The Talk of Conspiracy
Historically, governments controlled their populations through taxes. Now, some governments, like China, have found a new way. They use a system that can turn off money in your digital wallet. For example, if you disagree with the government, they can stop you from using your money. People in the U.S. worry that the same thing might happen with the proposed digital currency called USDC.
Many think this is the talk of conspiracy. Here’s a real-life example: During a truckers’ protest in Canada, a lady with a gelato restaurant was handing out food to everyone, including both the police and the truckers. But the government didn’t like it. They thought she was helping the protesters, so they threatened to take away her business. Many of the truckers who protested had their bank accounts frozen. When there’s a lot of political pressure, sometimes people can lose everything they have. Governments have even more power when it comes to digital money. It’s a conspiracy when it’s happening to someone else … it’s REAL when it’s happening to you.
Big Political Pressure
When big political pressure hits, people can lose their jobs, and that’s risky. This is why cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, have become popular, especially in the Pacific Rim region which includes places like China. You see, you can exchange your money, like US Dollars or the Chinese Yuan, into Bitcoin. Then you can turn that Bitcoin back into cash.
This started about 10 years ago. You can store your Bitcoin on a special chip or even remember your account numbers. This means you can travel between countries without the government knowing how much money you have. This has been especially helpful for the wealthy citizens under Communist China who wanted to move their money out of the country without officially transferring it.
If you need proof, just look up stories about Chinese billionaires who suddenly disappeared because the government wasn’t happy with them. These billionaires either vanished or were out of sight for a long time. This is one of the main reasons why Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are so popular in the Pacific Rim.
USDC & The Pay Now App!
Knowing governments want to control people, and that’s why they target your savings. You might think this can’t happen here, but there are already attempts to introduce a digital currency in our country.
A new US digital currency is being planned called the United States Digital Coin (USDC). It’s on hold for now but might be reintroduced later. For now, the strategy is to first introduce a related product, and the US is introducing an app called Pay Now. This app seems harmless enough as it will speed the transfer of money from bank to bank making deposits show up instantly. When the time is right, the new digital dollar is launched. The Pay Now app will be used to convert the current physical US Dollar to the new USDC. The Pay Now app is seen as the preparation for this digital currency. They won’t force you to swap your physical dollars for digital ones. Instead, they will try to make it attractive for you to do so.
If you sign up for the Pay Now app, it’s different from using PayPal or Cash App. They will instantly transfer your money and might even reward you for using this app. This is the first step to change your regular dollars into the digital currency.
The concern is that once your dollars are converted into the digital currency through this app, you can’t change them back. As a digital coin (USDC) the government could have a mechanism to shut off expired money sitting in your personal bank account. The fear is we are quickly losing control of our money just like the citizens of China. It is important to remember that currently the US government is not allowed to just seize people’s money without legal justification.
Already Precedent … General Motors (GM) & The U.S. Government
The U.S. government has always promised not to interfere with people’s money. But, there’s an exception from 2008 when General Motors (GM), a car company, got into financial trouble. GM was in so much debt, it had to ask the government for loans. This situation was unique because it changed the usual order of who gets paid back first when a company is in debt – typically, it’s preferred stockholders first, then common stockholders.
However, in this case, the government decided to turn people’s GM stocks into zero. They basically formed a new company and moved all of GM’s assets into it. The people who owned stocks in GM were left with nothing.
Then, the new stocks were given to the U.S. and Canadian governments, and their Auto Workers Unions. Shareholders, who once owned GM stocks, got nothing. Some tried to protest, saying that it was illegal. But, they quickly stopped complaining because they were afraid of government backlash.
This incident is an example of the U.S. government taking people’s assets. Why would they do this? One reason might be control. The government sometimes wants to have more control over things, which can be good or bad depending on the situation.
Some Government Is Necessary but Government Is Difficult To Curtail
The government needs to maintain some control to keep order in society. That’s why we have police, for example. But there is a problem of financial education in our country. This is because the government does not necessarily want us to be completely independent. If we all become financially self-sufficient, we might not need as much government.
The government is like a machine that always wants to grow. People who work for the government naturally want to keep their jobs. This makes it hard to shrink the government.
For example, take a look at the recent debates about the new debt ceiling. They are arguing about reducing government spending, which means the government would have less control. In the original plan, $20 billion was set aside for the IRS out of $80 billion.
The plan also proposed to cut $4.1 trillion from the budget over ten years. That might sound like a lot, but our economy produces between $7 and $9 trillion a year. We collect about $4 trillion in taxes. So, $4 trillion in cuts over 10 years isn’t a huge amount.
However, it’s challenging to reduce government spending because they can only adjust what’s called non-discretionary spending. They can’t touch Social Security, Medicare, and similar programs. These programs take up about 60% of the budget.
They can only adjust about 25 to 30% of the budget. Roughly 8% of that is for the military. So, there are limited areas where they can make cuts to reach the $4.1 trillion reduction, which makes it a big deal.
Where Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin Fit In
Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin become more valuable when governments try to control how people use their money. This can seem like a tug-of-war. To understand it, imagine money behaving like water. If you block water in one place, it finds another path to flow. In the same way, if a government tries to control cryptocurrencies, new types of money will emerge to solve people’s needs.
For example, even though the Chinese government has strong control over its people, Bitcoin is still popular there. This is because people want to keep and manage their own money through different methods, like Bitcoin.
Conclusion
In simple terms, governments have a lot of control over the money we use. With planned new digital currencies like the United States Digital Coin (USDC), this control might become even stronger. This has already happened in some places like China.
Now and in the future using cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, may help people maintain control over their own money/value stored. Because Bitcoin is money that governments can’t easily control, it’s become popular in places where the government is very strict about how people use their money. It’s important for us to understand and be aware of our money and how it works and the changes that may be coming. That way, we can better keep our money safe and make smart decisions about it. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin could be one of the solutions.
Remember, it’s always important to be informed and understand what we are putting our money into. The lesson is, whether it’s a dollar, a digital coin, or a Bitcoin, it’s not just money – it’s about freedom, control, and security. It’s your money, so keep learning, stay aware, and take control!
Thanks for reading!
— Joshua Dudgeon
