All roads lead...out of Rome? Sardinia plans secession referendum

Spain: Catalan politicians launch election campaign with goal of indepen...

Spain: Catalan politicians launch election campaign with goal of indepen...

Flying the flag

Direct Democracy in Switzerland

Switzerland has 2000 communes each of which sets its own income tax rate...

"The small country of Switzerland has over 2,000 communes, each of which sets its own income tax rate. This creates huge competition between the different communes and gives the population the possibility to “vote with their feet”, i.e. move to a commune a couple of miles away should they be unhappy with the way things are run at their current place of residence.
In such a system politicians and bureaucrats will have to serve the people because otherwise they will lose the support of taxpayers and their funding! As always, competition is key and the only protection against totalitarianism. I am confident that the majority of the Swiss people understand the beauty of the Swiss form of government. This can for example be seen in the fact that even though various statist and lobbying groups have tried to push Switzerland into the EU several times, today around 70% of the Swiss still don’t want to join the EU!"

Source

Direct democracy Swiss style...

A Landsgemeinde, or assembly, of the Canton of Glarus, on 7 May 2006, Switzerland.

Eligible citizens of the canton meet on a certain day in the open air to decide on laws and expenditures by the council. Everyone can debate a question. Voting is accomplished by those in favour of a motion raising their hands. Historically, or in Appenzell until the admission of women, the only proof of citizenship necessary for men to enter the voting area was to show their ceremonial sword or Swiss military sidearm (bayonet), this gave proof that you were a freeman allowed to bear arms and to vote.

Where White Man Went Wrong

Indian Chief ‘Two Eagles’ was asked by a white U.S. government official, “you have observed the white man for 90 years.  You’ve seen his wars and his technological advances.  You’ve seen his progress, and the damage he’s done.”

The Chief nodded in agreement.

The official continued, “Considering all these events, in your opinion, where did the white man go wrong?”

The Chief stared at the government official then replied, “When white man find land, Indians running it, no taxes, no debt, plenty buffalo, plenty beaver, clean water.  Women did all the work.  Medicine man free.  Indian man spend all day hunting and fishing; all night having sex.”

Then the chief leaned back and smiled, “Only white man dumb enough to think he could improve system like that.”

Conch Republic Air Force Biplane Rides - Key West

Conch Republic on Wikipedia

The Conch Republic (República de la Concha) is a micronation declared as a tongue-in-cheek secession of the city of Key West, Florida, from the United States on April 23, 1982. It has been maintained as a tourism booster for the city since. Since then, the term "Conch Republic" has been expanded to refer to "all of the Florida Keys, or, that geographic apportionment of land that falls within the legally defined boundaries of Monroe County, Florida, northward to 'Skeeter's Last Chance Saloon' in Florida City, Dade County, Florida, with Key West as the nation's capital and all territories north of Key West being referred to as 'The Northern Territories'".
While the protest that sparked the creation of the Conch Republic (and others which have occurred since then) have been described by some as "tongue-in-cheek", they were motivated by frustrations over genuine concerns. The original protest event was motivated by a U.S. Border Patrol roadblock and checkpoint which greatly inconvenienced residents and was detrimental to tourism in the area.

Read more here 

30-Story Building Built In 15 Days (Time Lapse)

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Las Vegas isn't Las Vegas

Entertaining site

The Conch Republic on Facebook
Click here

Canterbury Snow 1992 - Part 1

Russia mocks Sweden's lack of military might

World's newest declaration of independence

Liberland, officially the Free Republic of Liberland (Czech: Svobodná republika Liberland) is a self-proclaimed micronation, situated on an unclaimed parcel of land at the western bank of the Danuberiver between Croatia and Serbia, sharing a land border with the latter. It was proclaimed on 13 April 2015 by Vít Jedlička.

The official website of Liberland states that the nation could be created due to the ongoing Croatia–Serbia border dispute.Since the Yugoslav Wars, some borderland territories have been disputed, such as the Island of Vukovar and the Island of Šarengrad; however, this area (also known as Gornja Siga) has remained unclaimed.

Website here

Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings...

Kerry Packer's Political Philosophy

Introduction to The Conch Republic, Key West, FL

'The Miracle Of Asia' (Part 1) - Singapore Documentary

Nigel Farage Was Right! , Nigel Farage on Paris attack, failure of multi...

EU Faces Greek Democracy in Great Euro Poker Game - UKIP

Christchurch Timelapse (Video by Lukas Kaupenjohann)

Piers Morgan: The Luxury Life of Dubai & A Luxury Tour Of Dubai

Ukraine Coup One Year On and Does Obama Hate America?

Fascinating portraits of the world's 'Micronations' which have declared independence from the rest of the world ...

Micronations are tiny states that claim to be an independent or sovereign nations

However, they are not formally recognised by the governments of the world

Believed to be approximately 400 micronations scattered around the globe

Photographer Leó Delafontaine travelled to document their unique and colourful lives

Read more here

Top 10 Low Income Tax Countries

10: Switzerland: Lump Sum Taxation

Switzerland remains an attractive country for its quality of life and its central geographic position, as well as for its excellent infrastructure.

Swiss taxation may be attractive, especially when opting for the Lump Sum Taxation. Although the latter may one day disappear, currently it is still in place and allows for the benefit of a predictable tax, since it is a flat rate, without having to disclose the amount of annual revenue.

Note that for people with international operations, neighbouring Liechtenstein is also interesting with a tax rate of 12.5% on companies and a maximum of 24% on individuals.

Personal income tax rate: Flat rate, the flat rate amount is currently negotiating between 150,000 and 200,000 Swiss Francs on average.

Read more here

Is All Fair In Love And War?

Polar bear plunge...

Swiss bank on safe haven label to become world's data vault...

Geneva (AFP) - Switzerland, facing an erosion of the banking secrecy laws that helped make it the world's banker, is now touting its reputation as a safe and stable haven to become a global data vault.
More and more companies are flocking to the wealthy Alpine country to stock data in an era of increasing espionage and hacking, and the Swiss are reaping the benefits of the paranoia.
"Data storage is the new Eldorado for Switzerland. It's a real boom," said Franz Grueter, the managing director of Green.ch, a leading data storage firm that has posted 30 percent annual growth since it was set up in 1995.

Read more here 

Davos Economist: Elite Are Afraid of Ferguson-Style Riots

Sons of Liberty - Extended Trailer

Paul Brandt - Alberta Bound...

Alberta separatism...

Alberta separatism is a movement that advocates the secession of the province of Alberta from Canada either by forming an independent nation, or by creating a new union with one or more of Canada's three other western provinces.
Read more here

The End of Canada?

Lewis Black " Taxed Beyond Belief "

Lewis Black: 'We are Living on the Corner Where Satire & Reality Intersect'

Estonian ID card safe and easy

Estonia offers e-residency to foreigners...

By the end of the year, people living anywhere in the world will be able to become ‘digital citizens’ without entering the physical country. But what does this mean? Nabeelah Shabbir reports.
Read more here

Crash of 1987- Live news reports of Stock Market Crash

Tax rates in Singapore...

Tax rates for resident individuals

From YA 2012 onwards

Chargeable Income	Rate (%)	Gross Tax Payable ($)
First $20,000 Next $10,000	0 2	0 200
First $30,000 Next $10,000	- 3.50	200 350
First $40,000 Next $40,000	- 7	550 2 800
First $80,000 Next $40,000	- 11.5	3 350 4 600
First $120,000 Next $  40,000	- 15	7 950 6 000
First $160,000 Next $  40,000	- 17	13 950   6 800
First $200,000 Next $120,000	- 18	20 750 21 600
First $320,000 Above $320,000	- 20 Read more here	42 350

The global debt clock...

The clock is ticking. Every second, it seems, someone in the world takes on more debt. The idea of a debt clock for an individual nation is familiar to anyone who has been to Times Square in New York, where the American public shortfall is revealed. Our clock (updated September 2012) shows the global figure for almost all government debts in dollar terms.

Does it matter? After all, world governments owe the money to their own citizens, not to the Martians. But the rising total is important for two reasons. First, when debt rises faster than economic output (as it has been doing in recent years), higher government debt implies more state interference in the economy and higher taxes in the future. Second, debt must be rolled over at regular intervals. This creates a recurring popularity test for individual governments, rather as reality TV show contestants face a public phone vote every week. Fail that vote, as various euro-zone governments have done, and the country (and its neighbours) can be plunged into crisis.

Clock here

I founded my own country...

My father wasn’t a king, he was a taxi driver, but I am a prince – Prince Renato II, of the country Pontinha, an island fort on Funchal harbour. It’s in Madeira, Portugal, where I grew up. It was discovered in 1419; Captain James Cook has been here, and there are paintings of his visit.
Read more here

Swiss Franc No Longer a Safe Haven and a Possible Bottom...

Corruption Perceptions Index from Transparency International

Chinese Kids Driving Supercars...

Mt Cook...

Mt Cook

How a flat tax would be fairer...

Flashmob Croatian Independence Day

First Four Ships website

The First Four Ships carried the Canterbury Association’s first settlers. The Association, founded in 1848 and guided by Edward Gibbon Wakefield and John Robert Godley, imagined the founding of an Anglican Church settlement in New Zealand comprising a cross-section of English society. In late 1848, the Association’s land surveyors found what they considered the ideal site for the proposed settlement of Canterbury and its chief town, Christchurch (originally, the Wairarapa was to be the site). In May 1849, official sanction was gained and the Association in London was notified. By July 1849, the setting out of the port town and surveying of the Bridle Path and Port Hills were under way. On January 3, 1850, the Association’s purchase terms were approved for a reservation of 2½ million acres in the Canterbury region. With that, the Association began recruiting emigrants, and by July 1850, preparations were well under way for the voyage to New Zealand.
Website here

Anchored at Lyttelton at on December 16, 1850...

HISTORY IN THE MAKING: "Arrival of the first four ships" as painted by William Menzies Gibb in 1900 from a drawing done by Sir William Fox in December 1850. The picture shows the Cressy, Charlotte Jane, Randolph, Sir George Seymour in Lyttelton Harbour.

Welcome to transparent banking

Swiss gold referendum...

Swiss gold reserves: The proposal would require the Swiss National Bank to have gold reserves of at least 20% of the value of the assets of the Swiss National Bank, and see all Swiss gold currently held in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York returned to Switzerland. The popular initiative was started by Swiss People's Party MP Luzi Stamm and two other MPs, with the 100,000 signatures required for a referendum obtained by early 2013. The proposal is opposed by the Swiss National Bank and the Swiss government, as it would limit the SNB's ability to print money.
Read more here

World Collapse Explained in 3 Minutes

Canterbury Military Power

Catalonia leader pushes on with independence vote...

Catalonia's leader has pledged that a symbolic independence vote will be held despite the legal challenges by the Madrid government. Catalonia’s regional President Artur Mas said in a speech on Wednesday that Spain’s semi-autonomous Catalonia will go ahead with the referendum on Sunday, promising to protect Catalans' "right to decide." -

Read more here 

Guy Fawkes fireworks, New Brighton Christchurch NZ

If NZ does not want its current flag Canterbury will have it...

Bananas Official Trailer (1971) HD

Statism: The Most Dangerous Religion...

Claudio Grass: The Upcoming Swiss Gold Referendum

David Cameron should have looked to the Australian example before he allowed the so called Scottish 'referendum'.

Homeowners in an independent Scotland could face significantly increased mortgage payments and at the same time suffer a fall in real estate values, according to press reports.

The fact is that nobody has any idea of what the currency of an independent Scotland would be.

This demonstrates the extraordinary complacency of the British government, and especially of the British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Read more here

Whenever government...

Whenever government becomes destructive of these ends (life, liberty, pursuit of happiness), it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new government.  
Declaration of Independence of the American Colonies, 1776

Exclusive: Angry with Washington, 1 in 4 Americans open to secession...

(Reuters) - The failed Scottish vote to pull out from the United Kingdom stirred secessionist hopes for some in the United States, where almost a quarter of people are open to their states leaving the union, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

Some 23.9 percent of Americans polled from Aug. 23 through Sept. 16 said they strongly supported or tended to support the idea of their state breaking away, while 53.3 percent of the 8,952 respondents strongly opposed or tended to oppose the notion.

Read more here

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Scottish Independence...

If Scotland breaks away, these 8 places in Europe could be next...

Given Europe's complicated history and cultural diversity, the existence of independence-minded groups and regions is understandable. Even so, the sheer number of separatist movements in Europe may surprise you.

Some of these groups have transformed their desire for separation into successful political movements; others are operating at a far lower level. Some are more violent (even building their own tanks, as was the case in Northern Italy) than others (as in Bavaria, where beer seems to be the only weapon which is used).

Read more here

Scotland – The Possible Turning Point...

A number of questions have been coming in about Scotland. Yes, it has the capacity to become the real Switzerland of Europe where capital would be attracted if they are out of the UK and the EU. Why? The EU is looking to more than just tax financial transactions, they are looking to even outlaw short-selling thinking they can support the Euro and their economy that way. Brussels cannot get it through their heads that if you prevent people from selling, you will prevent people from investing.
Read more here

Small states are successful states...

The practicalities of Scottish independence

Comedian Billy Connolly on Scottish independence

Scottish Independence v India Independence – Same Debate...

Whenever there is a movement for independence, the classic argument has been that they would fall flat on their face. Yet, in this case, many British believe that Scotland has a lot of socialists who live off the state and therefore Scotland costs Britain money. Support for Scottish Independence may even be higher inside Britain than in Scotland.

A reader sent this in regarding Scotland relating the situation to when India sought Independence:

Kinnoch: With respect, Mr. Gandhi, without British administration, this country would be reduced to chaos.

Gandhi: Mr. Kinnoch, I beg you to accept that there is no people on Earth who would not prefer their own bad government to the good government of an alien power.

Brigadier: My dear sir! India *is* British. We’re hardly an alien power!

[silence]

You just can’t make this stuff up.

There is nothing less attractive than a liberal in service to power.

Have a pleasant evening.

Reprinted from Armstrong Economics.

"No taxation without representation" ...

"No taxation without representation". 

Maybe it should be the more tax one pays the more one should be represented.

200 Years of Swiss Bank Secrecy Is Ending. So, Where's the Money?...

A funny thing's happened in Finland. Scores of its monied elite have filed requests to correct their tax data this summer—suddenly recollecting that they'd stashed earnings away in Swiss banks. Truly, this is the end of an era, thanks entirely to a U.S.-led crackdown on tax evasion. It's also a strange new beginning.

Read more here

East Timor secession...

The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (also known as East Timor) has been described as having "seceded" from Indonesia. After Portuguese sovereignty was terminated in 1975, East Timor was occupied by Indonesia. However the United Nations and the International Court of Justice refused to recognize this incorporation. Therefore the resulting civil war and eventual 2002 East Timorese vote for complete separation are better described as an independence movement.
Source

The European Debt Crisis Visualized

Mt Cook, Canterbury, NZ

Support for Scottish independence surges 4% as ‘Yes’ campaign gains momentum – poll...

Support for Scottish independence is gathering steam three weeks before the referendum, bringing victory tantalizing closer for the “Yes” camp after its decisive debate win and David Cameron’s attempt to make a business case for remaining in the UK.

A poll for the Scottish Daily Mail newspaper released Friday showed that support for independence has surged by 4 percent, to 47 percent – just 6 percentage points behind the “No” campaign.

The Survation poll found 47 percent of respondents would vote "Yes" to independence, compared to 53 percent who would vote "No," excluding people who were undecided.

Read more here

Meanwhile in Canterbury...

Canterbury nation value...

A panel of experts has valued Canterbury at four trillion and eight hundred and thirty two billion dollars [$4,832,000,000,000] or $8,537,102 per Cantabrian.

Timeline to Scotland independence...

20th century[edit]

Year	Date	Event
1929		The Church of Scotland and the United Free Church of Scotland unite.
1934		Scottish National Party founded.
1938		The Empire Exhibition, Scotland 1938 is held at Bellahouston Park, Glasgow.
1941		The Clydebank Blitz (13–15 March).
1943		Creation of the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board to bring electricity to all parts of the Highlands and Islands.
1945		First Scottish Nationalist MP is elected.
1947		Nationalisation of the railways – the Scottish Region of British Railways is created.
		The first Edinburgh International Festival is held.
1950		The Stone of Destiny is removed from Westminster Abbey.
1957		Scottish Television starts broadcasting.
1968		The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland permits the ordination of women as ministers.
1975		Local government reorganisation (replacing Counties and Burghs for administrative purposes with Regions and Districts).
1978		Launch of BBC Radio Scotland.
1979		Referendum to create a Scottish Assembly fails to meet the required majority.
1988		Terrorists blow up Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie with the loss of 270 lives, including 11 residents of the town.
1994		Local government reorganisation (replacing the Regions and Districts with single-tier councils).
1996		The Stone of Destiny is permanently returned to Scotland, to be housed in Edinburgh Castle.
1997		Newly elected Labour UK Government under the leadership of Scots-born Prime Minister Tony Blair legislates for a referendum on a devolved Scottish Parliament which is passed by a large majority.
1999		A Scottish Parliament sits for the first time in 272 years. Donald Dewar of the Scottish Labour Party elected as First Minister and formsScottish Executive in coalition with the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

21st century[edit]

Year	Date	Event
2004	October 9	Opening of the new Scottish Parliament Building.
2007		The Scottish National Party become the largest party in the Scottish Parliament and forms a minority government.
2011		The Scottish National Party under Alex Salmond gain an overall majority of the Scottish Parliament.
2014		Scotland is set to have a referendum on national independence.

Source here

Scottish Independence Debate 2: ALISTAIR DARLING v ALEX SALMOND

Scottish independence debate; Salmond v Darling

Final TV showdown in Scotland's independence debate looms before vote..

EDINBURGH (Reuters) - Scotland's future will be debated in a final TV showdown on Monday just weeks before a historic independence referendum with the pro-breakaway camp, behind in the polls, looking for a game-changing performance from its leader.
Read more here

World Collapse Explained in 3 Minutes

Hong Kong and Singapore forging ahead...

Men fight for liberty and win it with...

Men fight for liberty and win it with hard knocks. Their children, brought up easy, let it slip away again, poor fools. And their grandchildren are once more slaves.

D.H. Lawrence

Learn to Fly a Canterbury Air Force F-18 Hornet Fighter Jet...

Your Majesty, please grant us a new Magna Carta...

Noting the grievous loss of liberty suffered by hunts and hounds forbidden to chase foxes, we plead that they should be allowed to pursue pests of a different kind. These include: cold-callers; people who eat in the street and leave a trail of greasy litter behind them; dog owners who never scoop poop; mobile-phone users who insist on inflicting their half of any conversation on everyone in a 50-yard radius; motorway drivers whose car appears to have a magnetic attraction to one’s rear bumper; blind-drunk revellers in public places, and sundry other undesirables too numerous to mention. Set the dogs on them all!
Read more here

23 days to independence...

February 23[edit]

In Simferopol, on February 23, 2014 a pro-Euromaidan rally was held in support of the new Ukrainian authorities. The protesters also demanded the resignation of the Crimean parliament; attendees waved Ukrainian, Tatar and European Union flags.

Meanwhile in Sevastopol, tens of thousands protested against the new authorities and voted to establish a parallel administration and civil defense squads created with the support of Russian Night Wolves bikers.^{[clarification needed]} Same were created on 22 February in Simferopol, where about 5,000 had joined such squads. Protesters waved Russian flags and chanted "Putin is our president" and claimed they would refuse to pay further taxes to the state. Russian military convoys were also alleged to be seen in the area. In Kerch, pro-Russian protesters attempted to remove the Ukrainian flag from atop city hall and replace it with the flag of Russia. Over 200 attended waving flags of Russia, orange-and-black St. George and the Russian Unity party. Mayor Oleh Osadchy attempted to disperse the crowd and police eventually arrived to keep the protesters at bay. Osadchy said: "This is the territory of Ukraine, Crimea. Here's a flag of Crimea" but was accused of treason and a fight ensued over the flagpole.

Read more here

Europe’s fragmented future...

The specter of secession is haunting Europe. Since 2000 there have been three successful separations from existing states — by Montenegro, Kosovo and Crimea — and at the moment, several other regions are attempting to secede and create independent states. In March, Crimea first seceded from Ukraine and then voted, in a referendum, to rejoin the Russian Federation. At the same time, in an informal online referendum, voters of the Veneto region in northern Italy overwhelmingly favored independence and the restoration of the old Venetian republic. In September, the citizens of Scotland will vote in an independence referendum, and the government of the Spanish region of Catalonia plans to hold a referendum of the same kind two months later — despite a ruling by the Constitutional Court of Spain that such a referendum would be illegal (a similar referendum in the Basque region in 2008 was thwarted by the Spanish government). 
Read more here

40 Fun Facts About Singapore

1. Singapore consists only of one main island and 63 other tiny islands. Most of these islands are uninhabited.
2. Singapore is among the 20 smallest countries in the world, with a total land area of only 682.7 square kilometres. The USA is about 15,000 times bigger.
3. Apart from Monaco, Singapore is the most densely populated country in the world, with 6,430 people per square kilometre.
4. Singapore became the 117th member of the United Nations on 21 September 1965.
5. Symbolism of the National Flag: Red symbolises universal brotherhood and equality of man while white signifies purity and virtue. The crescent moon represents a young nation on the rise and the five stars signify the ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality. Read more here