> decrepit government infrastructure This is a common misconception. It's a political battle regarding the extent to which the government is permitted to tabul

> decrepit government infrastructure This is a common misconception. It's a political battle regarding the extent to which the government is permitted to tabulate and link the various details of people's lives. > could start sending money to resident citizens’ bank accounts tomorrow That ability implies keeping and regularly querying detailed information about individuals that many here aren't comfortable with. > Paper checks and other American-style 19th century banking relics are simply not a thing. The system isn't as bad as you seem to be making out. Using a credit card without a chip is effectively the same thing. It's simply a claim that a numbered account has agreed to transfer you funds. Lying about that is fraud and your financial institution will have identifying details about you.