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JohnSmith's avatar

An excellent overview! Education is the key. Note that you could "pin" this index post so it stays at the top of your page.

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Philippe Lerch's avatar

Thank you for this well documented essay / compilation.

It took me time to go through all the individual articles. I wish myself more available time to dig into the reference material you provide. I do not, unconditionally, agree with your line of thought. I do however, agree with you that « we have a severe problem  with our « banking systemS ». Part of my « reluctance » to buy your elaborate thesis leverages on the fact that you avoid (perhaps I missed it) to address « our own responsibility ».

To make a long story short, one simple example: we « ALL KNOW » there is « war against cash » going on using fallacious arguments ranging from « a 1$ bill can carry a disease » to « maintaining cash costs a fortune » and so on.

However

- we KNOW that a cash free society will be prone to state control (IRS and some social-democrats (in the European meaning of the word) will like it !)

- we also KNOW that by not using cash anymore we exchange some degree of freedom against some convenience.

- yet, we all play the game, myself often included every time I’m not using cash.

If we would DISLIKE the idea of being controlled (being a victim) on our expenses, we could just be using cash all the time. Remember, we all KNOW.

I wonder if there exists a cognitive bias our brain is specifically wired for that pushes us to accept, conveniently, narratives that help to evacuate our own responsibility. Conspiration theories get audience; « they are all responsible, I’m a victim » regardless of the topic. I’m not suggesting your thesis goes along such lines, I’m however wondering why your documented portrait gets away with what seems to be « one of our intrinsic «  weakness.

kind regard, Philippe Lerch

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