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If a state wants to do something to you, it will, just look at russia/china. The way to defeat that is to vote/get involved/move to countries that are free. R

If a state wants to do something to you, it will, just look at russia/china. The way to defeat that is to vote/get involved/move to countries that are free. Right now, your scenario is entirely plausible but is not reality, why? The digital currency just moves power from private entities (visa/mastercard) to governments. Visa/mastercard are actually banning payments already to things like porn and so on, perhaps digital currency will have less moral policing, perhaps it will be anonymous, i havent found any technical details yet

Dig1t 3y ago
The key difference between governments and Visa/Mastercard is that the government has the monopoly on violence. They can force you to do things, with guns. Giving them direct control over your day to day spending is a solid step towards authoritarianism.
- adriancr 3y ago
  > Giving them direct control over your day to day spending is a solid step towards authoritarianism. They already have that control via Visa/Mastercard, banks, limits on max amount of cash for transactions, limits on inter state travel with large amounts of cash, and so on... and the world is not authoritarian in the west. In the east it is, and they still have cash. Voting for wrong people leads to authoritarianism... Or russia invading you and placing their puppets in charge or revolutions...
akomtu 3y ago
I'd rephrase the GP's point slightly: the modern states are mutating right now from a sort of giant "octopus" with a few blunt "tentacles" such as police and the military, into a giant "centipede" with millions of thin and far reaching tentacles. The old state had no capacity or ability to micromanage its subjects, e.g. if someone bought weed with cash, the state couldn't even see it, but the new state will try to micromanage and control everyone, because that's the very nature of the state.

Dig1t 3y ago

The key difference between governments and Visa/Mastercard is that the government has the monopoly on violence. They can force you to do things, with guns. Giving them direct control over your day to day spending is a solid step towards authoritarianism.

adriancr 3y ago
> Giving them direct control over your day to day spending is a solid step towards authoritarianism. They already have that control via Visa/Mastercard, banks, limits on max amount of cash for transactions, limits on inter state travel with large amounts of cash, and so on... and the world is not authoritarian in the west. In the east it is, and they still have cash. Voting for wrong people leads to authoritarianism... Or russia invading you and placing their puppets in charge or revolutions...

akomtu 3y ago

I'd rephrase the GP's point slightly: the modern states are mutating right now from a sort of giant "octopus" with a few blunt "tentacles" such as police and the military, into a giant "centipede" with millions of thin and far reaching tentacles. The old state had no capacity or ability to micromanage its subjects, e.g. if someone bought weed with cash, the state couldn't even see it, but the new state will try to micromanage and control everyone, because that's the very nature of the state.