GOOD GUYS GO TO PRISON

& WHY MIGHT YOU BE ONE OF THEM?

 Helping People Wrongly Targeted is a Necessity for Me
By Grandpa in Monaco (French Riviera), 1 January 2013

The originator  of “civil disobedience” to bring about changes in bad laws was Henry David Thoreau 1817-1862)   an American author,  tax resister, and government critic.  He is best known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay, Civil Disobedience, –an argument for individual resistance to civil government in moral opposition to an unjust state. When arrested after an anti-slavery protest, a friend visited Thoreau in prison and asked “What are you doing inside this place?” Thoreau answered: “What are you doing outside?”

The originator of “civil disobedience” to bring about changes in bad laws was Henry David Thoreau 1817-1862) an American author, tax resister, and government critic. He is best known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay, Civil Disobedience, –an argument for individual resistance to civil government in moral opposition to an unjust state. When arrested after an anti-slavery protest, a friend visited Thoreau in prison and asked “What are you doing inside this place?” Thoreau answered: “What are you doing outside?”

Fast Forward to 2013

I (Grandpa) have a friend who is a conventional, Christian, and conservative American. In spite of that, he is a decent chap .

It’s been interesting to analyze his severe disapproval of one of my associates. It was disturbing to me how one of my lawyer friends was viewed by him. My dear friend and former associate was disbarred and went to prison some years earlier, to protect a client in a tax case. He believed in attorney –client confidentiality, but when his case came up,  the American courts were in the process of overturning that ancient privilege. This lawyer had the misfortune to get in the IRS cross-hairs – – much like the Swiss Bank UBS more recently. He refused to give up his work papers relating to an  accused client. His client walked free. The lawyer unfortunately, walked the plank.

The purpose of “privileged secret confidential communication with a lawyer”  was to allow clients to come clean to their lawyers without fear that confidential information would be used against them.

Without this privilege, clients who seldom know the law often assume that they are guilty of something. Thus, they hide relevant facts from their own lawyer.  These facts, disclosed in confidence, may be essential to their defense. In many cases,they may prove their innocence. The attorney-client privilege was eviscerated a decade ago.

Anyway, my conventional, Christian, and conservative American friend can’t get past the fact that this lawyer was smeared by the IRS as a villain; then found “guilty” by a jury and finally imprisoned for felony–conspiracy. Conspiracy (often nothing more than a conversation) is a ‘thought’ crime –without any victim — and it exists as a crime only in the USA!  My conventional,  conservative friend CAN”T wrap his head around the idea that sometimes [probably too often!]  *good guys go to prison*.

Like most Americans, he will cheer on some types of  protesters – until they are convicted and jailed.

Then, in his eyes,  anybody who gets convicted and sent to jail is a BAD guy, period.  My friend told me that  only the guilty ever go to jail! Unfortunately this represents the majority opinion in the USA. Probably in Russia and anywhere else as well!

He told me in a whisper—“if they are not guilty, they are just very stupid to fight the system and hang around long enough to be convicted”… For him, idealists –like reporters who would rather go to jail than rat on a source – or maybe in the  old days, abolitionists like Thoreau, who helped escaping slaves– are too stupid and dangerous for him to be associated with. Yeah—  a typical brave, patriotic conventional, Christian, and conservative American guy!

Some of the most moral and righteous people in the world were first jail-birds, then clients and they are now my best friends. Many would never have come into my orbit if they didn’t get negative notoriety or by some quirk of fate, get kicked around by Big Brother. It may be potentially self-destructive to befriend such people but if so, that is one of my failings as a PT.

A good PT never courts conflicts or confrontations. Yet helping or befriending people wrongly targeted is a necessity for me.  It is  one of the few things I would do of a “risky” nature.

That is why I can and do help some clients who are given the cold shoulder by others.

If they have used force, violence or fraud, that is one thing. But if they were wrongly accused, framed, railroaded and/or convicted, it is quite another. I sometimes accept as consulting clients those in that unfortunate latter position.

In case I’ve raised suspicions, I am not as confrontational as Thoreau. I avoid making enemies, standing up for “my rights” or participating in any protest demonstrations. I’ll quietly follow the local rules,  and stay below the radar. That is the essence of the “P.T.” philosophy which we thought up after a few unfortunate skirmishes in divorce courts. The “Six PT Flags” are now known to millions of people who think and do as we do. I have attached some of their thoughts to this short essay.

Now I live quietly in a tax haven, stay out of politics. and am not a citizen of any BB country.

I do not flaunt a trophy wife, or engage in conspicuous consumption. I keep myself and my opinions anonymous. I did go to the best law schools / business schools and I hope my many books and special reports can help you find freedom, prosperity & happiness as a PT.

A PT is a state of mind. Not anything more.

If a PT can keep out of the public eye and keep his ego in check he will avoid most pitfalls.  That doesn’t mean we lose our capacity for independent thinking or helping a fellow man  wronged by an unfair system.

Do you agree or disagree? Please let me know and comment below. I can’t promise to reply to each individual, but I will certainly reply to all well thought out responses. If your case is particularly urgent and requires an individual consultation, that may be arranged for my normal fees. Fees start at €2000 for a brief e-mail consultation, to see if I can really be of help in your situation. The regular charge is €15,000 for a two year of unlimited (but reasonable) consulting on PT matters.

 

Post your comments, thoughts, related personal experiences, corrections or questions below.