I love dystopian novels and have recently finished reading Limes inferior[1] by J. Zajdel. Policies implemented in the story (written in 1982!) and their simila

I love dystopian novels and have recently finished reading Limes inferior[1] by J. Zajdel. Policies implemented in the story (written in 1982!) and their similarity to present day politics are frightening! SPOILER ALERT: I'm describing the currency system from the novel. Currencies were replaces by points stored on a device called the Key (= modern smartphone). There are red, green, and yellow points. Red points are the simplest: all people are equal, so everyone gets the same number of red points per month, doesn't matter their skills, employment status, health, etc. That monthly allowance is enough to survive. It's like basic minimum income. Green points are similar to red points, except they're paid out based on intellectual ability. A smarter person will always get more green points, irrespective of employment status. They were necessary because "all people are equal" is actually false. Yellow points are most similar to a monthly salary. You can get the only by working. The higher your position in the hierarchy, the more yellow points you get every month. Not all points are created equal, despite the official 1:1 fixed exchange rate. Quality goods are available only for yellow points, with other colors capable of buying substandard goods. That opened door to a host of black market activities for chameleons (who act as currency exchanges). A central computing system, called _Syskom_, is used to track citizens' moves. Despite claims of objectivity, it's rules are often manipulated for policy goals. A simplified example: some working people want to go up the hierarchy by faking their credentials. Criminals, called lifters, who can help them are often found in various bars. Those bars have slot machines allowing you to win hundreds of yellow points (an average salary is ~ 10 yellow pts). There's a non-zero chance that a winner, often drunk, will be approached by a lifter at a bar and hire him. What does the government to catch more lifters? Increase the likelihood of winning at a slot machine and keep track of where the prize flows. "You pay 300 yellow points and you get a lifter" as they phrase it. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limes_inferior https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limes_inferior