I started my intellectual journey after growing up as a Bush II-supporting NeoCon in a conservative, Midwestern home. Luckily, my parents were supporters of the free market and human liberty so I was imbued with some correct premises. The turning point occurred in high school. I desired to win arguments with those who opposed my viewpoints, so I realized I needed to read to become more educated about my positions. Then–as the libertarian joke goes–it took about 30 minutes (in reality it was 3 years off-and-on) of reading to get me to libertarianism. As I read more and more, I became more and more radical: going from neoconservative to libertarian minarchist to ancap/voluntaryist. I have read much, but I still have much more to read.
In college, I decided that I wanted to live outside of the US, given its trend towards socialism. Thus, I decided to become a tax accountant with a focus in expatriate taxation. Now I know how to minimize my own taxes (read: theft/slavery). During my time as a tax accountant, I began to focus more on personal financial planning as I find it far more intellectually stimulating for me than filling out forms for the IRS. I am now a CPA and CFP(r) and enjoy helping like-minded people reduce their tax as much as humanly possible (without getting thrown into a cage–RIP Irwin Schiff) and with their financial planning. Each currency unit not given to the IRS or mismanaged is another piece of your life you have saved.
After a couple of years traveling abroad, I have started to think that Texas is the place with the most like-minded people to me. For that reason, I’m now looking for a homestead outside of the major cities where I can raise a family, gain self-sufficiency, and strengthen a community of like-minded people.
I hope that this website can be of value to you in your journey.
In Liberty
Michael
