Opting Out of the System

in philosophy •  7 years ago  (edited)

Tired of contributing your life energy to just perpetuate an outdated, unfair, inefficient and sometimes even evil system?

You are definitely not alone and there are definitely some things you can do to lessen your contribution to the status quo, especially as a United States 'citizen'.

In modern times we're born into a family through a local hospital, get a birth certificate and social security card, go through the government funded indoctrination system we call public schools and then we're off into our little slave lives mostly performing what the system wants us to:

  • Being an obedient worker
  • Not questioning the system in practicality
  • Paying our dues (taxes, fees, traffic fines, and criticizing anyone who doesn't)
  • Watching mainstream news and always picking a side or opinion provided to us; left vs right paradigm entrapment

How can we Get Out?

What If I Told you You Can Get Rid of Your Social Security Number?

Supposedly you can do this. But there are less extreme ways to starve the beast and give an example to your peers

--STEP 1-- Alter your outward philosophy. Adopt the non-aggression principle as your way of life and convince others of this very sensical stance one should have when dealing in all matters of conflict. This is a great way to help grow a freedom oriented trend by setting a simple and logical example.

Set an Example with The Non-Aggression Principle

--STEP 2-- Take steps to make you less tied into the system and to free yourself if you do want to leave altogether - What I mean here is, there's ways to leave at least the American standard system; live on the road, escape to a more free country in central or south america, become a drain on the system rather than a contributor...here's some prerequisites that will help you:

A. Reduce your bills - If you have storage units, get rid of things you don't use. See B.
Cancel gym memberships if you're not very active, or takeup free weights and/or calisthenics at home. Cancel cable or satellite TV, you can watch many shows on YouTube right now, even 24/7 livestreams of Family Guy and the like are online for free now.
Just look at your bank or credit card bill and see what's being charged every month. You'd be surprised and what you're paying for and don't need or use! If you don't need some credit cards altogether, cancel those too of course!
Credit Card Statement

B. Get rid of physical possessions - This goes along with my post from yesterday discussing how What You Own, Owns You

Use the 90-90 rule, if you haven't used the item in 90 days and don't plan to for the next 90 days, get rid of it! Not being a blind consumer itself will take you farther away from the matrix consumer driven system we're currently enslaved to. [Yard Sale, anyone?]

Yard Sale

C. Spend more time away from people and things - This would be a good time to explore nature near you. Get your friends and family used to you being away, in case you decide to move physically as a part of your "opting out" of the system. You will also become less attached to your home and belongings. You can live a much more free life if you're not tied down by these material items. Then are NOT part of you, not even an external representation. They are just inanimate objects!

Enjoying Nature away from Civilization

--STEP 3-- Take the plunge. Pick your poison, or lack thereof. Use the experience you got and preparation of owning less things and attachment to drastically change your life. You can choose a number of options to not contribute to mainstream slave society:

  • Get an online job: Not only can you work from anywhere, but there's opportunities to be paid in Cryptocurrency and avoid feeding the tax man. The crypto sector is only growing from here and government can't stop it! It is a direct way to begin dismantling their corrupt structure brick by brick because taking away their money is what really hurts!
  • Travel or Live on the Road: There are plenty of examples out there of people living in their RV's traveling the country.. Choosing this path will eliminate property taxes, rent to landloards (who would also forward tax money to the government), mortgage and thus interest payments to banks who take advantage of the establishment structure, and other living fees associated with 'owning' or 'renting' a physical location.
  • Move to a place with lower tax burden and less direct connection to the Washington D.C. beast system. Panama, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Isle of Man, Argentina... the list goes on and on.

--STEP 4-- Develop new daily lifestyle habits These would include things such as:

  • Try to barter with neighbors or your local community instead of using currency
  • Grow your own food - this is self explanatory. Produce more of your needs and depend less on the external power structure
  • In the same vein as above, support all local resources first before anything more widespread or mainstream
  • Homeschool your children - Public schooling is just propaganda and a waste of time
  • Live with less: Do you really need 3 flashlights or 10 pens? the higher quantity of something you have, the less each one is worth. Value your items for their utility not for their novelty. Your mind will be more clear and your ability to uproot yourself again in the future will keep major life decisions less stressful.

Hopefully with these steps you can not only feel better in your existence as to not supporting the system, but if enough people follow these, we want the system to rot and shrivel up from lack of support. If the productive members of society opt out, as in "Atlas Shrugged" style Galt's Gulch, the idea is that the federal government will starve itself. Already the Social Security system is doomed to insolvency, at an eventual point it is likely the government will have to print money into hyperinflation just to stay afloat, since the political will for any real major reform is frankly absent. Government must collapse upon itself because we do not want to stoop to their level of force requiring a violent revolution just to bring back our supposed Constitutionally guaranteed freedoms.

Peace Out.

Checkout my recent articles:

What You Own, Owns You

5 Smart People Who Prematurely Predicted Hyperinflation in the US

Another Influential Man Besides JFK Died on November 22, 1963

Facing My Writer's Block on Steemit - Having Ideas & Not Executing Them

Making a Documentary in 2017

5 Websites that Steemit will Overtake in Popularity by the End of 2017

My Steemit Goal: 100 Posts in a Month

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Congratulations @mikeparker!
Your post was mentioned in the hit parade in the following category:

  • Comments - Ranked 4 with 58 comments

Awesome, good to know thank you

My rep is almost high enough to discount me from the list! (49 vs 50) so glad I made it now :)

The tendency of governments is always to increase in size, because their income does not come from consent, but from violence and force. So it is just to increase the violence to get more resources. At least until there is a revolt of the people.

Yes I see that as their natural tendency. Laws are not written to expire, they would have a 10 year expiration date if I could re-write the rules myself. Politicians are too busy making new laws to think about removing old ones they have not much incentive to remove. Sheeple so far have just begged for things to be fixed with new laws as the main path of least resistance to appease their desires.

Do you see the American government in particular imploding on itself or the people have to proactively aim to take it down through reason or force if it becomes necessary?

Step 5. Start blogging on STEEMIT

haha thank you for the key addition

The things you own end up owning you, can't forget this quote from fight club.

Informative article :)

Oh i forgot thats the line from Fight Club, I was mainly focusing on the Papa Roach song. An example of how ideas are embedded in our subconscious that we think are our own;
that whole "joke thief" controversy now comes to mind

Great post @mikeparker you may enjoy "No Straight Lines" by Alan Moore he was speaking on this topic a couple of years ago. There was a Twitter read at one time of the whole book http://www.no-straight-lines.com/

Just that first paragraph gives me a lot of hope, thank you!

How can we create a restorative economy? That’s the question I ask in my book, No Straight Lines. The restorative economy aims to waste nothing. It will blend new technologies with ancient knowledge of what makes humanity thrive. I’m a designer. For me, helping create a restorative economy is probably the best design challenge going. Journey with me to find out what next looks like. Don’t worry everything’s going to be amazing.

Pretty much agree with it all :) But I'd add, look after your health! Stretch, exercise, meditate, try fasting, cut back on shitty foods. Lots of upsides, good health just amplifies the benefits outlined in your steps

Oh, yes I actually thought about this one. The overall theme or underlying purpose of my argument is pretty much mental health. I actually do fasting, do you do fasting and write about it?

I try to fast one day a week, been doing so for a while. Hugely beneficial in many ways. But I find need to be mentally active on fast days to take mind off the hunger!

I know people who do 1 day water fast and 1 day dry (no food OR water) near every week - incredible what the body can do and we were misled about by the mainstream!

hunger is mostly mental cravings; or any bad physical feeling is withdraw and body cleaning.

Hear often that hunger is GONE 2 or 3 days into a fast and won't return for a week or never - I haven't been reguarly hungry (daily) in a year or so

I came to this conclusion myself recently. I've lowered my cost of living from about 1,500 a mouth to about 3,000 a year. Sad thing is I didn't give up much to do it, and wish I'd done it years ago.

whoa, incredible reduction, sounds very transformative and hope to do the same. I did that a while back but had a higher income and mo money, mo problems or at least, "mo money, mo spending!" so hard not to change lifestyle when income comes. Thankfully there was #cryptocurrency so I did maintain some good savings.

Great informative article, but you forgot something... The Philippines as a choice escape. I did it and feel much better as a result. Got a follow and upvote from me!

thank you, I'll try to look into that and throw into my next post if I revisit the topic of escape again. I almost want to add it now but I'm just so unfamiliar; haven't heard enough people going there.
What are your reasons from the Philippines being your destination of choice?

@mikeparker ... Brilliant post. Came across plenty of new things and ideas. Very well written and beautifully crafted. Jotting down steps is a nice idea and shows one's meticulous approach/attitude, however implementation is the key to success.
Wish you the very best.
Cheers

That makes me happy to hear it helped you out. Yes, read a post just yesterday about ACTING as being key to knowledge; a new way to think about knowledge I hadn't heard, wish I had the link handy, i think it was from @krnel

EDIT, think i found it!:
https://steemit.com/philosophy/@krnel/knowing-yet-not-really-knowing-internal-and-external-wisdom

I am Groot! :D

working on this as I write this, hope to take the first permanent steps next april 2018 and trying to get rid of junk I dont use and have been sitting on for way too long, great post

Move next april, or else what is taking that long? Long term decisions take a long time, as long as you're not delaying happiness and freedom :)

Thanks

I question this everyday. Last year I quit my job and now do as bear minimum I can working as a self mployede electrician. I am trying to build multipul sources of income online so I dont have to do it anymore.

Iv always said we are living in a real life matrix, modern day slaves but instead of harvested by machines we are harvested for our time (the most important comodity we own) and labour by the goverenments and elite.

Wow great point yes. Time being money we are being harvested for our time and it's frustrating. Such a fast paced environment in the US, noted this in a prequel post What You Own, Owns You

American culture in particular is fast paced, money oriented and very materialistic, frivolous and wasteful. And all these traits are related to each other. We work fast so we can make fast money, so we can buy products that have a short lifespan. We want the newest model, the most features, and to follow the latest trends.

Very well written. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks; don't be afraid to tell me what I can improve for next time :)

haha same here but now this is steemit time

Nice post! I'll join you.

thanks, will check you out right now too

I am hoping when I retire I can use my Social Security monthly payments to help on my retirement lifestyle. Talk about a Ponzi scheme.

haha; your investments in cryptocurrency will probably be worth more

Never underestimate the value that even some money has towards retirment. Living a simple life doesn't take what most of us once thought! I liquidated two houses, two cars, two businesses and years of clutter and moved to the Philippines. Life is good once more!

did you do a post or youtube video on your full experience/transition?

I wish I could opt out of social security as it is already approaching insolvency. I won't be able to draw for another 30 years IF they leave the retirement age to collect 100% at 67 which I doubt will happen....12.4% of my income going to a ponzi scheme. Makes me want to scream!

I'm now diverting part of my 401k contribution to my crypto holdings as many sectors of the stock market are in a bubble (in my humble opinion). I'm still contributing plenty to the 401k but diversification is usually not a bad thing.

Solid!

I have been very much in the mindset for some time and am loving this wave of people becoming aware!

Good to hear; have you taken steps already to opt out, anything you can add to my list?

I think you do a great job of covering the basics. If you make under 10k you do not need to file taxes, so try and stay under that (on the books) and stop playing into that system. By finding alternate ways of getting needs met through barter and cryptos (ect) one can really step outside the slave system.

Just having the mindset of sovereignty changes ones sense of self worth.

Good point on self worth. Seeking freedom is just exemplifying the belief we're human beings and we have value :) {reminds me of Network (1976)

Oh yes, *Network.. yes.

I find that the truth is put before in through media.

Bingo

Great post and thanks for adding all the tips. There's a lot of disenfranchised people that need to read these things & reinforce new ideas.

Good to hear. yes, sometimes we feel we're preaching to the choir; just gotta hope people on the fence read this and get that extra little boost to go over; maybe it's pushed @discernente over :)
https://steemit.com/philosophy/@mikeparker/opting-out-of-the-system#@discernente/re-mikeparker-opting-out-of-the-system-20170803t003012180z

Travelling is always fun. Thank you for sharing your beautiful memories with us. I enjoyed with my heart

LOVE IT. It is where I feel most at home (while moving) :) it exemplifies freedom. Though we have to maintain proper registration of our transportation technology and sometimes pay tolls...meh

Nice post learned very new things

Thank you for sharing

you're welcome; what topics are you most interested in?

Excellent post.. more people should definitely do this. Followed, upvoted abd resteemed

thanks; go ahead and tell me anything i can improve or how this thought can relate to your life and opting out ;)

Great post. Debt = slavery. Tax = theft.

nice post

but how could I improve it? :)

This is great. My wife and I are essentially on that path. We're living in our RV and travelling the country - having given up a house we were going to buy. We've downsized a lot, but I still have a day job. We're still paying off credit cards.

Thanks for the checklist. :)

good to hear. Can I ask where you at now?

can you make a post on the unforeseen challenges? that would be interesting

We are in New Mexico, at the moment, but heading back to Texas soon. Sure, I'll write something up summing up the last few months. The biggest have been around fixing things in the RV. I was/am not a handyman, but I've had to learn on the stop, or pay out the nose.

Very good article, if you start with a few items of your article you are already on track.

thank you, that's a good compliment. What have you implemented into your life so far if I may ask?

Too good man

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

I'd add two more things:

  1. STOP VISITING COSTCO!
  2. Do not do shopping on Black Friday.

ah, very harsh!

Great post!

thanks kp138

Excellent content mate! Followed love your work

thanks ch00f
how's cryptocurrency in Australia?

great post Mike, new follower here

thanks a lot; checking your work

love philosophy and analyzing the past so "Why "Generation X" Never Had a Chance" is right up my ally!

awesome , thank you

just releasing my last philosophy post:
Disappointment: The Opportunity Cost of Living a Western Lifestyle
https://steemit.com/philosophy/@mikeparker/disappointment-the-opportunity-cost-of-living-a-western-lifestyle

I think we can help it along in our individual lives but its going to happen as a matter of fact either way. Their days are numbered. Mcafee is exactly right in this clip.

Cryptocurrency is coming to dismantle you're establishment :)

I agree, the corrupt system corrupts us. From the media to schools to governments, big pharma and the banksters - its faulty and I want out. We are taught to consume and work like mindless drones. To think just hard enough to do our daily job, but not to much as to think who pulls the strings! The peaceful rejection of the system, non-compliance and sustainability are the answer in my view.

I will do a new, positive, article sometime about how the trend is finally reversing. Once there becomes too many laws either:
A. Some laws need to be struct down in sequential fashion or a bigger reset
OR
B. Lots of laws will no longer be enforced

and B is the easier way out for modern society. there's already plenty of laws on the books that go unenforced; just traffic laws as an example, most people get tickets for speeding rather than for improper lane change.

  ·  7 years ago Reveal Comment

thanks man, glad to have your service