This is a question I've been thinking about lately.
Kris Kristofferson wrote that, "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose." I think there's a lot of truth to that idea and I championed it in my youth, but in my life I've been on both sides.
I grew up dirt poor and I never felt free. But now that I'm becoming more wealthy, I notice that my interactions with the State are becoming more and more infrequent.
As a long-haired teenager, I'd get hassled by the men in blue all the time. I'd get stopped, frisked, questioned, arrested and fined... Now, they seem to fear me. I drive around on expired plates, pay no attention to arbitrary speed limits, stop signs or traffic lights - I treat them as suggestions and will judge each situation myself. But I almost never get pulled over. When I do get stopped, they treat me with kid gloves - they just call things to my attention and tell me to have a nice day.
I don't send my kids to government schools because I can afford private. I don't (often) travel using commercial airlines because I can afford charters; I avoid the TSA. I have several "unpermitted" structures on my property, but I never get hassled about them. My tax burden is higher, but my accountant does what she can to keep it as low as possible. When I was poor, I didn't file a tax return for years. It was just too much trouble and I didn't want to be bothered. But that got me noticed by the IRS. Now, I'm still not bothered with it - someone takes care of it for me. And if the IRS has any issues they'll contact her.
I've always tried to follow Harry Browne's advice on how to live free in an unfree world. But it just seems so much easier to avoid the State when you have the means. I suspect the more means you have, the easier it becomes. Is the key to liberty having enough wealth to purchase it?
Thoughts?
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