Let's call this what it is: streaks of totalitarianism. Beyond the specifics of closed bank accounts, what are we are seeing is the following pattern: - Gover

Let's call this what it is: streaks of totalitarianism. Beyond the specifics of closed bank accounts, what are we are seeing is the following pattern: - Government pushes regulation on banks to monitor their customers for X, Y, Z - Banks, on behalf of the government, collect data on individuals for X, Y, Z. - When banks are not satisfied, they either de-bank their customers or file a report with the government. Banks, which are supposed to work for their customers, instead end up being coerced to watch their customers on behalf of the government. Because more and more transactions are digital, the net result if that the government has found a new venue for (totalitarian?) surveillance of almost all economic transactions of their subjects. Back in the day, the KGB would have dreamed of having something like this. Of course, one needs to live to see how bad it will get, and if people will get more accustomed to holding cash[^1] in a hidden safe. [^1]: Or a cash equivalent. In certain places, there is talk to make do without any cash at all.