(Photo of myself and a friend w/Derrick Broze (center), 5/31/25)
Meeting Independent Journalist, Peace/Freedom Activist Derrick Broze at a Reggae Festival Here in New Mexico!
As a long time follower of journalist/activist Derrick Broze and his work, one of the biggest highlights of the reggae festival here in northern New Mexico that I was blessed to be able to attend two weekends ago was meeting the resistance legend 
I never imagined that a music festival of all places would be the venue that I would meet one of my favorite independent voices in the alternative media, but I guess that's just the way it was meant to be. It was a really nice and unplanned surprise, as I had no idea that Broze would be attending the event when I bought my tickets for the Rise & Vibes Festival months earlier in the year. As it turned out, he was hosting an Exit and Build workshop at the festival's 'sacred fire' on Saturday morning, before performing a song with the artist Prezence on the opening set that day. After all, music is, as it always has been, an important means of spreading revolutionary messages of dissent in times of institutionalized violence, oppression and injustice...
I'll get back to this little story of mine, but first let's rewind just a little so I can set the stage. First up, a brief introduction to Derrick Broze and his work...
Derrick Broze & the Conscious Resistance: A man, his message, and the movement it sparked
Founder of The Conscious Resistance Network, Derrick Broze has for over a decade been a consistent and outspoken proponent of truth, freedom, peace, justice and equal rights for all. In a world ruled by a global cabal of corporate and government tyrants alike, in which deception and endless war-for-profit-and-planetary-control reign supreme on the world stage, authentic independent voices like his are incredibly important - especially in times of such widespread awakening as we now find ourselves in. From filming violent police crackdowns of popular protests and demonstrations to reporting on the harms of fluoride in the water supply and the blatant deception peddled by the western corporate media, Derrick's work has over the course of the past decade touched on a variety of deeply entrenched societal problems and covered a number of under-reported stories largely ignored and suppressed by the establishment media.
Like so many of us awakening souls on Planet Earth in these times of widespread resistance to the corrupt systems of planetary control serving to enslave humanity, Derrick first sought to create positive societal change through politics - in his hometown of Houston Texas. It was these years of political activism, culminating in a run for Houston Mayor, which brought about the realization for Broze that our current political system is at its core inherently undemocratic, corrupt to the core, and therefore not a practical means of affecting truly positive societal change.
Indeed, despite being erroneously called a democracy, the two-party political establishment of the US oligarchy - by design - represents the interests of a deeply entrenched global power structure and not the people it pretends to 'represent', but whom in reality it actively oppresses for both power and profit. This reality is readily seen in the fact that at the surface level it is demonstrably the pocketbooks of corporate lobbyists rather than the voices of popular support or dissent that almost exclusively dictates political policy in the US - no matter who the people 'elect' to 'represent' them in this 'democracy' which is truly of, by and for the Ruling Class.
And this really shouldn't be all that surprising to anyone. After all, a system built upon a foundation of perpetual war and oppression for profit and control - as our current western establishment demonstrably is - will inherently stand diametrically opposed to the universally shared human ideals of peace on earth and a free humanity that the vast majority of people on the planet hold and support. That which oppresses humanity and Planet Earth fuels the establishment, and that which would free humanity and Planet Earth from the systematic violence and oppression of this same Babylon system threatens the very existence of the system itself. So it is that the US political establishment, along with so many other political systems in the world today, very much inhibits rather than facilitates exactly the kind of paradigm-shifting positive change that humanity collectively yearns for, and that is truly in the best interests of a free humanity and our sacred planet, Mother Earth.
The paradigm-shifting realization that politics is not the answer to the world's problems can be a difficult and bitter pill to swallow for those of us indoctrinated by societal programming from our childhood up to believe the exact opposite - that the establishment has the answer to all of the world's problems and thus politics is the only legitimate path to positive societal change. But, as disillusioning and paradigm-shattering as it can be, this seemingly bitter realization is ultimately also incredibly liberating and empowering, acting as a mighty catalyst that serves to both awaken us to our own inner power and lead us to discover practical solutions to the world's problems not found in politics or other external systems of this world.
While Broze was discovering the futility of attempting to affect positive change through politics in Houston, my own similar journey of discovery was playing out in the far smaller town of Bozeman, Montana. It was here in rural Montana that my own deep involvement in the Ron Paul campaigns for President in 2008 & 2012 revealed to me just how corrupt and impervious to popular support and grassroots movements the American political system truly is - even at the most local level and in the most rural areas. It was this very same disillusionment with politics that led Derrick to shift the focus of his activism away from politics and onto direct, practical solutions truly capable of creating real, positive societal change.
What the world really needs, we both came to realize on our own paths and in our own ways, was not more anti-establishment political activists but rather direct action solutions that we as individuals could all begin to collectively implement immediately, one by one, without the need to invest massive amounts of time, energy and hard-earned money into a political system that works for the Ruling Class, not We The People.
Exit and Build: Conscious resistance and a practical path to peace & freedom
This simple, practical, and direct action strategy of resistance to institutionalized oppression and violence, which Broze has termed 'Exit and Build', is encapsulated just as well by the fitting aphorism, 'Starve the Beast, Feed the Light'. Fusing universal spiritual principles with the proven techniques of direct action and nonviolent resistance to tyranny, the Exit and Build approach is based upon the philosophic ideals of voluntarism, anarchism and agorism, embodying the power of love through consent and voluntary association in stark contrast to the force inherent to government rule. As the term Exit and Build suggests, it is a two-pronged strategy that emphasizes both resistance to the old fear-based ways of oppression and violence as well as creation of a new love-based way of peace and freedom.
On the one hand, the strategy focuses on exiting the slave system by withdrawing personal consent and support from the establishment system(s) actively oppressing humanity and perpetuating institutionalized violence in as many ways as possible. On the other hand, this revolutionary resistance strategy focuses on building 'parallel systems', empowering individuals to create a better, freer and more harmonious world through community, self-sufficiency and sustainability, personal healing, inner transformation, and self-empowerment.
Much of Derrick's 'blueprint for a free humanity' is laid out in his book (free to download online), How to Opt Out of the Technocratic State, the underground bestseller "that sparked the Exit and Build concept." In a totally unplanned synchronicity, Broze first published what would shortly become his Exit and Build primer at the end of 2019, just months before the COVID Event would begin to shine a light on the urgent necessity of the ensuing Exit and Build concept/strategy/movement. In just a matter of months, a fast awakening humanity seeking to live free in an increasingly unfree world began to create a high demand for the very practical resistance strategy that the newly sprouting Exit and Build concept would now become. The synchronistic and dare I say divine timing of its publication could not have been more perfect!
From then until now, Derrick has dedicated his life to spreading the powerfully liberating message of freedom encapsulated in the Exit and Build concept, actively encouraging and inspiring peace and freedom lovers around the world to join the fast growing, 100% grassroots Exit and Build movement now sweeping the planet - and teaching us the many practical ways of how we can begin to go about doing so in our own unique ways.
More than just a truly authentic independent journalist and humans rights activist, Derrick Broze is actively living the message of resistance that he preaches and consciously creating the positive change he advocates for in his own life. Having moved from the US to Mexico, he and other like-minded souls are currently putting the Exit and Build strategy into practice in their own lives through the creation of a small intentional community on a gorgeous piece of jointly purchased Mexican land.
Co-host of the popular 'Greater Reset' Activation formed to counteract the establishment tyranny of COVID-1984 and the technocratic 'Great Reset' of 2020, author of multiple books and countless articles, creator of numerous documentaries, and host of his Conscious Resistance podcast, Derrick is currently spreading the empowering message of peace and freedom through conscious resistance 'in the real world' with his conscious music, as well as by hosting numerous Exit and Build workshops and seminars all across the continent.
Meeting Derrick at an Exit and Build Workshop
Bringing us full circle back to the one such Exit and Build workshop held at the Rise & Vibes reggae festival in Aztec, New Mexico on the last day of May, 2025 - on the Saturday morning I would be blessed to meet Derrick myself... There wasn't a large audience to speak of, especially considering the number of people attending the festival, but there was a solid dozen or so attentive listeners sitting around the fire that morning, obviously intrigued by the words of this rambling revolutionary. And from the little bits and pieces of conversations I overheard once the workshop came to a close, it was apparent that Derrick's presentation was well received, and that his message had a profoundly powerful, positive effect on at least one woman in attendance who had never heard of him or his work before that day.
He managed to cram in a whole ton of information into that short hour between 11am and noon that day, though nothing much that was new to me, being a long time follower already familiar with Derrick and his work. It was nevertheless more than worth it just for the opportunity to personally meet this real life hero of mine who has been such a powerful inspiration to me and so many others in this life. That I got anything more out of it than that, including the inspiration to create this post, simply feels like a nice bonus.
The first half of the workshop consisted largely of a breakdown of Derrick's background, much of which I've already summarized above; while the second half focused on the 'good stuff' - Exit and Build, what it is, why it is so important and needed now more than ever, and how to practically begin implementing it into our own lives to immediately begin creating more peace and freedom in our world.
Spending much of this time outlining the importance and practical ways of withdrawing support from the emerging globalist technocracy through conscious use of technology, Derrick highlighted the vast amount of alternative tech out there that is competing with the Big Tech giants of the technocracy. From our email providers to the phone service we use and everything in between, there are indeed viable alternatives to just about every Big Tech creation of the emerging technocracy out there. Below is an in-depth video by Derrick all about applying Exit and Build to technology, with links to resources for alternative tech at the show notes here.
https://www.youtube.com/live/XXoY3uVh77w?si=ssDoOdHAo7Z03uLM
Despite largely focusing on alternative tech, and as important as this facet of the Exit and Build strategy is, technology is still just one of the six key aspects or areas of our lives Derrick outlines, in which we can begin to exit the old establishment systems and begin building new parallel systems. In 2024, Derrick hosted a '45-Day Exit and Build Challenge', during which time he published an in-depth video on applying Exit and Build to each of these six categories, as well as a final seventh video dedicated to thinking holistically. These six primary categories as broken down by Broze, with links to his '45-Day Challenge' videos dedicated to each, are: Food, Land, Money, Technology, Education/Knowledge, and our state of mind ('Mindset and Habits').
If we can eventually withdraw our support from the establishment systems as well as build parallel systems in all of these six areas, then we can truly begin to live as free human beings outside of and without reliance upon the establishment's slave system. And this is where the importance of holistic thinking comes into play...
Of these six major areas of our lives, Broze doesn't hesitate to acknowledge that the most important and foundational one to begin applying the Exit and Build strategy to is our mindset; for until we free our minds from the insidious chains of mental slavery placed upon us by our oppressors, we cannot successfully break free from the more visible chains of oppression holding us in various physical and material forms of bondage.
Only once we are free from fear and guided by love can we truly begin unraveling the vast and intricate web of enslavement that's been cast over our people and our planet for so many centuries. Only once we begin living from a state of inner peace and freedom can we successfully begin to consciously create the peace and freedom we seek in the world around us. And only by tapping into the divine inner power, creativity and intuitive guidance that lies within us all, will we ever be truly empowered to begin actively and consciously creating the revolutionary positive change that all of humanity and the whole earth desperately yearns for. One by one, with free minds and open hearts, empowered from within and guided by love, this is how we the individual awakening souls of humanity forge the path to our collective peace and freedom - one small step at a time.
Simply moving from a more tyrannical locale to an area where one feels more free is Exit and Build in action, Broze noted. "How many of you moved during COVID," to escape the pandemic measures, Derrick asked the audience. A number of people raised their hands. "That is Exit and Build," he added.
This was indeed a widespread phenomenon seen play out naturally during COVID, an unprecedented 'mass exodus' the media called it; with hundreds of thousands of Americans migrating in droves from the more heavily locked down metropolitan areas of the country, particularly the cities of LA, NYC, DC and Chicago, to states with far less tyrannical COVID 'measures' (and lower taxes, to boot) such as Texas and Florida, among others.
And whether it is simply moving from a large city out into the country, from a state with oppressive taxes to one with far less taxation, from a cookie cutter house on the suburban block to an intentional community with like-minded folks, from a mortgaged home to a debt-free living situation, or even moving to an entirely different country like the many Americans including Derrick who have moved to Mexico in recent years in their quest to live a freer life and build a freer world; all of these are practical examples of the implementation of the Exit and Build strategy as applied to the category of Land, whether those making these moves are consciously aware of it or not.
And for those wondering if exiting the system in such a way actually serves to 'starve the beast' in any practical way or simply makes the one 'exiting' feel better, it is worth noting that the mass exodus of 2020-2022 is estimated to have costed the states on the losing end of the stick, particularly California and New York, billions in lost tax revenue! Exit and Build works, as this prime example brought up by Derrick so clearly demonstrates.
Food sustainability and independence is another major facet of Exit and Build, and one needs not move onto a farm and attempt to grow all of their own food to begin becoming more food sustainable and independent. Even people in city apartments can learn to grow a little bit of their own food in plants on their porch, while small backyards in the city can be transformed into wildly abundant gardens. Meanwhile all of us can begin to source more of our food as locally as possible, and from small, independent, organic farms across the region. In fact, this is one key facet of the Exit and Build strategy that was already beginning to be widely implemented to some extent by a sizeable minority of the population long before 2020 and the birth of the Exit and Build movement by that name. The increased customer demand in recent decades for natural, organic and ethically, sustainably sourced food has already given birth to a large and growing alternative system to the establishment Big Food industry; an industry responsible for poisoning America and employing highly destructive, unsustainable agricultural and husbandry practices in the process.
Meanwhile, the corruption, inefficacy, and outrageously unaffordable cost of 'healthcare' offered by the pharmaceutical-controlled western medical establishment and its numerous toxic synthetic 'remedies' has given birth to a massive and incredibly fast growing alternative medical 'system', particularly in the wake of the COVID event. This alternative medical 'system' is composed of a vast and unorganized network of countless thousands of independent medical practitioners and alternative healers utilizing dozens of highly effective and affordable natural healing methods and modalities. Both of these comparably large, naturally emerging alternative societal systems are perfect examples of the Exit and Build strategy being practically implemented by large swaths of humanity, whether those responsible for the rise of these positive, alternative systems realize it or not. Both of these massive, albeit relatively slow paradigm shifts have forever altered the landscape of western society, and all of this was accomplished by 'mere' individuals making the 'small' choice to consciously leverage the power of their energy through the simple re-direction of the flow of their money away from old systems into new, competing alternative systems.
This is the power of Exiting and Building, the power of the people when they put their money where there mouth is. And though Derrick didn't touch much on the issue of money here, it is certainly another one of the major aspects of our lives by which we are enslaved.
Whether it be by central banks through interest and inflation or by the tax man stealing a third of our labor, the establishment money system is at the heart of modern slavery, with the conscious use of our money one of the primary ways to begin liberating ourselves. With debt slavery so pervasive here in America, getting out of debt and staying out of debt is, apart from freeing one's mind, perhaps the single biggest, most important and most practical first major steps that the average American can take to begin setting themselves free. But where and how we decide to start applying the Exit and Build model to our lives, Broze stressed, is entirely up to us, and simply taking any practical steps forward to create more peace and freedom in our lives is far more important than which particular steps those may happen to be...
As much information as Derrick managed to cram into that workshop, there's still only so much that can be covered in a single hour, so there were naturally a number of important aspects of Exit and Build that weren't expounded upon. Nevertheless, I felt that considering the time constraints Derrick did a brilliant job of summarizing the Exit and Build strategy and breaking it down into an easy to understand format. An excellent Exit and Build primer, I thought, the workshop laid down a solid intellectual foundation to begin building upon, for those interested in beginning to apply Exit and Build to their own lives...
The workshop concluded with a group chanting of Derrick's signature mantra: "I am powerful, I am beautiful, I am free."
With the workshop wrapping up and the time to mingle upon us, this was perhaps my one and only chance to personally meet and introduce myself to Derrick before he disappeared back into the festival crowd, and I wasn't about to miss my opportunity! After patiently waiting for an opportune opening to introduce myself followed by a brief conversation with Derrick, his partner Miriam was kind enough to snap a couple of photos of me and a good friend of mine posing with him, before we went our separate ways.
Walking away from the experience, I was impressed by just how humble a man Derrick is. I was also filled with immense gratitude for the opportunity to personally connect with a true revolutionary and visionary who has been such an inspiration to me throughout my own awakening journey.
Little did I know at the time, but what hadn't been said in the workshop about the inherent immorality of involuntary taxation, the complicit role taxpayers play in funding government-sponsored violence and oppression, and the importance of tax resistance as a key facet to the successful implementation of the Exit and Build strategy, would more than be made up for with the music Derrick would soon be performing live. As it turns out, he and fellow conscious music producer Prezence recently released a new song entirely dedicated to this very message entitled Taxation is Theft, and in just an hour it would be performed live on the main stage as one of the first songs of the opening set that day!
And now that the workshop was over and I had successfully completed my mission - meeting the one and only Derrick Broze - I was beginning to feel quite excited for the upcoming set and the totally unplanned opportunity to see Derrick perform his music live. It did not disappoint, and much to my surprise even turned out to be one of my favorite performances of the entire festival.
With civil disobedience so central to the Exit and Build strategy, and conscientious tax resistance or the nonpayment of taxes being one of the most effective and key forms of civil disobedience we can engage in which Derrick both advocates and practices himself, I'd say it was quite the fitting performance to follow up an Exit and Build workshop with...
'Taxation is Theft': Conscious Resistance in Conscious Music
At 12:45 on Saturday afternoon, Rasta musician Prezence took the stage. Immediately following the opening song, Derrick joined Prezence as rapper '33' to jointly perform their freshly recorded single, Taxation is Theft.
An anthem for the resistance, a treatise on the immorality of involuntary taxation, and a blueprint for peace in times of war through civil disobedience all wrapped in one; it was a powerful, unforgettable performance with hard-hitting lyrics carrying its revolutionary message into the air, infused with the energy of peace, love and anarchy throughout. And the heart of this message, if it can be summed up in just one single line, is surely this: "We won't be used for funding war and genocide and heavy weaponry."
The following video captures the full live performance and entire song from beginning to end, with good quality audio throughout - a product of some personal editing and splicing together of my own footage along with footage published by Derrick. And while no recording can ever quite capture the energy and feel of a live performance, I think this video does about as good a job as any could, and I hope readers enjoy...
I'll never forget the way the crowd went wild in response to the words, "We can choose love," when Derrick spit the lines, "Together we have the power to rise above; Reject hate and division, we can choose love!"
Those who still can't quite see just how utterly corrupt - and corrupt to the very core - our western establishment system truly is, need only contemplate the sad reality captured by the single line, "They got money for wars, but can't feed the poor."
Of course if they have ample money for endless war, one realizes, then they could in fact feed the poor if they simply chose to! They make a conscious choice, however, to spend the lion's share of their money on taking life, rather than on saving life... This point is made in my own post on the same subject published several years ago, entitled They Could Save the Planet, Why do They Choose to Starve it? Incidentally, that post was also inspired by a single line in a song that highlights this very same, often overlooked or ignored, but highly important societal issue. There I wrote that,
Sometimes when listening to music, one single line of a song can be so powerful that it stands out & above all the other lyrics & just sticks with us for awhile,
And sometimes when it does so, such a line can even inspire a complete shift in one's worldview. Herein lies the often overlooked and yet incredible power of music to change minds and even the world, and in this regard Taxation is Theft is no exception, packed with powerful, conscious, thought-provoking lines capable of doing exactly this. Whether it is shattering false paradigms by asking the thought-provoking questions most are unwilling to ask, pointing at unpopular truths most would rather not see, or shining a light on new and empowering ways forward for humanity that most are unable to envision, this song well captures the essence, heart and message of conscious resistance.
Perhaps the best way to finish off this post is to simply let Derrick's revolutionary message of conscious resistance speak for itself, through his powerful lyrics, which consists of the second half of both verses of the song.
Verse 1:
Let me see if I can help you grasp what we're sayin’
Politicians takes your money, more for the slayin’
While our people suffer, the fat cats they ignore
They got money for wars, but can't feed the poor
Taxation is theft and some call it extortion
Involuntary taxation, pro-lifers pay for abortion
While non-smokers pay for tobacco subsidies
And vegans funding animal inequalities
Steal from anti-war activists to pay for violence
And people wonder why the streets are filled with riots?
I do not consent, and I will not relent
Until all my brothers and sisters repent
This is our time to reclaim our worth
Together we can have what we deserve
One by one let's take our money from the banks
Let's see what they do when they got no money for tanks!
Shining a light on the inherent immorality of involuntary taxation, in these lines Derrick highlights the reality that all of us in such a system are, if we pay taxes, being used to actively fund the very things we stand against and find morally repugnant to our own souls.
Verse 2:
The sickest thing of all is we're playing a role
They aint just taxing your wallet, they tax your soul
Some turn a blind eye to the crimes they fund
by taking from your wallets, they buy the guns
The bullets and the bombs they keep raining down
On the innocent children, victims go in the ground
I’m praying for the day the atrocities will cease
Whether its the government man, or the violent police
We’re capable of more but I know it seems difficult
Like a better humanity almost seems mythical
Together we have the power to rise above
Reject the hate and division, we can choose love!
Let's build a foundation that stands the test of time
This means resist taxes, dont give'em a dime
We can build a world based on morality and consent
The march to the new world order, we can prevent, yea!
Derrick hits the nail home in this second verse, challenging us all to rethink the role that we as taxpayers play in funding and supporting the very war, genocide, and other government-funded injustices and atrocities that the vast majority of us despise and oppose. If those paying their taxes are complicit in the state-sanctioned violence, crimes and oppression which their tax dollars fund, then those who resist and refuse to pay their taxes are complicit no longer. And whether or not we are complicit, or just how complicit we are, is a choice that is entirely in our own hands, no matter what the devil called fear and the societal programming it has spawned says to the contrary.
As for me, I will proudly sing along with Prezence and 33 that, "I won't be paying for no genocide in Gaza!"
And if even half of the Americans who are disgusted by the ongoing genocide of Gaza out there made the same choice... We The People have the power to create peace now; indeed, we are the only ones who can.
As for the one who inspired this post, I think it is safe to say that Derrick and his work has not only been a major inspiration for me in my own journey into truth, peace and freedom, but has inspired the rise of an entire global movement that is already beginning to set humanity free from the chains which have long held her in bondage. This post isn't really so much about the man, though, as it is about highlighting his revolutionary message and the global resistance movement that message is sparking. Truth be told, the real revolution is already here, though it will not be televised, and it is already sweeping the planet, though many don't yet see it.
Here's to the conscious resistance movement that is now rising upon this planet, to Derrick Broze and his integral contribution to it, and to every single one of the countless warriors of love and light out there who are advancing the peaceful revolution of love forward in their own unique way, one small step at a time.
Viva Revolution!
#FreePalestine #FreeHumanity #PeaceNow
Taxation is Theft official music video, for those who may be interested: