Prisoners of a Cashless Society

 

As technology makes giant strides forward, so does the human desire for a life of ease. While a life of ease isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it DOES pose some concerns. It is easy to assume that a digital society would be ideal, especially regarding dealing with everyday routines and menial tasks. But what about when it is applied to areas that most people have become accustomed to being able to have control over themselves? Such as what to watch, or what to listen to? We are already starting to see this being applied to much of what has now become an organism in its own right, SOCIAL MEDIA. With platforms such as YouTube and Facebook, the ability to control what people are allowed to share, read, or view became very evident during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It would also be during the pandemic that we would start to see another facet of daily life slowly being integrated into a digital system, thereby stripping away one's ability to have some shred of autonomy in their lives. And that would be the push for a CASHLESS SOCIETY.

This idea has been tossed around and even attempted in the past. The most recent that almost everyone knows of or has implemented is the Credit, Debit, or Digital Banking/Shopping. In one regard, having a system that takes away the sometimes awkward bulk of a wallet with cash and cards shoved into a pocket or purse has some appeal, but some drawbacks should be considered. If America does become a cashless society, will the individuals still have some autonomy as to what to purchase, what to invest in, etc.? Will some laws limit the power of a governing body or banking entity in how much of a role they play in the dissemination of funds?

This can be looked at from a wide range of perspectives, but let's just stick with a few, and the most important ones. During the protest in Canada, Trudeau ordered all banks to freeze the accounts of all truck drivers who were involved in a protest that was VERY unfavorable for Trudeau's agenda. While we see this practice being used when a CTU (Counter-Terrorist Unit) is dealing with a radical terror cell before resorting to physical matters such as ground assault or air strikes. These were everyday truckers who were voicing a grievance against the ruling body.  As a result, the Canadian government went way over the heads of the citizens, collaborated with the banks, and shut down the one means that many of them relied on to survive, provide for their families. Should this be accepted as standard operating procedure for any government in dealing with any voice of opposition? Is this something that can happen in America?

This is something that ANY society should be wary of. The whole idea of a governing body is that the people vote on who they feel best represents the interests of the city, state, or nation. The governing body is, at least on paper, to operate according to the will of its constituents. Unfortunately, and I am fully convinced this is due largely in part to the American disease of laziness, the governing body has convinced the population that they (the voters) are not smart enough to make their own decisions, and therefore require them (the politicians,) to do all the thinking and decision making for the people. This includes whether you have control of YOUR money. At what point do we realize that a cashless society run by crooked politicians is about as good of an idea as using a generic mesh condom while on a date with a sketchy prostitute? Nothing good will come out of this. With so many of our devices such as cars, tablets, phones, laptops, banking, home appliances that are digital and connected to a network, it would be no effort to shut every aspet of your life down, tossing you into the streets (which in many places across the US is slowly becoming illegal). If we can’t trust them to do the bare minimum of their jobs, then how can we trust them not to abuse their powers and gain absolute control of our lives? Do you honestly think that if the government found out that you had an issue with them, they wouldn’t hold your entire livelihood as leverage? Do THEIR will or lose EVERYTHING?

A society that has no autonomy is not a society, but a prison.