Ragnar's Guide to the Underground Economy

"Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society."--The IRS "I have seen taxes more than double during my relatively short time on Earth. A corresponding doubling of civility has not occurred." - Ragnar I was watching the news today, and just when I think I've seen it all, there's a millionaire in a nice three piece suit begging for a handout. Yep, the CEO of Ford was asking for a couple billion dollars to just get by. Of course, he arrived in Washington D.C. via a company jet that cost $20,000 to operate roundtrip from Detroit. I didn't even make $20,000 last year, and I've never flown first class. I'm just a guy who works hard to make ends meet, wishing my disposable income wasn't so disposable. So, just what is required to comfortably get by in our society? The experts seem to agree it's around $50,000. This should cover the purchase of a house, a bit of land, a new car every few years, and some recreation and travel. Don't forget to add some funds for food, clothing, and utilities. You should have some money left over for the occasional splurge on a nice dinner out. This makes for a comfortable lifestyle. Federal and state income taxes account for about 42% of our personal income. Take 42% of fifty grand and you end up with $29,000. No wonder that Ragnar's Guide to the Underground Economy by Ragnar Benson and published by Paladin Press provides a plan for joining the underground economy. We could earn $30,000 and accomplish the same standard of living if the government would stop being so generous with our money. I've done the math and $30,000 is definitely easier to earn than $50,000. Does this mean becoming a public tax protestor? The thousands of people currently working in the underground economy don't advertise their displeasure or call attention to themselves. Working in the underground economy is not about proving a point. It's about taking care of your family. Benson goes into the details of how to make a living without having a job. Making a living without a job does not mean making a living without working. Ragnar Benson gives solid samples of people who are already doing this in small, inexpensive, easy steps. Ever have a garden and trade those tax-free tomatoes for some cash? Or do some engine work or some welding in trade for some firewood? Then you are a member of the underground economy. The underground economy has its perks and its perils, and Ragnar covers both. If your only source of income is from the underground, there won't be any social security checks. Of course, at lot of us don't expect to collect from this government-run scam designed to crumble in the near future. Paying cash for every purchase is also a quick, painful method of calling the attention of a drug enforcement agent. So, why not wait for a government bail-out? Why labor in the underground? Why seek independence from government programs that seek to keep you quiet and dependent? It's tempting to take that free money, but the startling truth i

Uncle Ragnar has come out with another terrific masterpiece! I virtually read this book cover-to-cover and put it down once for dinner. Nothing Mr. Benson had to say surprised me with the American mindset of today. He teaches you how to play the game, which most people aren't willing to do. It takes a lot of sacrifice to learn and then keep your mouth shut. I'm not admitting to anything here, because "others" will read this review, but I will say that if you're a "protester" you will love this book and how it lays out in detail the means of survival, which is something most Americans should know anyway. This stuff they won't teach you in high school. I've always said it's good to learn another trade skill. This book definitely disproves basic barter books which lend credo to the "money" system. The money system is fiat and we all know that. The reason "money" was used to replace "barter" and "scrip" was because the government [vis a vie the banks] wanted to set up shop to keep control of our lives. Substituting fiat money for something of real value [your labor] is in ingenious way of not only equating your labor with value [as the taxman sees it] but puts us all on an even keel with the economic "store of value". Ragnar does play in the money supply, but that's part of today's game. I can't wait for him to write an epic on bartering, where one human being will be forced to trade [like Karl Hess] in order to avoid complete taxation and NWO tactics. Five stars for this work! It's a great stepping-stone to underground living. I can't help but agree more ... if you're going to do this kind of thing, you're definitely NOT going to tell anyone you're doing it!

While I agree that people should learn a secondary trade to have something to fall back on if the economy goes down the tubes, I do not like to place honest hard working people in the same category as "underground" merchants. This book is excellent for those of us who mindlessly followed the law for years and are fed up with unions, work permits and filing taxes. However, the REAL underground economy is much darker than simple tax evasion or "collecting syrup from maple trees" (a good idea nonetheless). What would have greatly enhanced this book would be sections on how to obtain things like apartments, used vehicles, and guns through shady channels. An especially good section would have been "How to contact and conduct business with smugglers and assorted "dealers." Otherwise, another good read from Uncle Ragnar.