Op-Ed by Neil ‘Liberty’ Radimaker
The system thrives on coercion, fear, and the risk of choice. At its core, this structure relies on convincing you that compliance is your only option. This is why I refuse to pay income taxes—not just because they are theft and robbery, but because allowing the state to take what is rightfully mine means actively participating in their destruction. Income taxes are the lifeblood of war, systemic violence, and the machinery that suppresses individual freedom. Every dollar taken from you funds the gears of oppression, ensuring the system thrives while your autonomy withers.
When you truly understand what your income tax dollars fund—bombs dropped on innocent civilians, campaigns of violence masquerading as diplomacy, and the erosion of basic liberties—it becomes impossible to remain moral and complicit. You cannot claim to value freedom while funding its destruction. The state counts on your obedience, not just through physical coercion but through psychological manipulation. By paying taxes, you’re not just a victim; you’re an enabler.
People like to argue that they have no choice. But there is always a choice, even if it comes with risks. This is where the state’s true coercion lies—not in the absence of options, but in the consequences of defiance. Fear of punishment keeps people compliant, locked in a cycle of obedience that prioritizes survival over ethics. Choosing to opt out means accepting those risks and reclaiming your autonomy. It’s not easy, but it’s necessary. The alternative is to remain shackled, perpetuating the system that thrives on violence, control, and exploitation.
Roger Ver: A Case Study in Economic Dissent
Roger Ver’s story is a reminder of what happens when you dare to challenge the system. Here’s a man who has spent his life advocating for financial freedom, yet he now faces 109 years in prison. Not for committing actual crimes, but for exposing the mechanisms of control that underpin the global financial system. Ver used Bitcoin to show people that they could step outside government-controlled currencies and reclaim their economic autonomy. He dared to give people a choice—and that made him a threat.
Let’s be clear: Roger Ver’s arrest has nothing to do with taxes. He renounced his U.S. citizenship nearly a decade before the IRS targeted him. He wasn’t living in the U.S., wasn’t a citizen, and wasn’t beholden to U.S. tax laws. Yet, the government claims he owes taxes on income earned during that period. This isn’t about money; it’s about silencing dissent. Ver’s arrest came just weeks after he published a book detailing how intelligence agencies hijacked Bitcoin, transforming it from a tool of freedom into a weapon of control.
This pattern of suppression is nothing new. Governments have always sought to crush those who expose their lies and disrupt their power. Ver’s story is just the latest chapter in this ongoing battle. By targeting him, they send a clear message: dissent will not be tolerated. But Ver’s fight is far from over, and his courage serves as an inspiration for those of us who refuse to comply with a system built on exploitation and control.
The True Nature of Income Taxes
Taxes are theft, but they’re more than that—they’re a tool of control. When you hand over your money to the state, you’re not just funding its operations; you’re endorsing its actions. Every bomb dropped, every war waged, every life destroyed—it’s all made possible by your compliance. The state relies on your fear to maintain its power. By refusing to pay taxes, I reject this system of economic slavery.
People like to believe that taxes are necessary for society to function. This is a myth perpetuated by those in power to justify their theft. Taxes are not voluntary. They are demanded with the threat of imprisonment if you refuse. This is not a social contract; it’s extortion. And yet, most people continue to comply, convinced that they have no choice. This is the genius of the system—it convinces you that your compliance is inevitable.
But compliance isn’t inevitable. It’s a choice, even if it’s a difficult one. By refusing to pay taxes, I take a stand against the atrocities they fund. I reject the notion that I must participate in a system that values control over freedom, exploitation over ethics. This isn’t just about money; it’s about principles. To pay taxes is to be complicit in the state’s crimes. To refuse is to reclaim your humanity.
The Hijacking of Bitcoin
Bitcoin was born as a tool of freedom—a decentralized currency that allowed individuals to transact without interference from governments or banks. But it didn’t take long for the system to co-opt it. Through censorship, propaganda, and manipulation, intelligence agencies transformed Bitcoin from a tool of liberation into a tool of control. What was once a means of economic autonomy is now just another speculative asset.
The story of Bitcoin’s hijacking is a cautionary tale. In its early days, Bitcoin promised anonymity and freedom. It allowed people to conduct transactions without oversight, reclaiming their financial sovereignty. But as its popularity grew, so did the state’s interest in controlling it. Through KYC regulations and custodial wallets, they stripped Bitcoin of its privacy and autonomy. Today, most people use Bitcoin through platforms that are no better than traditional banks. Every transaction is tracked, every wallet is monitored, and every user is at the mercy of centralized control.
This transformation didn’t happen by accident. It was a deliberate effort by intelligence agencies to neutralize Bitcoin’s threat to the established financial system. By making it difficult to use Bitcoin privately, they ensured that it could no longer serve as a tool of freedom. What remains is a hollow shell of its original promise.
Minimizing Incrimination and the Role of Privacy
To navigate these risks effectively, we must adopt practices that minimize both self-incrimination and external exposure:
Assert Your Right to Silence: Whether dealing with law enforcement, tax agencies, or regulatory bodies, remember that you are not obligated to incriminate yourself. Know your rights and exercise them. Silence isn’t just a defense; it’s a weapon.
Operational Security in Transactions: Always assume your crypto transactions are under scrutiny. Use privacy coins and peer-to-peer exchanges, and avoid linking your identity to wallet addresses. Educate those you transact with about the importance of maintaining mutual privacy.
Control Your Narrative: Avoid publicly sharing details about your activities, as they can easily be twisted into evidence against you. Choose your words carefully and consider the potential consequences of every admission.
Opting out of centralized systems is not without its challenges, especially when it comes to avoiding self-incrimination. Nearly 90% of criminal cases are built on individuals unintentionally incriminating themselves or having their actions traced back to them. The state thrives on leveraging fear, ignorance, and manipulation to extract compliance. Cryptocurrency use mirrors this dynamic: public blockchains, improper wallet practices, and peers who fail to protect privacy can expose individuals to unwanted scrutiny.
Acquiring Cryptocurrency Without KYC
Obtaining cryptocurrency without KYC requires a blend of strategies to ensure privacy and autonomy. Here’s how to approach it:
- Peer-to-Peer Transactions & Privacy Coins
- Trade directly with individuals using cash, barter, or other agreed-upon methods through platforms like LocalCryptos, Bisq, or similar. Privacy-focused cryptocurrencies such as Monero (XMR), Zano, and Zcash can enhance security for these trades, as they obscure transaction details like sender and receiver.
Methods to Acquire:
- Mining: Directly mine privacy coins on your own hardware to bypass exchanges and KYC completely.
- P2P Trades: Purchase privacy coins or Bitcoin directly from individuals using cash, barter, or other cryptocurrencies.
Precautions:
- Use encrypted messaging apps like Signal or Session to arrange transactions.
- Meet in secure, private locations if trading in person.
- Avoid sharing personal details, ensuring the other party doesn’t log or report transactions.
Decentralized Exchanges & Non-Custodial Wallets
- Decentralized Exchanges (DEXs): Platforms like Bisq, ShapeShift DAO, and AtomicDEX enable trading without intermediaries or KYC. Always use a VPN or Tor to enhance anonymity and fund trades with cryptocurrencies obtained through non-KYC methods.
- Non-Custodial Wallets: Custodial wallets, controlled by third parties, compromise privacy due to regulatory compliance. Instead, use hardware wallets like KeepKey, Ledger, or Trezor, or privacy-focused options like Monerujo (for Monero) or Samourai Wallet (for Bitcoin). These wallets provide complete control over your funds and transactions.
Minimizing Tracking & Risks
- Avoid Tracking: Use privacy coins for transactions and avoid converting them into public cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin on centralized exchanges.
- Limit Information Leakage: Never publicly share wallet addresses. Regularly rotate addresses and maintain separate wallets for different purposes to avoid clustering.
Building Privacy Networks
- Form local networks of trusted individuals committed to decentralized trade and privacy-focused practices. This approach allows for direct bartering and trading while minimizing reliance on centralized systems and KYC requirements.
Sacrifice, and Guiding Others
By writing this, I knowingly take on a significant risk. Admitting my refusal to pay taxes and my rejection of centralized systems makes me a target. Yet, I accept this risk with purpose. It echoes a concept in Buddhist philosophy where individuals, referred to as bodhisattvas, delay their own enlightenment to help others achieve theirs. Derrick Broze and I embody this principle by openly sharing the dangers of resistance to illuminate paths for others. We willingly place ourselves in the spotlight to teach others what it means to opt out and the sacrifices that come with it.
Telling people what not to do often requires revealing what is being done. This is not an invitation to recklessness but a call for thoughtful, deliberate action. By speaking out, we accept that the system might target us. However, silence only perpetuates its power, leaving others unprepared to resist. If enough people rise against the mechanisms of control, the system loses its ability to isolate and punish dissenters effectively.
Self-incrimination is not only a direct threat but also a broader issue of exposure—where others, willingly or unwittingly, provide information that ties your actions to your identity. This is true in financial systems, legal encounters, and interactions with law enforcement. The state thrives on this interconnected vulnerability, making it crucial for individuals to protect not just their actions but also the information others may hold about them.
Resistance is not just about saying no; it’s about creating a foundation where compliance becomes unsustainable. Educating others on how to protect themselves and avoid the traps of self-incrimination is a necessary step.
We take these risks because the alternative is far worse: a world where compliance is automatic, dissent is extinguished, and privacy is a distant memory. Every step we take toward awareness and resistance brings us closer to dismantling the mechanisms of coercion, replacing fear with autonomy, and paving the way for true freedom.
Roger Ver’s Fight Is Our Fight!
Roger Ver’s story is a microcosm of the larger battle for freedom. His crime wasn’t tax evasion; it was daring to challenge the system. By promoting cryptocurrency as a means of economic autonomy, he became a threat to the established order. His arrest is a warning to anyone who values liberty over control: the state will not tolerate dissent.
But Ver’s fight isn’t just his own. It’s ours. His story highlights the importance of opting out, of refusing to comply with a system built on coercion and control. The tools for freedom exist, but they won’t matter if we don’t use them. Choosing to opt out isn’t easy, but it’s necessary. The alternative is a world where every transaction is tracked, every action is monitored, and every person is controlled.
For further insights into his story, watch Roger Ver’s recent interview with Tucker Carlson. In it, he shares his experiences, the challenges he’s faced, and the lessons he’s learned in his pursuit of economic freedom.
- Help Free Roger: https://www.freerogernow.org
- Roger Ver’s Book, Hijacking Bitcoin: https://www.hijackingbitcoin.com
- Tucker Carlson’s Interview with Roger Ver: https://tuckercarlson.com/tucker-show-roger-ver
Stay informed, stay vigilant, and take direct action!
Source: The Conscious Resistance Network
Neil Radimaker is a Reporter, Journalist, filmmaker and cinematographer, as well as the co-founder and co-creator of The Conscious Resistance Network, which is a decentralized media network focused on promoting individual freedom, peaceful resistance, and alternative solutions to mainstream problems. Neil left the corporate world in 2010 to live a more decentralized agorist lifestyle. Since then, he has directed and produced documentaries, short films, and has collaborated with various alternative media outlets and organizations like Cop Block, News2Share and The Free Thought Project. Additionally, he has spoken at conferences and events on topics related to liberty, individual sovereignty, nonviolent communication, and decentralized media. To find more of Neil’s content check out his personal content hub called “The Liberty Lens” theconsciousresistance.com/libertylens
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