The International Man
The International Man is a book written by American free market economist and serial investor Doug Casey. Originally published in 1978 by Alexandria House Books of Alexandria, Virginia[1] it was intended for an American audience[2] and display advertisements promoting Casey and the book were placed in many newspapers.
Rhodesia history and republication
At the time it was written and published, the "Rhodesian Bush War" was raging between the predominantly-white Rhodesian government and the predominantly black rebel groups of both ZANLA, the military wing of the Zimbabwe African National Union and ZIPRA, the military wing of the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU). As of 1978 there were only 270,000 residents of European descent and more than 6,000,000 native Africans living in Rhodesia, creating a situation in which a white-minority government controlled a black-majority at a ratio of 22:1.
In early 1980, as independence loomed, it appeared that the government was likely to be replaced in a federal election by a predominantly black party that was required to give "assurances" to then leader of the government Ian Smith that whites would be allowed to stay in the now renamed Zimbabwe.
Internationalization
One of the key concepts of the book is that in order to enjoy a higher level of personal freedom, one must be prepared to look outside their home nation's borders. Casey espouses the belief that freedom also comes from making the most of financial opportunities.[3] He proposes that the political establishment of his native country, the United States, has "degenerated nearly to the level of every other modern state", which is "inevitable given the nature of government".[2] He believes that the best way to protect oneself is simply to free himself of an aggressive government by expatriating or preparing to do so by employing knowledge to make the right decisions should eventual formal expatriation be required. Much of the content of the book is devoted to those looking to expatriate. Casey discusses opportunities available to those who head outside their borders and the content of the book is broken up into primary parts:
- Part One: Your Personal Freedom Around the World - A discussion on how to measure and identify truly free places in the world, a review of passports, citizenship and visas, as well as a discussion on political treaties and topics related to it.
- Part Two: Your Financial Opportunity Around the World - A discussion on international real estate, money, banking and foreign exchange issues, how to do business abroad, details on working abroad, and tax considerations.
- Part Three: Countries to Consider - The remainder of the book is dedicated to identifying specific countries that may be of interest to readers depending on their stated goals and reasons for considering internationalization.
References
- ^ The International Man, Title Page, Douglas R. Casey, Alexandria House Books, 1978, ISBN 0-932496-09-1
- ^ a b The International Man, Douglas R. Casey, Alexandria House Books, 1978, ISBN 0-932496-09-1 , p. 2
- ^ The International Man, Douglas R. Casey, Alexandria House Books, 1978, ISBN 0-932496-09-1 , p. 1