It’s pretty safe to say that we are no longer Private Citizens, but rather wards of the state.

The main ingredient in the whole “private citizen” thing is actual PRIVACY!!! Of which, my fellow ‘Merikans, we have none… and haven’t for a good while now.

I’ve been writing about this intrusion pretty much since I’ve started with GWP, and I get it: no one is going to stop using social networks or email or cell phones regardless of whether they know this stuff or not. Here’s the natural progression of where we are with the whole surveillance state:

There has been quite a buzz around the power of the alleged NSA eavesdropping considering the insights that the NSA Whistleblower, Edward Snowden, presented to the American public.

The NSA Whistleblower exposed how our digital identities are being captured, stored, analyzed, and categorized, allegedly by NSA, as well as companies that publicly state that they store and analyze your data (Facebook, Linkedin, Google email, etc.). The power of the NSA system, according to Snowden, is that they aggregate your digital communications across telephone, internet, web, mobile app, and email data.

With regards to email, email encryption works, to keep your email message content private. As The Guardian reported on Monday, June 17, the NSA Whistleblowersaid:

You may have heard that Belize has it all, and it most certainly does. What this country has to offer you, is more than you can simply imagine -from attractive bank secrecy laws and tax advantages, beautiful Caribbean beaches, the second longest reef in the world, and of course, to the #1 island in the world voted by TripAdvisor, Ambergris Caye.

We wanted to share a few highlights from some of the things we at Beauty For Ashes Project did last month here in Nicaragua. We started out the month by giving out gently used children's clothing and shoes that were collected in the US to our families outside of the trash dump as well as in the barrio Las Banderas. We also outfitted the church outside of the trash dump, El Faro, with almost 100 children's English books and study materials for the free English class they provide every Friday evening for the youth in the community. The kids were so excited and grateful for the books and we want to thank Bethany Elementary school in Clover, SC for donating their used books to us!

The fork in the road...

It’s the country you escape to when you want to surround yourself with stunning natural beauty, comfortable, yet eco-friendly style of living, a strong economy, and a stable government. Life is stress-free and the cost of living is affordable. It has been ranked as a top destination for years, and is home to an extraordinary number of expats. Infrastructure is modern, top-notch healthcare is available for a fraction of what it costs in the United States, and the culture is rich and welcoming. If you haven’t guessed by now, this country is Costa Rica, and it can become your new haven today.

As you are aware, there is deep uncertainty in the fundamental question of not knowing where our privacy and freedom are heading. “Executive Orders” are piling up under the current administration, now totaling more than all other presidents combined. Government is infringing on our rights. On top of this, there is the unjustifiable and humiliating behavior like the IRS scandal and the Benghazi cover-up. We really do not know what is next.