BITCOIN

Type_45

Hexane said:

Of course in theory it's possible for me to buy things the government doesn't want me to buy

It's not a "theory".  It's a reality.  You can buy absolutely anything you want with cash and the government cannot block the transaction.

Am I typing in a different language and not realising it?  Am I on the right forum?  

Hexane

Type_45 said:

Hexane said:

Of course in theory it's possible for me to buy things the government doesn't want me to buy

It's not a "theory".  It's a reality.  You can buy absolutely anything you want with cash and the government cannot block the transaction.

Sure, it's possible for me to buy things the government doesn't want me to buy, but the obstacles are considerable. I'd have to go and hang out somewhere disreputable for long enough to work out which of the disreputable regulars are selling tax-free cola and accepting cash for it. That's a pretty substantial hurdle, in fact if I were to go to all that trouble then the absence of cash wouldn't hinder me at all; if I'm spending an hour in a pub car park just to get my hands on two litres of tax-free cola (or beer or pizza you say?) then I'd just pay the guy in untaxed cigarettes or Bournville chocolate or something else the government doesn't want us trading in.

I can't buy untaxed sugary cola online on a TOR-based cola emporium because... they don't take cash!

Type_45 said:

Hexane said:

Of course in theory it's possible for me to buy things the government doesn't want me to buy

Am I typing in a different language and not realising it?  Am I on the right forum?  

Well let's see... it says "Savings and investments" up there, so.... no, you're not.

Malthusian

Type_45 said:

In a cashless society, the government can not only stop you buying meth from your meth dealer (who apparently takes credit cards), but they can also stop you buying beer if you are known to have a drink problem or pizza if you are fat.

They can do that now in a non-cashless society in exactly the same way as they already stop everyone from buying meth. Or stop drunk people from buying alcohol. If you can make it illegal for a publican to serve a drunk you can make it illegal for a pizza restaurant or supermarket to sell pizza to a fatty.

What odds will you give me that the UK Government bans fat people from buying pizza?

lozzy1965 said: Hmm what's the singular for sheeple?  Sheepson?

The same. 1 sheep, 2 sheep. 1 sheeple, 2 sheeple.

Type_45

Malthusian said:

They can do that now in a non-cashless society in exactly the same way as they already stop everyone from buying meth. 

According to the government's own figures, the UK has 11,000 meth users.  So the government isn't "stopping everyone from buying meth".

The government also says we have 1 million cocaine users.

Hexane

Type_45 said:

Malthusian said:

They can do that now in a non-cashless society in exactly the same way as they already stop everyone from buying meth. 

According to the government's own figures, the UK has 11,000 meth users.  So the government isn't "stopping everyone from buying meth".

The government also says we have 1 million cocaine users.

So... do you believe that your proposed scheme for removing cash from the economy, will force all 1 million cocaine users to give up the habit? Or are you capable of imagining that something else might happen?

jjmmww1

Not to do with bitcoin but managed to sell my First NFT yesterday for 27x what i paid for it and i didn't like them to star with but i guess it was a lucky buy

Scottex99

jjmmww1 said:

Not to do with bitcoin but managed to sell my First NFT yesterday for 27x what i paid for it and i didn't like them to star with but i guess it was a lucky buy

Haha nice. I keep meaning to do some research on NFTs but I can't really be bothered, think I have some art ones I paid a few ETH for somewhere. 

Collectibles within games could be pretty cool for it

Type_45

Hexane said:

Type_45 said:

Malthusian said:

They can do that now in a non-cashless society in exactly the same way as they already stop everyone from buying meth. 

According to the government's own figures, the UK has 11,000 meth users.  So the government isn't "stopping everyone from buying meth".

The government also says we have 1 million cocaine users.

So... do you believe that your proposed scheme for removing cash from the economy, will force all 1 million cocaine users to give up the habit? Or are you capable of imagining that something else might happen?

It would be a game changer, yes.

Because unless you're happy to have a permanent record on your PayPal of a £50 transaction one random Friday night with a drug dealer then how are you going to pay the dealer?

And once the police know someone is dealing illegal substances they only have to check that person's PayPal/bank accounts for a permanent ledger of clientelle.

Malthusian

Type_45 said:

Because unless you're happy to have a permanent record on your PayPal of a £50 transaction one random Friday night with a drug dealer then how are you going to pay the dealer?

Bitcoin if you're Internet savvy. (Or more likely Monero, or a similarly anonymous rival that has less interference from the get-rich-quick crowd.) Barter if not. (Is the Government going to ban ownership of Krugerrands? If the answer is yes, how about plain circular discs of gold? All precious metals of any shape?)

Bear in mind that if I'm currently a drug dealer who takes money for drugs in cash, somewhere down the line that cash has to be laundered so that it can be spent. This is often done via exchanging it for real assets in a way that conceals their source. All of this is priced in to what I have to pay the dealer. If cash is banned, all that happens is that some of the money laundering burden is shifted onto the customer.

Hexane

Type_45 said:

Hexane said:

Type_45 said:

Malthusian said:

They can do that now in a non-cashless society in exactly the same way as they already stop everyone from buying meth. 

According to the government's own figures, the UK has 11,000 meth users.  So the government isn't "stopping everyone from buying meth".

The government also says we have 1 million cocaine users.

So... do you believe that your proposed scheme for removing cash from the economy, will force all 1 million cocaine users to give up the habit? Or are you capable of imagining that something else might happen?

It would be a game changer, yes.

OK, you've persuaded me, if this change can solve huge societal ills like drug abuse so easily, then it's definitely worth doing. Sooner the better. I look forward to it.