SOVEREIGN INDIVIDUALS & FEAR

Saber rattling against North Korea. Neo-Nazis threaten social order. Ongoing threats against China and Russia. Lingering financial threats. Recent threats by Donald Trump. Past threats of I.S. and refugees. Fear, fear, fear, and more fear. 

Meanwhile, the real threats against your assets and lifestyle are ignored. 

Once upon a time, common sense and respect for others meant living side-by-side by simple, sound rules. It meant respect for those that worked hard for what they earned, for those in authority, and even for elders. These were reliable principles we could count on. And adults were in charge of running things, not children. But so much has changed.

Now, common sense and respect seems to have disappeared everywhere, even at the highest levels. Counting on preserving assets, personal freedoms, and individual rights, can no longer be taken for granted. 

But as sovereign individuals, many are maintaining control of their assets - and regaining control of their lives - by implementing sound protective measures in a 'gone-mad' world. How?

First, it begs the question:

Where Has Common Sense Gone?

Do you sometimes see the social structure - the very fabric around us - undergoing changes that are difficult to comprehend? Are you growing weary of the government and media peddling fears that threaten your way of life? Then you're in good company.

Individuals with assets to protect have been seeking safe, international venues in record numbers for fear of government asset confiscations. These threats are now feared as much, or more, than civil lawsuits. Why?

Professionals and business owners waste important resources documenting files to avoid fears of a lawsuit before discharging a bad employee, ending a business relationship, or taking on new opportunities. Medical professionals order more tests than ever before simply out of fear of being sued for malpractice.

Even teachers fear parent civil lawsuits, and as a result, fail to maintain control in the classroom. And local judges allow dubious civil cases to proceed in fear of being voted off the bench. Even volunteering is risky, in fear someone claims you’ve done something wrong.

President Trump is routinely threatened - and threatening others - with lawsuits for just about everything.  

Today, out of fear of becoming upset over differing viewpoints, university students refuse to maintain an open mind or discuss diverse opinions contrary to their own. Many have become thin skinned and are coddled by Professors themselves who fear discussing controversial issues and being fired or sued. Instead, they follow political correctness to avoid fear of offending a student.  But being opened minded to differing opinions is essential for a free society.

Today, social, business and professional interaction is driven by distrust, fear, and the need to control, not by respect or common sense.

Fear is routinely used to justify government undertakings, or to sway public opinion. Often the fear mongering is unjustified - or grossly embellished upon - and nothing more than trumped up hyperbole. Yes, trumped up - how appropriate an expression.

With so much other trumped up noise all around us, the two significant and justifiable fears are going overlooked: lawsuits and repressive government action. Historically and factually, these are fears to be reckoned with.

Is Fear Good or Bad?

Fear is an unpleasant emotion. Fear is to be afraid of someone or something likely to be dangerous, painful, or harmful.

But fear can also be a good thing too.

Fear is good when it motivates us to act to do things we previously lacked motivation to do. Fear can keep us safe as we are hard-wired for self-preservation, or preservation of assets. Fear then becomes instructive so we can take measures to improve our situation.

There are always uncertainties about what might happen, which can also drive fear. Burdened with fears of the government, or from costly lawsuits, can drive our actions to protect assets. Civility seems to be a thing of the past, so rule that out as a form of self-preservation.

Feeling free to do good things is a source of human accomplishment. The self-confidence of those who walked before us was based upon that independent, self-acting, 'can do' spirit. Things didn’t always go perfectly, but somehow they got things done.

Today, motivation to act has been replaced by a system of threats, belligerence, excessive rules, and political correctness that interferes with doing good things. Fear, by other names. Our forefathers created a world based upon a unique and special spirit of cooperation in working with others, not out of fear of what others might think, or say, or do.

Take away that spirit, and what do we have left?

The Real Fear - Loss of Personal Property and Freedoms

Government personal asset seizures are at record highs, even when individuals are not charged or convicted of a crime. The number of lawsuits in our society continues to run rampant and shows no sign of easing off. And your risk of being sued today is greater than ever before.

Remember the $102.7 million jury award against the owners of a private parking lot in favor of a man waiting in his parked car after he was shot and injured in an apparent robbery attempt? Or the multi-million dollar award for hot coffee a driver spilt on their lap after carelessly pulling away from a fast food drive-up window? Or the playground that was closed after a child fell, and was injured, and the local recreational district was sued? Or the animal rights advocates that filed a lawsuit on behalf of chimpanzees in a zoo arguing they too had legal rights? These outlandish lawsuits are not so unusual anymore, and have become increasingly commonplace.

Respect is based upon common sense standards of how to act, not out of fear. When the legal system or our government acts properly, we should hardly notice it. Leaders and politicians should sit quietly in the background and govern and serve as needed, not act with belligerence or make threats for the smallest of matters. 

And rules and fear don't make people respectful, or create common sense. And acting out of fear is not a hallmark of a free society.

How did we get here?

The American constitution was formed upon the premise of 'protecting' individual rights from oppressive government authority. Following the freedom movements of the 1960s and 1970s, society shifted from protection of individual rights to the 1980s forcing others to comply with individual demands. Lawsuits galore were filed in the 1980s and 1990s for perceived damages of all types. “Either do it my way, or I'll sue” became the mantra of the spoiled sport.

And then it got worse. September 11th provided reasons for government intervention almost everywhere, and then the nanny state firmly took hold during the 2000s. Thereafter, the GFC provided more opportunity for governments to act in unison across the globe during the 2010s, and control over everything financial has had tremendous impact on our personal and financial freedoms and rights in many unforeseen ways. Now, for many, the government has become the greatest fear, even more than the fear of out-of-hand frivolous lawsuits.

Fifty years ago, I first read the book '1984' by George Orwell as a high school freshman. Reading it again today I find it almost surreal to see how Orwell's fiction now appears eerily prophetic and unfolding.

What do you think the years ahead hold? Does the picture for government intervention look any rosier to you?

For those willing to take personal responsibility to protect what they have – their assets, personal freedoms, and individual rights – there is a better way.

Enter the Sovereign Individual

There are steps you can take today to protect your assets and freedom from interfering eyes. These steps, allow you to regain control of your life and your hard earned assets. You can learn more about what it means to be a Sovereign Individual from past newsletters located at our web site found here.

The Sovereign Individual knows how to take steps to manage risks and protect assets acquired over a lifetime. An International Trust is often an integral part – the first step - of the planning process. These steps become very liberating.

Two good, complimentary past articles outline what the Sovereign Individual means, foundhere and here.

You can learn more about planning strategies for the Sovereign Individual in Offshore Living & Investing, 2nd edition here.

Steps to Protect Your Assets

And even more importantly, the good news is that you too can take steps to manage genuine risks. An International Trust is a good start, and you can learn more in How to Legally Protect Your Assets, 2nd edition, found here.

Both books are now substantially reduced in price in quality softcover, Kindle, and pdf.

The type of assets you own, the value of those assets, and how they are owned, are often starting points for the steps you take. Your age, business and professional risks, where you live, objectives for your future, retirement goals and children’s inheritances also factor into the equation. These are just a few of the many issues to consider when looking to protect your assets.

But essentially, the key is to take the necessary steps today - in advance - of a threat to protect and preserve what you have worked a lifetime to achieve. Acting today is the first and most important step in protecting assets from all sources or claims against what you own.

Where to begin? 

Read our complimentary articles that provide useful information and tips about protecting assets and related topics. Start with understanding your risks, and what fears you the most.

Learn about how to achieve quality asset protection planning, and what to avoid.

Integrate estate planning tools into an asset protection plan. But first, understand the options and what they all mean. For some, limited domestic planning tools is sufficient planning. For most, going international is a superior risk management tool.

Learn more here about what an International Trust can do for you, and why they are so beneficial.

If you decide to go offshore, make sure it is legal. And always ask the big question when looking to offshore banking, and that is, just how safe is your cash?

There are many complimentary articles on the above topics, and much more, located at our web site if you follow this link to Past Articles.

But be cautious, as there is no “one-size-fits-all planning” tool. Instead, there are well-established, long-standing, legal techniques available for you to use to protect what is yours.

Fear not.

The Most Next Important Step?

But the most important step of all is to act now to protect your hard earned assets before you are presented with the next problem. Otherwise, at best, you will be limited to mostly damage control. And that too is fear.

Like buying an insurance policy, it is difficult to obtain coverage if the house is burning and the fire trucks are at your door. You must act now, in advance of a problem, to protect and preserve your hard-earned assets. Taking action today is the biggest and most important step of all.

Remember the time worn phrase that the worst thing about fear, is fear itself. Sovereign Individuals use common sense and take steps to protect and preserve their hard-earned assets. You can too.

And if you want to learn more about how to get started with an initial review of your situation, contact me here now.

Until next time.

David