I am 100% in agreement with that...and it is NOT paranoia. My life is a perfect example. I am a dual citizen...USA and Australia. If I don't file a US income tax every year (for ZERO dollars) I get fined $10,000 per offence. If I don't file a bank account tally per year...I get fined $10,000 per offence. Sure, I can skip it and "they won't get my money"...but when I croak...and the US gets my death certificate...my heirs will find the IRS on line in front of them for...you guessed it...$20,000 per year in fines. Nice, huh?????

But other things could also happen. Our money is...in reality...a bunch of digital code off in the netherworld. Pfft! It's gone. A solar flare could do this...or sabotage. Who knows. All's I can say is that once the currency was backed in gold and in silver...and now it's a bunch of digitised "ons and offs" in...who knows where??????

We are trying to "pull our arms and legs in" with our retirement plans. Grow our own food, some rental cabins, our own electricity...that sort of thing.

It is daunting...

Many, MANY Americans are coming to Australia to retire. They get a 5 acre piece next to a stream...not too far from a metropolitan area...and they live happily ever after. Except for those *(**&*( US income tax reportings!!!