Newsweek Thinks it Discovered Plan B? Here's what they missed.

Borderless Living isn't a trend, and it isn't lifestyle porn. It's an operating system for a thriving future (and not just for the ridiculously wealthy).

So… Newsweek just figured out that dual citizenship might be a good idea.

The American dream, which has fueled migration to the U.S. for the past century and more, was built on the idea that the U.S. was a land of opportunity offering freedom, financial stability, upward mobility, and personal success, as long as you were willing to work for it.

For many ordinary Americans, especially younger ones, that dream has died. It has been killed by the near impossibility of buying a home in the current market and the economic challenges that force them to scramble to keep up with the cost of living and delay their plans to form their own families.

The growing interest toward getting dual citizenship, proved by data shared by attorneys and firms helping customers obtain a second passport, shows that many Americans now believe that other countries can give them better opportunities than the U.S.

Neat.

They’re calling it “the new American Dream”—a shiny second passport, maybe a villa in Tuscany, perhaps a backup bank account in case things get weird. You can practically hear the cappuccino foam hissing in the background.

Here’s the thing:

That article isn’t wrong.
It’s just shallow.

It’s also five months late.

And more than that—it’s emblematic of almost everything wrong with how people talk about this moment in history. Shiny headlines. Shallow framing. No sense of urgency. No strategic depth.

Luckily, that’s not you.

What We’re Really Talking About Here

I still haven’t figured out the perfect name for this project. “Sovereign Architectural Living”? “Strategic Statelessness”? “Exit Strategy for Civilians”?

Whatever we call it, it’s not just about getting a second passport. It’s about building a life system that works when the system stops working.

That’s what we do here at Borderless Living. And while most of what we write is for paid members—because frankly, this information is power—this one’s free.

Why?

Because Newsweek just handed us a teachable moment on a silver platter, and it’s too important not to use it.

Called the “recap” shot—back in the old days of serialized TV shows like “The Streets of San Francisco,” they’d do a “recap” shot before a multi-part episode so if you dropped in mid-arc, you’d know what the heck was going on. Let’s do that now.

Previously…. on Borderless Living & The Long Memo

If you’re new here (and this post will likely bring in quite a few of you), here’s some essential context. You don’t need to read these first—but they’ll give you the meta-layer this Newsweek piece lacks.

📍 “The Election Didn’t Matter”

This is the structural breakdown. It explains how democratic systems worldwide—especially in the U.S.—are unraveling slowly. That’s the backdrop behind why so many people are now quietly (or not so quietly) looking for the exits.

📍 “Stochastic Anarchy: New Sovereign Architect’s Guide”

This is the doctrinal breakdown. It explains how the sovereign architect should put together their plan in evaluating where to go and how to build the next stage of their life, based on the objectives and position of where they are and where they want to go.

📍 “Leaving Wasn’t Part of the Plan”

This is the emotional layer. If you’re torn between Aunt Bea, the Fourth of July, and the nagging sense that something foundational is breaking—read this. This is the Borderless version, and a condensed version I published at Persuasion.

📍 “Am I Financially Screwed Forever?”

This is the wallet layer. Because it’s not just about freedom of movement. It’s also about surviving capitalism’s final boss level—the hollowing out of economic security, ownership, and opportunity. Especially if you’re under 40.

Together, these three pieces give you the full-spectrum view:

• The macro-politics of global collapse

• The micro-psychology of emotional detachment

• The economic mechanics of individual disenfranchisement

They’re not light reading.
They’re also not optional if you want to understand the real game being played.

So Let’s Talk About What Newsweek Missed

The real story isn’t about dual citizenship as a status symbol.
It’s about sovereign infrastructure.

It’s about:

• How to live with legal and financial autonomy

• How to build geographic redundancy before the gates lock

• How to preserve your mobility, identity, and assets in a world where states are failing and systems are fragmenting

It’s not just “Plan B.”
It’s a parallel system for those who no longer trust the primary one.

That’s what Borderless Living is about. Not sun-drenched newsletters about moving to Spain. Not “financial freedom” hustle porn. Not aesthetic Instagram minimalism in Bali.

It’s about building your best life off-empire.
Not because it’s trendy.
Because it may soon be necessary.

What are the elements of that sovereign infrastructure?

So What Is Sovereign Infrastructure, Anyway?

If you strip away the headlines, the lifestyle marketing, and the fear… what you’re left with is this:

Sovereign infrastructure is the ability to live a legally recognized, economically viable, and emotionally coherent life—even if the state you were born into fails.

It's the difference between surviving collapse and being swallowed by it. And I’d point out that none of those issues are really all that directly correlated with wealth. I want to put a pin in this idea (I will deal with it at length in a minute).

There are four core pillars:

🧠 Mental Sovereignty

The narratives you believe. The cognitive frameworks you use to interpret reality.

If you think you're crazy for wanting out, you're already trapped.
Mental sovereignty means reclaiming your judgment, seeing clearly through the propaganda, and giving yourself permission to act.

So the narratives you believe, the framework you use to evaluate information, and how you make decisions will matter. At Borderless, I attempt to use as neutral of a framework as possible.

That said, I invite readers to push back and contribute. I’m not saying that I’m bias-free (although I do think I’m reasonably bias free); my primary weakness is that I’m often unaware. Readers have pointed out risk points that honestly, I just never considered, and I have then later incorporated them into the analysis.

So for me, one of my “mental sovereignty” points is flexibility, and not being stuck in dogma.

📜 Legal/Financial Sovereignty

Your passports. Your residencies. Your bank accounts. Your corporate structures. Your retirement funds. Your asset protection plans.

Can you legally live, work, and bank elsewhere? Can you survive a currency freeze, asset seizure, or travel ban?

This is the hard law and financial plumbing that makes “Plan B” more than just a dream. This is where many people want to spend their time, and it’s really important, but it’s not the entire show. I will say, this is where mistakes are going to be the most costly, thus, it’s not wrong to spend time and money here.

🛠️ Operational Sovereignty

Your work. Your income streams. Your ability to function.

If your citizenship becomes a liability, can your business still run? Can you still get paid? Can you still get health care?

This is where theory meets practice—and where most people get stuck. Again, we spend a lot of time at Borderless on these issues. It’s also where I’m going to be bringing in the most expertise from outside my own. I’ve got really great friends and networks of people who are experts at building income streams, running businesses abroad, building matrixed teams, etc., to provide people with the insights about how to do this.

🧭 Existential Sovereignty

Your meaning. Your family. Your friendships. Your identity beyond nationalism.

Who are you when you’re no longer of a place, but simply in one? Can you live without belonging to the flag?

This is the stuff no one talks about—but it’s what breaks people after they relocate. Sovereignty isn't just paperwork. It’s a new sense of self. Reinventing oneself isn’t an easy process, even under the best of times. Doing it under the stress of fleeing a regime collapse and a world going bananas?

Yeah, that’s not exactly a walk in the park.

Most “Expat Advice” Stops at Legal/Financial

They’ll tell you how to get a visa. Maybe a bank account. Maybe a workaround for taxes.

But what they won’t tell you is:

• What happens when your mental model collapses

• How to earn money without relying on the U.S. economy

• How to build a community when you’re culturally unmoored

• How to protect your future when your government no longer does

That’s the gap Borderless Living exists to fill.

Not fantasy. Not escapism.
Just clear, strategic tools for building a life that works—even when your country doesn’t.

Let’s Talk About the Money Thing

At some point in every conversation about relocation or sovereignty, someone says:

“Well sure… but you have to be rich to do this.”

This is something many people believe. It’s also something I’ve observed is perpetuated in part by this “ecosystem” (for lack of a better term) around this whole “go live in Dubai! Go get a Passport in St. Kitts! Go find your dream in…” bullshit that I see around this whole “second passport” ether-cloud world as I started paying attention to it. I’m really at a loss to describe this “market” around this whole “second citizenship” thing, because honestly, the market is evolving.

A friend of mine yesterday told me he heard Scott Galloway talking on CNN or whatever saying basically, unless you were the “elite rich,” (basically centimillionaire or better - that’s 100M+ in liquidity) you were fucked.

That’s just bullshit. Straight up. Let me see if I can “pull the curtain” and show you what I think is a more accurate understanding of the structure of the entire world’s “lawful” immigration system.

The System Has Structured Tiers—But It's Not a Closed Club

If I were to characterize the global immigration system, I’d say the spectrum looks something like this:

• Tier 1: Ultra-high-net-worth "buy a passport" folks (CBI/Golden Visa)

• Tier 2: Location-independent earners and passive-income migrants

• Tier 3: Retirees on fixed income, family reunification, humanitarian cases

Does Tier 1 work? Yes. Absolutely.

If you really are someone like Bobby Axelrod from Billions—with insane amounts of access to capital, sharp lawyers, and a talent for sniper-like action—then Tier 1 mobility works exactly as advertised.

So let’s say I’m Bobby Axelrod. I cut a lump-sum tax deal with a country like—say, Switzerland. I agree to pay $1 million annually in forfait fiscal for ten years. I tiptoe into a high-end canton—say, Geneva. I bank 500 million to a billion euros or CHF locally. I fly private, keep a low profile, hire local staff, and don’t cause problems.

My businesses? They’re headquartered elsewhere—maybe Luxembourg, France, Germany, Singapore, or a Delaware shell if I’m careful. I don’t run them from Swiss soil. I follow the rules. Most importantly, I generate tax revenue with no political drama. The Swiss aren’t peppered with inquiries from the likes of the FBI, NCA, or Europol on their doorstep.

Then yes—Switzerland will absolutely give Mr. Axelrod residency and take his money. And after a decade of playing by the rules, with a bit of charm and a clean (on paper) dossier?

They’ll give him a passport.

But let’s be real: this isn’t how 99.9% of people move through the system.

So honestly? I don’t know what the hell Scott Galloway is talking about. (Granted, I didn’t hear his actual remarks.)

Tier 1 is gated by wealth, access, and elite signaling—not because it’s frictionless or magical.It’s slow. It’s bureaucratic. It’s high-touch.

But if you have time, money, and the best legal team money can buy?
Sure—it’s effective.
You can negotiate residency. You can establish a fiscal domicile. You can set up a private infrastructure.

But let’s be clear:

It’s not some golden ticket for sale where you whomp your dick and a Haliburton suitcase full of cash down on the table and—pow—they hand you a passport and that’s that.

That is not how it works. Anywhere. (At least not to my knowledge.)

Maybe Malta used to come close. But that show’s over, folks. The EU shut that circus down. And even the residue of that model is being litigated into the ground.

Now sure—if you’re desperate, you can try the unofficial route. Hand 10–20 million (dollars or euros) to some Gulf emir or African strongman, hope they’re feeling generous, and spin the roulette wheel. But what exactly are you buying?

A passport that may not be ICAO-accepted?

An identity tied to a regime one coup—or one bad press cycle—away from collapse?

You're not exactly dealing with rule-of-law countries here. Plus, your Emir or Strongman might take your Haliburton-Zero suitcase full of bearer bonds, chop your hands off, or shoot your messenger in the head because he looked at one of the leader’s wives wrong.

And then what? You're going to run to the State Department or the FBI and say:

“Hi, I was engaged in an illegal passport-for-bribe transaction with an authoritarian Gulf state and it went sideways. Can I get some help?”

How’s that going to work, exactly? That’s the problem with crime, enforcement is a bitch.

So yeah. That’s not how it works. It’s not a hack. It’s not a workaround. It’s a Hollywood fantasy for people who mistake desperation for strategy.

Even for the wealthy, there aren’t many shortcuts around time and bureaucracy.

Now let’s talk about the other routes.

Tier 2 and Tier 3 systems don’t require billions of dollars, private jets, or shell companies in Luxembourg.

They work. They’re legal. And they’re available to normal people—with jobs, families, or fixed retirement income.

And unlike CBI—which the EU is now actively dismantling—these pathways are slower, but far more stable in the long run. They’re based on treaties, bilateral agreements, and immigration law—not backroom deals and political discretion.

But here’s the trick:

The game isn’t rigged so much as it’s hidden under layers of complexity.

It’s not a scam. It’s not even a conspiracy. It’s just the government.
You have to know where the levers are.
You have to learn the map.
And you have to act before the doors harden shut.

That’s the real work of sovereign planning—not getting rich, but getting smart.

Tier 2 and Tier 3: The Hidden Levers

Once you stop fantasizing about golden passports and private jets, you start to see something better:
A real, legal, repeatable system that’s been hiding in plain sight.

So let’s unpack it:

Tier 2: Functional Sovereigns with Flexible Pathways

These are countries with legitimate visa categories that work for professionals, entrepreneurs, remote workers, and passive income earners. Here are some of the examples:

✅ Digital Nomad Visas (DNVs)

• Portugal, Spain, Greece, Croatia, Estonia, Uruguay

• Usually require ~$2K–$3K/month in remote income

• Simple application, 1–2 year renewable residence

• Some offer paths to permanent residency or citizenship after 5 years

✅ Passive Income Visas / Independent Means

• Panama, Costa Rica, Mauritius, Thailand, Greece

• Show bank statements, rental income, dividends, retirement benefits

• Often prohibit local employment, but allow global income

• Some offer fast-track residency and tax incentives

✅ Self-Employment / Freelancer Visas

• Germany (Freiberufler), Czech Republic, Italy, Mexico

• Requires a business plan, proof of income, and client base

• Often the first step toward permanent residency

This is Tier 2: You don’t need a trust fund. You need a plan.

Tier 3: Retirees, Reunifiers, and Refugees of Capitalism

Tier 3 is for people who aren't earning online or managing a business, but still want out. Most of these people fund their lifestyle through passive businesses or retirement income streams. Alternatively, these are individuals who can avail themselves of family heritage and relationships.

✅ Retirement Visas

• Mexico, Ecuador, Portugal (D7), Philippines, Belize

• Show proof of pension or passive income (as low as $1,000/month in some places)

• Access to healthcare, real estate, and local services

• Often leads to permanent residency or even citizenship over time

✅ Family Reunification / Descent-Based Citizenship

• Italy, Ireland, Poland, Germany, Lithuania

• If you have a grandparent or great-grandparent from these countries, you may be eligible for citizenship

• Often one of the strongest sovereign tools you can hold—especially in the EU

✅ Special Programs (e.g., humanitarian, religious, cultural visas)

• Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay

• More obscure—but very real. Often based on treaties, cultural heritage, or strategic relocation programs

What They All Have in Common

• They’re legal

• They’re predictable

• They’re repeatable

But they are not advertised, not well-documented, and usually require:

• Reading legal code in a foreign language

• Knowing when to ignore immigration forums

• Understanding how local banks, lawyers, and consulates actually behave

• Having experts on your team that are “on the ground” in the countries who understand the bureaucracies and can maneuver in real time (this is often exceptionally difficult to achieve “at arm’s lenth”)

That’s what we do at Borderless Living.
We map the levers.
We build the stack.
Connect you to experienced operators.
We teach you how to operate inside the system before the system locks up.

The Shift

Newsweek frames dual citizenship like it’s the latest lifestyle trend—
A cool flex for young professionals. A passport upgrade. A cultural hobby.

You know the tone:
“Live your best life abroad.”
“Collect a passport like you collect stamps.”
“Escape burnout in Barcelona!”

And here’s the thing, many of the people selling these services are more than happy to chime in and say exactly the same thing.

And let me be clear, I am not saying that your mindset should be “RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!”

That’s not it at all. I do think a brighter future is going to lie beyond the shore. But the rosy posy posturing? That framing misses the deeper truth.

Because the people seriously considering second passports right now?
They’re not just optimizing for wanderlust.
They’re trying to opt out of collapse.

That nuance is being missed, but the data makes it painfully clear.

This Isn’t About Travel Freedom. It’s About System Exit.

This is why I wanted people to read my pieces on economics, particularly the piece on “Am I financially screwed forever?” At The Long Memo, I am bombarded by people who ask that question all the time.

The simple answer is—maybe?

But that answer, thankfully, is not consistently the same everywhere around the world. Not every financial system is consistently the same globally. Not every economy is in the same shape. Not every tax system is engineered the same. Not every political system is engineered the same.

The people exploring dual citizenship today aren’t chasing aesthetic experiences.
They’re reacting to something much more fundamental:

• They no longer believe they’ll retire safely in the U.S.

• They don’t think they’ll ever own a home.

• They’ve watched their rights erode, their healthcare fail, and their wages stagnate.

• They’re working harder and falling further behind.

This isn’t wanderlust. It’s withdrawal.
Not from culture—but from a collapsing operating system.

What They Want Isn’t “Flexibility.” It’s a Firewall.

When someone says they want dual citizenship “for freedom of travel,”
what they often mean is:

“I want a way out if things go bad here.”
“I want legal options if my government turns against me.”
“I want to protect my family if the courts, cops, or currency stop functioning.”

That’s not aspirational. That’s survival architecture. It is from this underlying framework that anxiety can (and sometimes does) creep in and get out of control. Yes, leaving is going to lead to incredible upside, but the immediate motivator for many is avoiding tremendous downside.

The shift isn’t about lifestyle.

It’s about legal mobility in an age of political immobility.
It’s about existential optionality when the mainframe is glitching.

Newsweek missed it.
But anyone watching closely sees it:

Dual citizenship is the firewall. Sovereignty is the system.

Our (Borderless Living) Thesis

This was never about lifestyle flexibility.
It’s not about being “global.”
It’s not about moving to Lisbon to find yourself and drink better espresso.

Those are all great things. Those are all things you’re going to get when you do this properly. But this “endeavor” is mainly about one thing: life planning.

We are now living in a world defined by:

• Unpredictable state behavior

• Legal voids and executive overreach

• Weaponized mobility controls

• Institutional collapse

In that world, you don’t need a Plan B.
You need a life strategy vector.
That’s where Borderless Living comes into the picture.

The System Is Failing Its Participants

According to the Harris Poll’s February 2025 data:

• 68% of Americans say they’re surviving, not thriving

• Over half say homeownership is no longer attainable

• More than 40% have seriously considered leaving the U.S.

• Millennials, Gen Z, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ Americans increasingly believe their rights are under threat

• Half of Americans want dual citizenship—not for adventure, but for protection, affordability, and stability

This isn’t wanderlust.
It’s mass disillusionment.

People are watching the American Dream fracture in real time—financially, politically, existentially.
They aren’t just opting out of the country.
They’re trying to opt out of the system.

That’s Where Borderless Living Comes In

We’re not here to romanticize expat life. While we think living abroad is going to have tremendous upside, what I am most focused on is ensuring that readers get clear eyed, risk-based, assessments.

We’re here to build a framework—a sovereign operating system—for people who see what’s coming and refuse to be crushed under it.

Because in a world defined by:

• Unpredictable state behavior

• Legal voids and executive overreach

• Weaponized mobility controls

• Institutional collapse

…you don’t need a Plan B.

You need a life strategy vector.

I know that for me, this choice is going to be one of the most important choices I’m ever going to make in my life. It is a choice that will be on par with my decision to get married or have children. It is a life-altering decision, and one that in many ways is going to be irrevocable. Because the stakes are so high, the risks so great, and the situation so fluid, I am putting tremendous effort into this.

That’s how I’m treating this decision, these materials, these models, this information. So what I’m sharing with readers, is being processed at that level.

I know that the vendors I vet and share with you share that vision, because I’ve discussed that specifically with them. I know precious few ever say that. Instead it’s all capuccinos and sun lit beaches and the rest.

And yes, it’s going to be all that. I love Italy. I love France. I love Britain. I love lots of places in the world. I’ve seen a lot of the world. A lot of places on Earth are pretty amazing. I also know that it will be tremendously hard on my family, on my children, on me. I’ve reinvented myself multiple times in my life, and each time, it’s very difficult.

And what makes all of this incredibly hard is that all of this is being done in a time of tremendous political and economic instability, when the entire global system is under tremendous systemic stress and a global superpower is either collapsing into a soft failed state or becoming a predatory fascistic/patrimonialist regime, and many of you reading this publication along with me will be exiles of that regime.

So yeah, things are nothing short of fuckin ugly. So while it will be cappuccinos and croissants, and amazing food, and all the rest?

Underneath? We’re all going to have some issues to deal with as well. I think I’m the only publication and analyst dealing with that openly and honestly. I think you have to. Otherwise, you’re kidding yourself.

Being a sovereign architect requires knowing all the risks, and knowing yourself. That’s in part why I think Borderless is a critical partner to making it work.

We Solve the Problems the Data Reveals

Problem #1: “I can’t afford to live here anymore.”

We show you how to relocate legally, affordably, and sustainably. I’m going to attempt to even show you how to do it on retirement incomes alone. I do believe that tier 2 and tier 3 systems can work for everyone.

Problem #2: “I feel like my rights are being eroded.”

We map where your identity, values, and legal protections are actually safe—and where you’re one regime change away from being erased.

Problem #3: “I want to leave but I don’t know how.”

We walk you through every layer of the sovereign stack—passports, visas, banking, insurance, taxes, identity, culture.

Problem #4: “This all feels overwhelming and expensive.”

We cut through the bureaucracy, BS, and overpriced relocation services—and give you a playbook that works, even if you're not wealthy.

We’re Not Selling Escapes. We’re Building Infrastructure.

This is not about dropping out of society.
It’s about opting into something more resilient.

What Borderless Living offers is a new model for how to build a life—
One that works when the old one doesn’t.

• A system for legal identity and financial movement

• A system for family security and geographic flexibility

• A system for staying human and sovereign, even under strain

If the U.S. is your only pillar, you’re exposed.
If your mobility, income, and rights are all tied to one jurisdiction—you’re vulnerable.

But if you build your sovereign stack—mental, legal, operational, existential—then you have real power. Not just freedom. Optionality.

That’s the thesis.
The data proves the need.
Borderless Living provides the map.

So, Newsweek found Plan B, but now what about you?

If you’re just now thinking about dual citizenship?
Great. The best time to start is now.

But don’t stop there.

Read the archive.
Run the playbook.
Build the stack.

This Memorial Day Weekend, the our Annual Membership rate has been reduced.
It includes every Borderless country guide, tactical strategy, and full premium access to The Long Memo.

Because the exits are still open.
But they won’t be forever.

Stay safe.
Stay sovereign.
Stay Borderless.

[👉 CLAIM YOUR ESCAPE PLAN NOW]
(Deadline: May 26, 2025)