Escape From Chaos

Last week thousands of Norwegians woke up to letters from the military informing them that their homes, cars, boats, and machinery may be requisitioned in the event of war.

Talk about a rude awakening.

For many of the 13,500 residents, the letters were nothing new. In fact, around two-thirds of them had heard it all before over previous years. The latest requisition policy is valid for a year and then… well, unless WW3 breaks out in the interim, probably another letter and the threat of losing everything they own looming over them for another 12 months…

You see Norway shares both a 123-mile land and 945-nautical-mile maritime border with Russia and, according to Anders Jernberg, head of Norway’s military logistics organization, “The importance of being prepared for crisis and war has increased dramatically in recent years.”

So, due to its geographic location NATO membership, Norway plays a key role in keeping an eye on the Arctic region where the U.S., Russia, and China are all seeking to expand their presence.

Eight nations have territory in the Arctic: the U.S., Canada, Russia, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. China, meanwhile, declared itself a “near-Arctic state” back in 2018 when it outlined an Arctic shipping initiative dubbed “the polar silk road.”

Half of the landmass in the Arctic is Russian territory. Along the northern Russian coast lies the Northern Sea Route, a shipping corridor where fees for large oil tankers and Liquefied Natural Gas carriers run between $300,000 to $700,000 for a single escort.

Over the past two decades Russia has been investing heavily in the area and not without returns… Rich in oil, natural gas, and other minerals, the region is expected to bring in over $160 billion in tax revenue for Russia over the next 10 years.

Naturally, with all that money and all those resources floating about there’s much to fight about.

According to the Simons Foundation, a Canadian non-profit that monitors Arctic security, there are 66 military sites within the region—30 are in Russia and 36 in NATO countries with Arctic territory. Norway is home to 15 of them, hence the wartime warning to homeowners who likely have zero interest in a frozen-ocean squabble.

But so it goes.

Of course, if WW3 ever did break out we’d likely all have bigger problems than soldiers shacking up in the guest room or borrowing your fishing boat… but the idea that the government can just decide to take everything you own for any reason is a pretty scary one—especially if it’s the only home you’ve got.

Now I’m not in the business of fear-mongering but this whole silly sideshow is a stark and timely reminder of the importance of having a Plan B…

Mine is way out on Panama’s Western Azuero Peninsula at my 225-acre ocean-front ranch, Los Islotes. Here, with my guns and my dogs, is where you’ll find me if the world ever does go to war…

I suggest you find your own escape from chaos and a good place to start looking is small, safe, untroubled Belize. It’s English-speaking and known for its low cost of living, tax advantages, and hassle-free residency options. Plus, it’s within easy reach of the U.S.—you can drive here if needs be.

The locals value personal privacy, self-determination, and freedom and the government don’t have the money or the interest in starting or fighting a war with anyone.

I’ll be in Belize in April to meet with my in-country team and your fellow readers in pursuit of a Plan B escape at the 2026 Live And Invest In Belize Conference. I hope you’ll join me there. It could be the smartest move you ever make…

Stay diversified,

Lief Simon
Editor, Offshore Living Letter