a Jeffersonian foreign policy... REAL
free enterprise and populism... and the rest alive!
POLITICS
Whether that is done via one of the two “major” parties
or elsewhere is your own decision. And despite the
encouraging signs of the G.O.P.’s nascent
transformation, we must remain skeptical. Institutionally,
it’s still a rigged game.
Whether that is done via one of the two “major” parties
or elsewhere is your own decision. And despite the
encouraging signs of the G.O.P.’s nascent transformation, we
must remain skeptical. Institutionally, it’s still a rigged
game.
As for me, I’ll work with anybody of good will on
issues. Depending on the issues, that has covered the
gamut over time. To the horror of my conservative
friends, that has in the past involved my being shoulder-
to-shoulder with progressives and the A.C.L.U.
Sometimes, I have been (ignorantly) judged to the right
of Hitler. As I say in making investment-related decisions,
“I call ‘em as I see ‘em” in this context, too!
A GAME PLAN GOING FORWARD: WHAT ARE THE
ISSUES?
Dumbed-down as the American public has indeed ever
more become in my life time, I submit that many millions
of your friends, neighbors and fellow citizens retain
enough functioning of their gray matter to be re-engaged
in issues anew, once a new administration is in power

and Trump is no longer around to have every ill of
society blamed on him.
This will involve those of you who are better and more
honestly informed than the rest to roll up your sleeves
and engage in some proactive, retail and (usually local)
politics. I spoke to this a great deal back in June when
Mikkel had me kick off the week-long Offshore Escape
Summit; a collection of themes and an action plan to
take back our lives from all the two-party duopoly,
Establishment, etc. represents. If you missed that—and
the entire conference, for that matter!—never fear;
it’s available at Offshore Escape 2020
Genuine economic populism—which in truth has more
to do with libertarian philosophies and free enterprise
than even the average libertarian understands—needs
to be championed anew. Once again we have seen
governmental responses to a “crisis” end up the same
way they always do: the rich get richer, the poor get
poorer and government is ever more powerful.
The self-imposed economic debacle allegedly to “protect”
the public from the ravages of a Plannedemic have cost
many lives and small businesses. Millions remain
unemployed. And plans remain underway championed
by President Trump to “distribute” with the help of the
military a vaccine which on its face is a logistical and
scientific absurdity. (It saddens me to see so many
friends and relatives who are rah-rah for Trump overlook
this, when they know better!)
We must learn to embrace economic populism and urge
it on to both Democrats and Republicans. While
President Trump indeed did do some good things to
further these causes, it was not what had been
advertised. Indeed, his trade and economic approaches
were very much still pro-corporate as president; rather
than truly populist, the kind of mercantilism that hadn’t
POLITICS
been U.S. policy for several decades.
We must not let Trump’s false advertising of sorts take
our eye off this prize. After all—though they come at it
from very flawed backgrounds—we have more common
cause than we realize with “leftists”, who, even before
many of us, had seen Corporate America for what it is.
To me, perhaps the biggest subject of them all to be
seriously discussed is foreign policy and “America’s
role” in the world. On this subject, the soon-to-be-
outgoing president proved to be a major
disappointment; far from whittling the military of the
American Empire back down to size and getting us out of
various foreign entanglements, he was primarily just talk.
Indeed, it was especially bitterly disappointing to yours
truly after Candidate Trump properly railed against
N.A.T.O.’s very continued existence to watch as President
Trump sought to make it bigger and more bloated than
ever; only, with our “allies” finally ponying up more money.
Of all the asinine things, he suggested that Brazil be
brought in as a member. And last but not least—and
contrary to the Deep State nonsense and brickbats
against him of the whole “Russiagate” hoax—Trump has
supported the further buildup of weapons on and

around Russia’s borders (a move that a President Biden
will doubtless carry forward further).
That President Trump can brag of record military
expenditures is the single-biggest reason why I could
not support him as I did in 2016.
A President Biden will take things back to business as
usual, as those behind the scenes pulling his strings and
those of the various appendages of American
Imperialism and hegemony over the world seek to
regroup and reclaim what (in the end, fairly small) part
of the agenda they were sidetracked on by Trump.
Already Biden is being attacked by the left and key
progressive publications and voices, I am happy to
say. The foreign policy and “defense” team that brought
us disasters in Syria, Yemen, Libya, Iraq, Ukraine and
elsewhere are already being sprinkled into the forming
Biden team.
A horrid disappointment on accomplishing much on this
subject though he was, at least President Trump put
Washington’s and Jefferson’s principles back in the
public square in his desire to get America out of
entangling foreign alliances, etc. Now, we must call out
the Deep State assets Biden and Harris as they go back
to business as usual on behalf of their
handlers/enablers; and require that our friends who
voted for the more “presidential” Biden also OWN the
death and mayhem his crew will cause or acquiesce to
now.
In short, I believe that the opportunity is ripe to
“convert” even more people and rescue them from the
mind control and their own inherent contradictions all
brought about by their continued but shaky faith in the
two-party system. Flawed though he was and is, Trump
did some good in—if nothing else—showing how much
millions of people no longer trust “the system” as was
so eloquently explained recently by Fox News’ Tucker
Carlson.
The Trump presidency indeed was an indictment of
America’s ruling class. People who are good will focus
on the basic important issues, we must now prove that
HE was not a historic aberration… but that the effort to
“Drain the Swamp” has only just begun. ■
Chris Temple has been in the financial
services and investment world for over 40
years. He is the Founder and Editor of
The National Investor, and has
distinguished himself as one of the most
accurate forecasters and 'macro' voices
out there, and a world-class stock picker!
POLITICS
To learn more about Chris's work we invite you to
check out his newsletter now syndicated by Escape
Artist - click here for more information

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HOW SECURE ARE MESSAGING APPS?
BY PAUL ROSENBERG
Is the code open source? That is, can people see
it all and check it all for nefarious functions? Bear
in mind that open source doesn't fix anything
unless the code is actually reviewed, and it often
is not. Still, the fact that it is open matters.
How centralized are the systems? If they are, one
corrupt or coerced person can trash your
Lots of people have turned to “secure” messaging
apps to protect their privacy. But do these apps
really protect? Today we’ll take a good look at
them.
In particular, we’ll be looking at several key factors:
How the systems get their money. How that
happens tells us the really crucial things. After all,
software developers and programmers need to build
and maintain these systems, the executives want to
be well-paid, and their investors expect to get
serious returns. That money has to come from
somewhere, and if the users don’t carry the load
something else must.
privacy.
Today we’ll be looking at some of the most common and
useful applications: Jitsi, WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram
and a couple of others.
DIGITAL PRIVACY

FIRST THINGS FIRST
Before we get into details on the messaging apps, we
should remember that they all run over
smartphones. And, I’m sorry to say, those phones are
insecure. Not only do they always give away your
precise location and rivers of data (“free” apps aren’t
really free), but hacking smartphones is quite doable.
We’ve known since 2017 that the CIA has been able
to take over smartphones, whether iPhone or
Android. Wikileaks distributed the details of this in
their Vault 7 release. Apple and others say that
they’ve fixed the vulnerabilities, and perhaps they
have… but I can’t verify that.
DIGITAL PRIVACY
That said, we will continue.
THE APPS
JITSI
Jitsi is an easy-to-use video, voice and chat client, more
or less a replacement for Skype. And it is far better than
Skype, which is owned by Microsoft, who has patents on
spyware for Skype.
Jitsi features open source, end-to-end encryption, but
isn’t terribly decentralized.
Jitsi gets money from donations, and seemingly some
from advertising, but they say they won’t sell your
online information (though they carefully differentiate it
from offline information). They also seem to be quite
friendly with Google, which is a very bad thing, IMO.
So, Jitsi certainly works well, and has millions of users,
but I don’t think it can be considered terribly secure.
WHATSAPP
WhatsApp is owned by Facebook, so we can almost end
the privacy discussion right there, but we’ll continue
nonetheless.
WhatsApp is not open source and is not decentralized.
Its encryption is end-to-end in regular use, but when
backing up it runs, unencrypted, through Google’s
systems.
So, while it functions well, WhatsApp has to be rejected
on grounds of security.
TELEGRAM
Telegram is thought of as one of the better systems,
having mainly open source code and end-to-end
encryption. That said, Telegram’s encryption, I am told,
So, if the CIA (or whomever) takes over your phone,
they can see you typing in your passwords, etc.,
blowing right past any security features. The question
then becomes, “Would they do that to me?”
On one hand, you’d like to believe that no one would
care enough about you, but on the other, it’s obvious
that they do: Facebook and Google wouldn’t be
employing armies of engineers and running giant data
centers if they didn’t care about quiet people like you.

uses “secret sauce” code, which is not good. Still
worse, a German news site is reporting that Telegram
messages are stored, unencrypted, on a central
server.
Telegram is financed by a wealthy donor, but has not
been audited. As a result, the long-term security of
the company rests mainly on one man… which can be
very good or very bad.
So, Telegram is clearly better than WhatsApp, but may
or may not be terribly secure. And if the message
storage report is true, that situation is still worse.
SIGNAL
Signal is similar to Telegram in that security conscious
people prefer it to other systems. Like Telegram it is
centralized and funded, mainly, by a single individual.
(And I am not trying to besmirch these individuals, I
only object to the centralization aspect of it.)
Signal is mainly open source, which is good, and is
audited, which is good.
So, among those we’ve covered thus far, this is
probably the best.
Paul Rosenberg has been deeply engaged
with cryptography and cryptography-based
projects since the first cypherpunk era. He
wrote the first protocols for law in
cyberspace, co-authored a foundational
paper on private digital economies, and co-
founded the Cryptohippie Anonymous VPN.
He wrote the highly influential book A Lodging of Wayfaring Men,
as well as Production Versus Plunder.
Escape Artist is thrilled to be able to offer our subscribers access to
Paul Rosenberg’s Free-Man’s Perspective/Parallel Society
Newsletter – this publication is a personal favourite of Mikkel
Thorup, Director of Escape Artist.
DIGITAL PRIVACY
XMPP/OMEMO
The secure messaging that the most serious people
use is the XMPP chat protocol with OMEMO
encryption. If you’ve ever used Jabber with OTR, this is
the newer implementation.
XMPP uses a federalized rather than centralized
design, the source code is open, and the end-to-end
encryption (essentially the same as Signal’s) is real.
There are two easy-to-use systems running these
protocols together:
Conversations, for Android.
Psy+, for Windows, Mac and Linux.
There are many implementations of these protocols
and a full feature set, including voice and video calls.
Both systems seem to rely upon donations.
If you’re going to use messaging, I recommend that
you use these… and donate to them. ■

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HOW DO OUR ‘FREEST COUNTRIES’ FARE
WITH THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS
In September and October, I looked at the 12 Freest
Countries in the world. I had certain criteria that I
used to determine my findings. In our November
issue, I then took these same 12 countries to
determine how they handled Covid-19 and see, were
they still free?
For this issue of Insiders Magazine, my first article was on
the top 10 countries in the world for gun laws and gun
control. 4 of the 12 freest countries made it onto this list;
but 8 did not. Below you will see how the countries that
didn’t make it deal with ‘the right to bear arms’.
NEW ZEALAND
In New Zealand, there is a may-issue protocol for both
long guns and handguns but in practice, this works on
a shall-issue basis. You won’t need a good reason for
purchasing a long gun, but you might for handguns.
Unfortunately, you can’t own a gun on the grounds of
personal protection, you can’t open carry or concealed
carry, and you’re not allowed fully automatic firearms,
unlimited magazines. You will be subject to checks and
you’ll need to register your firearms. The maximum
penalty for breaking these rules is 10 years.
LUXEMBOURG
In Luxemburg, you’ll need to have a permit issued
personally by the Minister of Justice if you want to
purchase, possess or use a gun. You’ll need a good
reason when applying, such as hunting, sport shooting,
DIRECTOR'S THOUGHTS
By: Mikkel Thorup

ABOVE: Summer sunset over the famous Kirkjufellsfoss
Waterfall with Kirkjufell mountain, Iceland
DIRECTOR'S THOUGHTS
MALTA
In Malta, there is, fortunately, a shall-issue protocol for
both long guns and handguns. However, you’ll need a
good reason for purchasing a gun, such as target
shooting or collection purposes, and you’ll need to be a
member of an organization to prove this. Unfortunately,
you can’t own a gun on the grounds of personal
protection, you can’t open carry or concealed carry, and
you’re not allowed fully automatic firearms unless they
date back to before 1946. You will be subject to checks
and you’ll need to register your firearms.
PORTUGAL
Portugal there is a may-issue protocol for both long guns
and handguns. You’ll need a good reason for purchasing
any sort of gun in Portugal, such as hunting or target
shooting. There are very strict regulations enforced here
and only with special authorization will you be allowed to
possess a gun. Luckily, you can own a gun on the
grounds of personal protection and security. However,
you’re not allowed fully automatic firearms or unlimited
magazines. You will be subject to checks – these include
a background check on your criminal history and mental
health – and you’ll need to register your firearms. The
maximum penalty for breaking these rules is 5 years.
CYPRUS
In Cyprus there is a may-issue protocol for shotguns only
– handguns won’t be issued. You’ll need a good reason
for purchasing a shotgun, such as hunting, but the good
news is that you can use your shotgun for personal
protection purposes. Although restricted, you may be
issued for open carry purposes, but you won’t be for
concealed carry, and you’re not allowed fully automatic
firearms, unlimited magazines. You will be subject to
checks and you’ll need to register your firearms.
SWEDEN
In Sweden, there is a shall-issue protocol for both long
collection and even just inheriting a firearm, for which
you’ll need a permit even if you don’t even want to use
the gun. Be aware that self-defence doesn’t count as a
good enough reason to have a gun in Luxembourg.
IRELAND
In Ireland there is a may-issue protocol for long guns but
not for handguns. You’ll need a good reason for
purchasing any firearm. Unfortunately, you can’t own a
gun on the grounds of personal protection, you can’t
open carry or concealed carry, and you’re not allowed
fully automatic firearms, unlimited magazines. You will
be subject to checks and you’ll need to register your
firearms.
ICELAND
In Iceland, there is a may-issue protocol for long guns
and luckily handguns shall be issued. You’ll need a good
reason for purchasing a gun, with hunting being the
most common justification. Unfortunately, you can’t own
a gun on the grounds of personal protection, you can’t
open carry or concealed carry, and you’re not allowed
fully automatic firearms, unlimited magazines. You will
be subject to checks and you’ll need to register your
firearms. The maximum penalty for breaking these rules
is 4 years.

Shall Issue means that as long as you pass basic requirements set out by
state law, the issuing authority (county sheriff, police department, etc.) shall
issue you a permit.
May Issue means that you must pass basic requirements and the issuing
authority may issue you a permit. ■
guns and handguns. You’ll need a good reason for purchasing a gun, such
as sport shooting or hunting. Unfortunately, you can’t own a gun on the
grounds of personal protection unless you can prove a threat to life, and
you can’t open carry or concealed carry. The only fully automatic firearm
you’re allowed is the K-pist m/45 but you are allowed unlimited magazines.
You will be subject to checks and you’ll need to register your firearms.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Well, there you have it, 8 of our 12 freest countries regulations on firearms.
I’m pretty sure all Americans understand the terms shall-issue, may-issue,
but for those that don’t, both terms refer to what kind of restrictive
measures are available to the issuing authority. Are you able to get your
license by virtue of passing the few basic requirements such as age,
training, photos, and fee? Or is the process more difficult because you
must satisfy the issuing authority’s request for a detailed explanation as to
why you need to carry concealed?
Here is the definition between the two terms just in case:
DIRECTOR'S THOUGHTS
Mikkel Thorup is the Director at
EscapeArtist.com the oldest and largest
offshore website in the world and
hosts The Expat Money Show podcast. He
is also the author of #1 Best-Selling
book Expat Secrets on Amazon.
Mikkel has spent over 20 years in continual travel around
the world, visiting more than 100 countries including
Colombia, North Korea, Zimbabwe, and Iran.
His goal is to help people just like you to generate additional
streams of income, legally eliminate your tax bill, and take
advantage of offshore structures so you can travel the world
freely and never have to worry about money again. Follow
Mikkel Thorup on Twitter @ThorupMikkel

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BITCOIN, A BEACON
OF FREEDOM
History repeats itself. Although the world is in major
global unrest, it is also true that there is “nothing
new under the sun” - regimes change, power
structures shift, and the fourth turning is upon us.
It is indisputable that some make it out on top
throughout each time of contention while others lose
everything. With technology at our fingertips, information
is available and those who take the time to learn can set
themselves up to make it out of the coming crises,
prosperous.
Many have heard about bitcoin and its parabolic increase
in price yet don’t understand its full value proposition
because one must shift their paradigm to understand.
Technology has allowed for complex concepts to be
implemented via software code. In the case of bitcoin, the
“good or service” being disrupted is money or the
transfer of value. With peer to peer exchange being the
ultimate goal of bitcoin, you are seeing technology that
effectively cuts out middle-men while allowing unbanked
individuals access to participate in the global economy.
The bitcoin network can be accessed with just a
cellphone and a WiFi signal, it is not tied to a single
country's economy, there is an undisputable limited
supply, and you don’t have to purchase a full bitcoin.
One “satoshi” is the smallest unit of measure and goes
to 8 decimal places (0.00000001).
BITCOIN’S HISTORY
As a decentralized, cryptographic digital currency,
bitcoin is an invention made from decades of
cryptographers working on creating money for
transacting purely online. Since nearly the inception of
BITCOIN
By: Eryka Gemma
The government can move in at any moment however
they can’t censor, devalue, or steal math

the internet (an example of a paradigm
shift), the concept of secure digital value
transfer has been worked on by software
developers globally. In Oct 2008, Bitcoin’s
white paper was released, and in January
2009, Bitcoin’s first block was mined
citing the Times front-page headline
“Chancellor on brink of second bailout for
banks.” It is clear that bitcoin was created
because the people need a better form of
money, unmanipulatable by central
banksters.
With no central authority, bitcoin was
initially “mined” by tech enthusiasts using
PC power and given away for free on
internet faucets. Fast forward to today
and there are hundreds of thousands of
computers around the world dedicating
their power to “mining” new bitcoins and
upholding the integrity of the system. 1
bitcoin is worth $18,774 with a total
market cap of roughly $300 billion. This
cap is smaller than many publicly traded
companies meaning - you’re still early. In
its growth phase, bitcoin has performed
like a tech stock. In its mature phase, we
will see it behave more like a store of
value. If you understand Austrian
economics, there is no such thing as
intrinsic value, value is subjective. In the
case of bitcoin, its value is being realized
as the stability of economies is
threatened, and as people understand its
position as digital gold. Thus far, in 2020,
Bitcoin has heavily outperformed every
other asset class and its non-sovereign
nature has proven it completely
uncorrelated to the dollar.
BITCOIN
Why the rapid price increase during a year of unrest and record
unemployment? Even over proven stores of value like gold? Below are
a few traits of bitcoin to make clear:
Bitcoin is Digital Gold. It is not issued by governments and it is limited
in supply. Unlike gold, the exact quantity in circulation, digital location,
and rate by which new bitcoins enter the system can be measured.
Bitcoin cannot be confiscated. There is no back door to access your
funds. As long as you know your “seed phrase” you can move freely
with your wealth intact - a virtual possibility that is physically
impossible with gold or cash. It is the separation of money and state.
Bitcoin has a limited supply, there will only ever be 21million bitcoin.
In order to be “good money” an asset must be: fungible, non-
consumable, portable, durable, highly divisible, secure, easy to
transact, scarce, and widely accepted. Bitcoin is the highest rated
among many of these traits. It is sound monetary principles written
into software code. It is a free market in global money.
Bitcoin is a peaceful exit from the current financial system. Economic
problems are magnified due to arbitrary monetary policy decisions
made by flawed humans. Bitcoin is software code; its incorruptible,
open-source nature makes it impossible to make changes to the
currencies underlying Austrian economics.
Bitcoin is transparent. We no longer have to trust, we can verify where
and how funds are moving in real-time by monitoring the blockchain.
THE VALUE PROPOSITION

No country is immune to hyperinflation and social
unrest. There is currently a zero percent reserve rate
requirement for US banks, the federal reserve
balance sheet has expanded by 75+% in 2020 and
with significant distrust in the political process,
individuals have become mindful of where their
value is stored. Although bitcoin is not widely used
for transactions in the United States, citizens from
countries like Venezuela and Zimbabwe utilize it for
survival.
Bitcoin is an option, and people will pay for options,
especially those which allow you to be your own
Swiss bank account.
Bitcoin is decentralized, making it infinitely more
secure than even bank-grade security. At its current
hash rate, it is mathematically impossible to
unilaterally influence the system in a negative way.
Bitcoin is Censorship-Resistant, meaning nobody
can shut you out of participating. Imagine what
confidence this provides for innocent humans living
in sanctioned countries. Imagine what assurance
this provides for liberty-minded individuals who
challenge the mainstream narrative and have been
censored by the financial system because of it.
Bitcoin is math. In a technological age, our archaic
banking system is due for an upgrade. Simply put,
bitcoin is an online ledger whose accounting is done
by computers running math problems - eliminating
human error. Anyone with a bit of research can
dedicate computing power to securing the network.
All other asset classes are denominated in fiat. The
issue we face today is that fiat has lost significant
purchasing power since we removed ourselves
from the gold standard.
In the same way that the internet changed the
distribution and flow of information, bitcoin will change
money and value. Digital currencies were made for
such a time as this, a safe haven for those who
appreciate personal responsibility and take the time to
learn how to preserve their wealth for future
generations. Paradigm shifts create prosperity. If 2020
hasn’t shifted enough of your life, the next coming
months will not disappoint in proving the importance
of diversification.
For more information on how to safely buy bitcoin,
please visit me at bankoferyka.com where I have
helped hundreds of people become their own bank by
owning bitcoin. Setup a free 20-minute strategy session
with me to assess your needs for exposure to the best
performing asset class in the past five years. ■
BITCOIN
Eryka Gemma is a public speaker, event
host and community leader focused on
developing Miami's tech scene. As CEO of
the Blockchain Center Miami she aims to
create opportunities through education
and awareness, supporting those who want
to get involved in decentralized
technologies.
For a FREE 15-min consultation call on how
to get started with bitcoin reach out to
Eryka at ErykaGemma@EscapeArtist.com
OFFSHORE ESCAPE 2020
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27 Experts reveal how ANYONE can
move overseas, legally slash their tax bill,
build generational wealth, get a second
passport AND regain true freedom by
going offshore in 2020 and beyond!

Escape Artist Insiders magazine - December 2020 - Featuring Luigi Wewege

Escape Artist Insiders magazine - December 2020 - Featuring Luigi Wewege

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