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Comment by seibelj | Hacker News Reader

There used to be many ways to escape and start over. There was no ID, or if there was it was easy to forge. Debts, crimes, families, all of the good and bad in your life could be wiped away in a new city with a new name. Sometimes even free land would be granted just for moving to the middle of nowhere.

It is now impossible to escape your past, and this has both good and bad parts. Obviously victims of crimes and lenders prefer it, but something has been lost when there is no place to get a fresh start.

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Fear of terrorism and fear of migration have largely obliterated this.

> Sometimes even free land would be granted just for moving to the middle of nowhere.

It's worth thinking about where the "free land" came from and whether it might have been previously occupied.

America is guilty of this and I'm pretty sure China has similar incentives for moving to areas like Tibet. "Free" land, indeed.

I think this is a little bit of looking at history through rose-colored glasses, or at the very least it implies that being able to "escape and start over" was the norm, instead of a very short historical anomaly.

For most of human history societies were small and insular - if a stranger showed up in their midst without a social reputation they would be cast out, or worse.

Unless they went to South Dakota, apparently.

Humans find ways to divide people based on any random parameter of millions-- they are exclusionary creatures ONLY until the point where they need goods or services from someone else-- then suddenly race and religion don't seem very important in that moment

> Unless they went to South Dakota, apparently.

That, and the 'frontier' as a whole, is a different ball game - everyone was new then. It's like a new suburb vs a 50 year old one. Or well, the US 250 years ago vs now.

Russia currently has a program in parts of Siberia where if you move there you will get free land. So, there are still parts of the world like that. On the other hand it’s harsh continental climate (even more so than SD) and your closest neighbor could be tens of miles away, even further. And of course you need to be Russian.

Replying to myself as edit window had passed. This program[1] is actually available to foreigners but can’t own the land unless they stay for five years.

[1]https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Homestead_Act

You can move to african or other 3rd world countries still. If you have cash to start over,you can get about without using your old ID past the port of entry. It may not be the western life you're used to but you can buy a house,have a source of income (business or a job if you forge paperwork) and even a family.

Depends on which third world country. I've actually looked into this. I know a few people in a few countries that could help me do this. Even then, it's not as easy as you may think unless you're willing to break a bunch of laws in a third world country as a foreigner or have a bunch of money. The consequences are pretty high for getting caught.

Then there's always the matter of getting caught and deported 20,30,40 years down the road. I've seen it happen. No matter how comfortable you get this will never stop looming over you.

won't you stick out like a sore thumb if you have a different race (one associated with being very wealthy) and an American accent / inability to speak the native language? I honestly don't think this is feasible for your typical white american. At worst maybe you manage to get a shitty no-questions-asked local job and apartment but you're bound to raise questions and in any actual low-cost area you are bound to be a perennially prime target for getting mugged

No you just end up being an English teacher which gets you paid upper middle class wages just because you are white.

Most of the world doesnt care and doesn't act like this

People are very collaborative and would more likely find you interesting

You could always try to join the French Foreign Legion.

Even there it has been said that they are much more into background checks these days.

A shame. When my son was about 11 or 12 his career ambition was to be an evil genius, and when he learned about the FFL he told me, "this is really useful to know in case the evil genius thing doesn't work out"

I think it's still possible to escape and make a fresh start - as long as you're not wanted. If you want to get away from your house, family, etc, it more depends on the immigration policies of where you want to go than anything. In this case, the US is not nearly as open to anyone as it used to be.

The French Foreign Legion is still an option!

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