Reporting from: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam There’s a notion in the western world that “transparency” - a word largely co-opted by western governments to prove their superiority to...
Are Taxes the Price We Pay for Civilization?
Last updated October 15, 2020 Dateline: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam US Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. claimed: “Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized...
Shadow statistics: why government statistics are lies
Reporting from: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam The idea of a census has been around for thousands of years. The Babylonians are believed to have taken the first government census over...
Thank You for Smoking: A Vietnam Smoking Ban No One Follows
Reporting from: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam This past Saturday night, the scene was dizzying. The taxi driver here in Ho Chi Minh City didn’t know where the relaxed, chill “Skybar”...
Nationalism made them slaves in life… and death
Reporting from: Hue, Vietnam The Citadel here in Hue is the central part of the city, and the basis from which the rest of the city grew. As the capital city of Vietnam’s Nguyen...
The Hanoi Hilton: why you shouldn’t trust a surveillance state
Reporting from: Ha Noi, Vietnam Some people are willing to forgive anything the government does. While I tend to avoid engaging with a lot of tourists while I travel, I happened...
Is this third-world country the best example of voluntarism?
Reporting from: Ha Noi, Vietnam I almost got killed today. Actually, I almost got killed a lot of times. If I had to guess, I'd say it was close to 87. Truth is, I lost count...
Vietnam’s entry tax is a more honest tourist tax
Reporting from: Ha Noi, Vietnam I arrived in Vietnam from Hong Kong on Saturday night, just missing the beer fest that seems to take over the central city's bustling Lan Kwai...
It’s Time for a New Declaration of Independence | Freedom
Reporting from: An undisclosed location in The Land of the Free 237 years ago, fifty members of the Continental Congress ratified their shot over the bow; a declaration of...
“You’re dead to me”, Love, the United States Government
In 1851, American physician Samuel Cartwright dreamt up a racist bit of psychology to explain why black slaves were fleeing the plantation. Drapetomania, as he called it, was...
Big Government is Your New Mommy – Here’s Your Escape
If you had involved parents like mine, you know how difficult it was to get some of the stuff you wanted as a kid. Growing up, kids tend to figure out which parent will give them...
A surveillance state spies on more than phone calls
If you're just becoming disturbed by the National Security Agency listening to your phone calls, you're in for quite a shock. The gravity of news about the "Security" statists in...
All propaganda is equal, but some propaganda is more equal than others
I pre-recorded some radio interviews today so I'd have time to meet with a top business contact of mine who's meeting me this weekend to discuss some exciting projects for Nomad...
Does the Government Believe the World is Flat?
Dr. Who once said, “The very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common. Instead of altering their views to fit the facts, they alter the facts to fit their views......
“Terrorism” is a Tyrant’s Favorite Safe Word: Here’s Why
Terrorism has long been a buzzword for corrupt governments. In 63 BC, Romans took control of Syria following the Third Mithridatic War. That same year, they sacked Jerusalem and...
The psychology of jingoism and expatriation
Let's do a little psychological analysis today. Ever since arriving back on US soil a month ago for my two-month hiatus from traveling, I've been writing what seems constantly...
“American Exceptionalism” and other lies about economic freedom
I talk a lot about how silly I find the concept of "American Exceptionalism". The idea that one country is inherently superior to any other is an odd and disturbing concept to...
Be careful what you wish for in the court system
Reporting from: Phoenix, Arizona It's been a circus here in Phoenix lately. Now-convicted murderer Jodi Arias has been the talk of the town as pundits pushed for her conviction....
When your country isn’t worth fighting for
I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio - a city that hasn't won a professional sports championship since 1964. Oddly enough, ever since I was a kid, people there have been bemoaning that...
Forecasting trends from around the world
When people find out how frequently I travel and the list of places I’ve been in and out of, they often ask me what trends I see around the world that I believe will take hold....
