Q: How seriously should we worry about sudden destruction of bank account data or forced digital currency? Ray Peat: I think everyone should have alternatives to the banks. The plan is to have digital money and do away with exchangeable pieces of paper, because you can do business outside the system with paper. Much of Mexican business (about half the economy last time I looked) is still outside the government’s perception, and that’s one of the things the tax system, government, and banks would like to control. But Mexico is still somewhat out of control. Q: Any general approach to dealing with a parasitic infection like Chagas? Ray Peat: Avoiding it is interesting. Most parasites hang out in very humid tropical areas. High altitudes help — there’s not enough oxygen for some skin mites, and the ultraviolet light is so intense at 7,000 ft that bacteria have a very short life. High thyroid and high altitude both lower lactic acid and inflammation while increasing anti-inflammatory and anti-infective carbon dioxide. Q: Any other advantages of Mexico over Bolivia? Ray Peat: Bolivia has cities at higher altitudes and lower latitude, but some very high-altitude big cities (like La Paz area) have become so polluted that it detracts from the area. Also, there aren’t the masses of US staff stationed in Bolivia as there are in Mexico. Q: Alternatives to banks — gold/silver or something else? Ray Peat: Gold and silver and productive land, mangoes, fruit trees… Q: On farming and starting agricultural projects Ray Peat: Lots of independent subsistence farmers don’t understand soil chemistry. Just bringing in knowledge of composting would make it possible to quickly turn low-producing land into high-producing land. If I were going to start an agricultural organization, I would look for borderline depleted land with some kind of water supply and then concentrate on building up the fertility. The more organic material, basically, the better things grow. Q: How much influence do the cartels have, and how much are they influenced by the US/CIA? Is that a threat to living in Mexico? Ray Peat: The sensible thing would be to legalize the drugs they trade in. Enforcement against the cartels is what they need to keep the prices up. The people who proposed letting drugs come through Mexico freely and letting Americans worry about legality had the obvious solution for Mexico — there would be no significant profit within Mexico. But the US obviously doesn’t like that solution. Q: Final thoughts / advice for the group? Ray Peat: I’m sure that’s the natural state of things. I think there’s plenty of time. Take your time, poke around, start learning the language, and let people know that you’re interested in settling down — that will bring you lots of information. Q: Advice for group dynamics in an intentional community? Ray Peat: It’s good to read about the history of intentional communities. The idea of becoming farmers when you haven’t had a farming tradition led most of the intentional communities to break up — people discovered they weren’t cut out for that kind of work. Q: How much influence do the cartels have, and how much are they influenced by the US/CIA? Is that a threat to living in Mexico? Ray Peat: The sensible thing would be to legalize the drugs they trade in. Enforcement against the cartels is what they need to keep the prices up. The people who proposed letting drugs come through Mexico freely and letting Americans worry about legality had the obvious solution for Mexico — there would be no significant profit within Mexico. But the US obviously doesn’t like that solution. Q: Final thoughts / advice for the group? Ray Peat: I’m sure that’s the natural state of things. I think there’s plenty of time. Take your time, poke around, start learning the language, and let people know that you’re interested in settling down — that will bring you lots of information.