Bailing on Bush
 

I have been around for a while and I do not like the direction the USA is going. The government continues to use 9/11 as a justification to slowly erode individual rights. I think 18 USC 2257 is a noble idea in concept but that it will be executed to close down this industry and I am considering an exit plan, not from porn but from the US.

I realize some of you naive American's think we live in the best country in the world; I am no longer so jingoistic to believe that. I have traveled enough to know our consumption lifestyle does not and cannot buy happiness.

So the question is to those outside of the US of A. Suggest a country that meets these qualifications.

Individual freedom
Ability to do porn as a business without fear of going to jail
Quality lifestyle
good healthcare system
open immigration policy for moving a porn business
reasonable or no taxation

any recommendations?

Canada
We like to smoke pot and so does our government.

Canada most likely ... dunno about moving a porn business

Canada is high on my list. I used to play rugby in Canada and love the country.

I dont understand how there can be no taxation. How do they pay to have roads fixed or to pay police officers?

ya canadas taxes are great. :1orglaugh

There are countries without income taxes, there are always taxes of some type but not always income based.

It is not hard to see where you are coming from Probono. I used to live in Florida and never regretted a moment of that time, but it appears a lot has changed since that time and getting worse - not just in the porn biz. It is the same in serveral industrialized countries - the lifestyle is getting crappier.

Throw this into the melting pot as an option :-) Ya want a country with a decent climate, good healthcare (cost for a family of four private insurance per year is about $250-$300) of a standard equalling the US. Nada taxes - you don't want to even get a tax form to fill in. Also a place where earned currencies (US$ and Euro's) are valued. An immigration policy that are not interested in aspects of your biz - only that you may set up a cheapo corp and never actually trade with it as "credentials" for residency. Also laws which are nada problem whatsoever as long as these two letters, CP are not involved. Finally, a lifestyle that is total hassle-free - that eventually means more than any money crap.

OK.. I did the selling pitch! :-) The country is Costa Rica. You can almost choose your climate - there are about seven microclimates. The law are excellent (least in my experience) and willing to actually help when you need it - and courteous with it. Cost of living is... much lower than industrialized countries, but with a higher lifestyle.

The downside, tho does not matter so much when dealing with professionals, is the language is Spanish.

On labor, there are loads of degree level folks to provide help - average monthly salary is around $1200 for a grad with an IT degree. (The education system is reasonably high and plenty entering the labor market).

You won't have any legal problems with the biz - nobody cares what your biz is.

I think Juicy (hi Juicy! *s*) may have moved to Nicaragua. That is definately a very up and coming country and decent comms - again nada taxes and decent lifestyle.

Similarly, have a look at Panama - it is very similar to Costa Rica in many ways.

Dunno what your status is, but if a US citizen, there is still the problem of taxation irrespective where you live on the planet, but at least there is some compensation in IRS allowances (around $80K/year) while you are not resident within the US. I know nada of US laws, but understand the only way to kill US taxation is to relinquish citizenship. Again, dunno, but it may be that if you are a US citizen and, eg, violate code like 2257 even tho abroad, - they may be inclined to remember this :-)

OK.. Done my contribution!! Basically, it is as you said - lifestyle is more relevant than all the other stuff :-)

nice post :thumbsup

Correct!! That is the basis of why no taxation exists in Costa Rica. Almost all of Latin and South America operate on a geo based tax system and any revenue earned outside the country has no tax applicable to it when funds are moved into the country. Tho.. you can keep funds anywhere you like.

Costa Rica comes highly recommended, Spanish not a problem. I planning a trip in November to look at the country. Anyplace you would suggest looking at in particular?

Thank you Webby.

Australia meets all those criteria except for the last one.. taxes suck ass here

In Costa Rica, I suggest you look all over!! :-) It has a lot to offer and much of this is missed by tourists.

But for practicalities - like day to day living and also comms, I'd suggest Cental Valley - it's where the capital, San Jose is - but don't think of living in San Jose - it's crap! :-) But, there are areas outside San Jose which are nice and if you want to do a home rental for a while till you know more, - there are plenty decent homes on the market.

If you like beaches and palm trees, the coast to head for is the Pacific. The Caribbean coast is very rich in eco, but has a tendency to have the drug-running crews passing by and they cause problems with crime. The rest of the country is safe, but petty theft is common. In the time we have been here - we have had no crime problems and last I spoke to the woman who runs the OIJ (Investigative Police) her preoccupation was some crappy credit card frauds - not serious shit.

I got a place outside San Jose, but also bought a largish land area on the Pacific coast (which is gonna end up a nature reserve and webmaster world *s* but that's a couple of years away).

The people of CR are damned nice - at least all I've encountered and nothing is a problem. Maids and gardners cost about $250-$300/month full time.

For the last few years there have been a few folks ending up in CR from the US, Canada and the EU to settle down. The effect means higher land/home prices, but these are still a good deal (some excellent real estate deals!) for what you get.

Generally comms are not that bad, but improving all over the country. I've never had much problems with this - apart from the usual outages. Nicaragua already has good cable and competition between the baby Bells etc and Panama is next to the Maya link and has excellent cabling. (I smell Panama will end up good for hosting - they have a "silicon park" there and this is going to grow).

Hey Canadians

Don't get too excited - the New World Order is out to Fuck your country too..

Bush is just the flavor of the month - there will be more "Bush Hitlers" to come

The department of HOmeland Security will encompass Canada and Mexico after the next terrorist attack on the US. YOur Canadian government is already restructuring the Canadian military into regional fighting unites designed to secure civil unrest and natural disaster scenes. Your sovereignity is being systematically dismantled

Watch this video clip from CNN:
http://www.americanpatrol.com/_WEB2005/050610.html

There actually is taxation clickhappy, but that only applies to local businesses - even then they are silly low :-)

But, eg, any revenue generated from net operations are not taxable since the source is "external". You don't even get such a thing as a tax form, even to check the source - they are not exactly pro-active at tax collection :-)

Despite that, yea, the roads are not exactly works of engineering, but they do end up with excellent healthcare and education system. Part of the reason for that is, least in CR, they don't have an army to support - kinda like Switzerland - and have no wish to have any military on CR soil.

It's all a matter of choices and preferences :-) After years of "wars" and military stuff, they decided to settle down and make this illegal under the constitution. CR is now.. think it's suppose to be top of the league - for being "peaceful".

By "bailing on Bush" do you mean you VOTED for Bush and/or supported him before? If so, the no you don't get to leave. You helped create this mess, now you get to deal with the consequences of your stupidity and suffer like the rest of us.

who is suffering, my life and just about everyone I converse with has not changed 1 iota, hmmmmm

Yeah don't get too excited by Canada. For one thing, no country can match the consititutional rights granted on its citizens by the US consititution. For example we used to ship dvds and Canada was the one country that routinely seized them and examines their resident's mail to see what kind of porn they are buying.

Also I have friends in Canada that think the healthcare totally sucks. Its great if you are poor, but I'd rather give blue cross 1K monthly and pick my doctors and not wait 6 months. I learned to appreciate this when my daughter got a serious disease - if we had lived in Canada she would not be alive now.

Yeah Bush sucks but it will pass - soon.

Was I talking to you? You've are lsoing freedoms. You are like a 1930's German citizen completely ignorant to what is going on. Anyone that still supports Bush doesn't deserve to exist and I mean that. One can only hope karma is real and you get yours.

Tell me what I have lost the ability to do today that I could do before bush?

Are you a producer on "secondary producer" ?

That's because you're simple, Simon :tongue:

:1orglaugh ya that's it.

Well I tell you what go to your public library and ask the librarian that you want books on Islam, Chemistry, Mechanical Enginering and ask to see maps of the local area. And see if the Dept of Homeland Security doesn't pay you a vistit which they have ZERO right to do.

:1orglaugh OMG I hope you are kidding, if not you got some serious issues to deal with. Wow I thought you had some good shit up your sleeves, I was waiting to find out which of my freedoms were taken away :1orglaugh

Well you can be held without bail and without being charged and be denied a lawyer if the government deems you a "terrorist". Now since you're the expert. Exactly HOW does the government consider one a "terrorist". Maybe some protester pisses Bush off. Bush says "Hmmm let's brand that fucker a "terrorist" and BAM that guy goes to Cuba and nobody knows.

Anyways you have ZERO reason to like Bush and really since nobody gets WHY you like him perhaps you can explain it to us. And try to come up with something better than "I just do" ok?

Woz dat you were saying mardigras? :winkwink:

Yea agree!! It don't matter which industrialized country - the US may be taking the hit, (partly due to the current Admin), but many more are doing the same as well.

There is a limit as to how much you can con people and bleed them dry on money for everything from normal taxation to healthcare and whatever, before they start to bleed seriously and things gradually implode.

I can't think of any of my friends in any industrialized countries who have not seen some effect to their detriment - apart from the fact we all whine about governments anyway irrespective! :winkwink:

I like bush for a few reasons and they are monetary, regardless, your killin me with these examples. Lets go look who's being held in cuba, you think those are just regular upstanding citizens? Cmon you know and can do better than that. Once again my life hasn't changed 1 bit. Another day, another dollar. Quit reading all those ridiculous tinfoil sites, it rots the brain, and you are a prime example. Oh ya see sig :winkwink:

PS.. I was in a pharmacy in the US not long ago - just could not believe that some elderly woman was actually buying some monthly medicine and they charged her $900 for this crap. Much as tho she may need her script - these were not gold plated pills and even allowing billions for R&D, - no way!! :-)

IS that it? Can you be more specific? Like Kerry or Gore would have changed your finances.

That's it, he has given me some crazy tax incentives in a few sectors we deal in. Life is good. And Kerry or Gore as president, OMG please

You are kidding right? Did you hear that on Fox News or something?

Can you be more specific? I can't believe you like Bush and yet you can't come up with ONE concise answer. And I doubt he has given you anything. CONGRESS passes legislation not the President.

Explain. I mean since you're so much smarter than the rets of us.

Webby,

I am actually thinking of moving to Costa Rica for 6 months or so. My plan is to finally learn Spanish once and for all. I have been a few times and had a blast each time. I loved the country and you're right, people are damned nice.

Do you have an ICQ # or email address I can reach you at? I'd like to get advice on where to live, to get Spanish lessons, high speed internet etc.

Thanks,

:sleep you have your formed opinions, I have mine. We can keep pissing in the wind, end up getting nowhere or we can go back to my original question as to what freedoms I have lost in my day to day life, that has had such a profound impact it has become unbearable to continue life in the US. You can't and we know this, so now that we have that established, what's next? You want my opinions on Bush, and as far as being smarter than you, I never insinuated that so quit pulling shit out of thin air partner :thumbsup

Cummon Simon!! :-)

Now.. the absolute last thing George has any ability whatsoever on is "monetary". It was spring 2002 when there was a protest over monetary policy and the response was "lets get a group of experienced finance wizards together and let them thrash it out".

That was fine and nada problem, - but it's not for others to thrash out the govts financial problems - that's what the govt was elected to do.

BTW.. The result of that "conference" was no more than a photo opp and not one single aspect has been adopted by the Admin - they are definately in a state of denial. Also... no way on this planet are they not hiding the accounts!!! :winkwink:

The current financial status ... well... if that was a company, you'd be seriously thinking of filing for bankruptcy.

On Cuba.. tho where that comes in I dunno :-) But irrespective of whether the occupants are upright citizens does not matter. The more relevant part is they are living in a concentration camp and with no recourse to any law or courts. The last time that happened (least on this level) was in ... several places, but each was a clear "terrorrist state" and not from the epitome of freedom and democracy in the western world.

Bottom line... sadly there are bills to pay and they are not being paid, but borrowing continues, plus, the Admin, tho their actions are understanable in many ways, have not aided the "cred" too much by their conduct - it ain't too bright! :-)

Costa Rica does indeed sound like the shit. I keep promising myself that I'll go check it out... one of these days I'm gonna have to see Vida Pura with mine own eyes. :thumbsup

But FWIW - I live in, and love, Canada... and I highly recommend it to anyone fleeing tyranny from south of the border or overseas. :upsidedow

What "mess" are you referring to?

Same here...except is is not "about" everyone...it is everyone.

You are joking...aren't you?

A wee bit on the paranoid side...aren't you?

You're joking right?

librarian aint gonna rat u out if u got bombs

Not very interesting babble...but that is SOP for Webby...isn't it?

and........? When blackhawk helicopters ROUTINELY pass over your house in formations of at least 4-8 and the nearest base is about 75 miles away um yeah you get paranoid.

No...I am not...so please educate me as to what mess you are referring to?

For english speaking countries, I like Canada (BC), Australia, and New Zealand

The UK and Ireland have got really expensive for real estate.

Message to simon and the King. If you are silly enough to believe the bullshit you are fed by the US media these days realize that you are living in a bubble of ignorance. We now have secret courts, secret warrants, people held for long periods without charge or trial and on. The new improved patriot act ads such exciting things as administrative warrants. If you do not think these are erosion of your rights you need to get some thinking lessons.

They are not an erosion of my rights as they are designed to catch bad guys...and I am one of the good guys...thus my rights are intact. BTW...I am in favor of going after bad guys...aren't youi?