Blog | Personal Finance

Why I Flipped Out on the Guy Who Called Me an Anarchist

Putting your faith in systems will always let you down

The weekend of June 23-24, I had the pleasure of speaking at the Red Pill Expo. The conference was founded by G. Edward Griffin. Many years ago, I read his book The Creature from Jekyll Island, and it was an eye-opening read on the roots of the Federal Reserve. I look up to Griffin. So, I was thrilled to be part of his event.

For those of you not familiar with Red Pill Expo, it’s a two-day event that takes place in Bozeman, Montana where leading experts in health care, finance, climate science, globalization and politics come together to share their views and latest findings. The name of the event is taken from the sci-fi movie, The Matrix, in which humans living in a world of illusion that prevents them from knowing they are enslaved by unseen masters. The only way to see things as they really are is to reject the blue pill, which perpetuates the illusion and take the red pill, which makes it possible to see reality.

During the event, I was approached by a stranger who asked me if I was an anarchist. I informed him I wasn’t, but he kept pressing the issue, eventually pushing me to the point of extreme irritation.

Turns out the man is a semi-celebrity in the anarchy circles and a self-described anarcho-capitalist. Not taking my answers at face value, he continued to try and fit me into a label, and I did not appreciate it. Nor did he appreciate my getting angry with him.

In all honesty, it’s not worth responding but I did consider this a good opportunity to clarify further my beliefs about government and politics.

The two realities

I’ve stated in the past that I’m neither a Republican nor a Democrat. In fact, let me clearly state here, that I’m not political at all. I don’t believe that government can solve our problems, but I don’t believe that anarchy can either. I don’t believe that any system can.

My belief has always been that no matter the structure of a government—or lack thereof—there are two realities at play, the realities of the rich and the realities of the poor.

Those that are rich have learned the rules and how to play by them masterfully. Those that are poor have not.

In that sense, I’m a pragmatist and a contrarian. I try to look beyond the standard answers and accepted ways of doing things to see how those that are truly successful in life are truly operating. This is why I wrote Conspiracy of the Rich in 2009 to reveal the new rules of money.

Only you can save you

In the end, the only person that can save you is you. The reason I’m not an anarchist is because it requires putting your faith in a system to save you. Anarchists may claim that they are actually advocating for a lack of system, but I argue it is just a system that looks different than the standard government system. It is the assumption that an ideology is the answer.

I am a capitalist. When I told this to the gentleman from the event, he pressed me to admit I was an anarcho-capitalist. I am not. I am just a capitalist. I deal with money, how it works, and how to make it work for me. I have spent my life learning the rules of money and putting them to use to get rich, and I have done so under both Republicans and Democrats.

And this brings to sharp view how you are the only one that can save you. Take for instance the tax system. You can spend all your time and energy moaning and complaining about the tax system and how unfair it is—like many anarchists (and others) do—or you can learn how to put it to use for your financial well-being. As a capitalist, that is what I have done. I am not lobbying, complaining, or even trying to change the system. I am learning it and how to use it to my advantage.

The tax code, while complex, is built to incentivize certain actions. A financially-smart person understands what those actions are and fulfills on them in order to pay little-to-nothing in taxes. That, in fact, is just what our current president, Donald Trump, has done. This is why I wrote nearly a year ago my article “Why I Hope Donald Trump Paid $0 in Taxes”.

The good news is that anyone can do this—if they invest in their financial education and have a high financial IQ.

True freedom

At the end of the day, far too many people put their faith in systems rather than in themselves. They attach labels to themselves—labels that can get them killed. Wars are started as these people of one label begin fighting people of another label. So, I get very angry when people try to label me and associate me with their ideology. To try and pressure someone into your camp is no small thing.

Rather than put my faith in a system, I look for ways to prosper under any system, any government, and any economic situation. Because of this, many people want to attach me to their cause. Whether it is Christians, Republicans, conspiracy theorists, or even anarchists, the lines are endless of people who want me to be their cause’s champion.

Rather, I take the best from all these things and apply them to create the life I want to create. I encourage you to do the same. That’s the only true freedom.