The more you write, the more you learn.

There are a lot of people in online crypto communities that believe narratives, like wrenches thrown in the cogs and wheels to break... things, that this is an "us against them" between Bitcoin and 'crypto'.

There's a bigger picture out there, and it is ugly. It has been my go-to assumption since a decade before I even took the orange pill, but it is important to understand; this Bitcoin VS. ETH VS. NFT VS. ETC... (etcetera, not Ethereum Classic lol) is a distraction from much more important David vs. Goliath issues.

I start this post by saying so. because I really want this community to understand that certain ideas and principles matter. People need to be able to do a better job with their own critical thinking. For instance, I took it upon myself to go deeply into the topic of false narratives in the press, for example the 'Bitcoin is a pyramid scheme... is a Ponzi scheme'. This devolved into reply commentary that fueled, I think, an even more important narrative, and that has 2 parts I care deeply about. The first, is that the definitions of things matter, and the community still isn't getting it. The second, is that a lot of these inaccurate arguments are fueled by a belief that Bitcoin was only valuable to usher in the technology that is now being utilized by much better models. I value this largely anonymous community, and enjoy taking the time to consider the topics we jabber on about.

Dealing with the first part; when I talk about things like critical thinking, I do so not to look down on anyone else, or to hold myself superior. I'm a freakin' imaginary 3D cartoon superhero, for goodness sake- lol. No, there's a real person behind the mask, but the point is I am not perfect nor will I ever be.

But, the goal is to hit a higher mark and care about facts. It really did set me into a place of "this really matters" when, after a great deal of factual debate, a few members of the community still came around to the idea that 'anything can be a Ponzi' with wrong attributes cited as an example.

There's a larger internet-wide mis-labeling that has gained popularity to call something a 'scam' that is not. Similar types of issues. I get that there is a meme culture developing on all levels, but my point is that the Bitcoin maximalist often has a very, very, very good reason for the fact that years into their interest in 'crypto' simply deepens their understanding of Bitcoin, and it really does set apart why 13 years into a working premise is being accepted by hundreds of billions of dollars of industry, and it is attacked by all the right enemies, which is a strong sign, while newer projects and protocols are ALSO legitimate, or at least fairly fighting for their pieces of the legitimacy puzzle. And then, there are the poorly researched fly-by-night projects that people believe in, because they buy the shill, want the pump, and don't understand the underlying economics well enough to see what others can see.

I am not a person who sits on the fence without strong perspectives, but I am probably one of the more level-headed individuals in both embracing what is incredibly important about Bitcoin, and also not ignoring the fact that there is now an entire sector in crypto with good, and bad, projects alike.

Definitions matter. Knowing what a Ponzi is and not correlating inaccurate things matters. Understanding a pyramid is vital to understanding why true believers are not partaking in ill-formed economics. As such, we have bigger battles to fight.

There is a real 'us against them' taking place in the world, and both sides have their financial platforms, and beyond the general public, both sides, good and evil, have their crypto.

For us, it is a free market where people can choose where their loyalties reside, as much as they can choose to chase the pump and dump if they so wish. For them, it is the governments and the CBDCs they intend to use to entrap all of us into a single series of thought, and a single set of social behaviors. It is coming quickly, and it is not a good thing.

Which brings me to GoFundMe and Spotify. Thus far, I believe the situation with Spotify and heavy fire from the lefty cancel-culture is, for the platform, purely about the money. I would say people can find programming from the left, middle and right on Spotify. I would imagine a person can find music created by Marxists, Christians and atheists alike. Spotify is about charging a subscription to pay out licensing royalties, and when someone like Joe Rogan brings a massive audience, they're willing to pay big to own a piece of the payouts. They earn sponsored deals, advertising, and subscription fees. 

The cancel culture aspect has led a lot of people to question the celebrity role in a deep state take down on freedom, and rightfully so. Wherever this series of freedom-attacks of this nature lands we will see, but it brings the important topic to the surface.

Importantly, a massive truck convoy is serving its purpose as a protest against a tyrannical government, and the world over, freedom-loving people are embracing the movement, hoping to see it topple the vast over-reach we all know (if you have a brain) will only continue, deepen, and widen.

Governments of the world have essentially divided the kingdoms of the free and bond over whether someone will become a lab rat with piles of data miles high showing there is a greedy misinformation campaign and our rulers are perfectly joyful at the idea of letting us starve, pay fines, or lose our homes and livelihood if we disagree. These are basic freedoms covered by the laws of the previously seemingly free governments of the world, and by that I mean not China and not N. Korea.

So, when people were raising funds on GoFundMe for the truckers in Canada, it was clear that we all saw the results of how this goes as a sign of what to expect back home. The uprisings are real and are necessary to delay what is still likely the inevitable great reset, and please realize I am a benevolent dictator in my own right, so if you spam my comments expect to be deleted- lol. Yeah, we're all hypocrites in one way or another :-) lol. My body my choice, I mean my blog post, welcome and tip accordingly- lol. You'll notice that I receive 1-4 down-thumbs for every single thing I write because I tick off exactly the proper lefty loonies, so I'm good with that.

GoFundMe cancels the earnings meant to support the truckers, citing that what was a protest was now an occupation, but in truth GFM has a long history of canceling conservative campaigns and sticking their noses far beyond the case for freedom. But, they did all of us a favor, and honestly if you use Spotify or GoFundMe you ain't no friend of mine. These things create true divisions over moral principles that should be followed. They did us all a huge favor. Why? Because people are using alternate funding platforms that make it clear they support freedom, and in that process people are donating large sums of Bitcoin to the cause!

Bitcoin, like anything, can be used for good or evil, and in today's society people believe firmly in "my truth" or "my freedom" and not larger, hard-pressed constructs of good and bad. I personally believe there are some certainties in the world, but this is for another time and place. The truth is, in Bitcoin's 13 years it has taken a while for a lot of people to realize what kind of use-cases make sense.

The continued idea that Bitcoin serves no tangible value, is old-school and not in the good sense of the term, is a moot point that one will tire of, when giving proper debate. There is a reason that it continues to represent the majority of the market, with a circulation of 30 different top-spots occupied by flavor-of-the-week tokens and usually ETH, a dog or a friend of a dog.

People have helped the effort to propel Bitcoin towards the consciousness of larger humanity by writing well-written books, launching get-togethers, local meet-ups and conferences, simply sending relatives a little coin, helping people set up on the Lightning Network, etc. But, it is when people see money used as a means of controlling, canceling, and demonizing people for holding beliefs, seeking their own truths so to speak, nothing could be a better argument for decentralized money.

Next, we are going to see a global race of the CBDC, central bank digital currency, where there is no question loads of surveillance will be used to dictate how and when we can use our own hard-earned money. The fall of fiat couldn't come quickly enough, but unfortunately global economics really does insist that we do in fact need fiat to stand, if for no other reason than to provide an entry and exit point for the fluid utilization of crypto. That, again, is for a different post entirely.

The CBDC will be the ultimate tool of tyrannical leadership, and there will be no greater advertisement for Bitcoin and other important crypto things. Everything we have taken for granted in the world of crypto will come under fire from back door legislation. It is already happening in the U.S., India, Russia and other countries. The linking of information that we have not authorized the government to have, the utilization of facial recognition and retinal fingerprinting in order to access your own records, forcing banks to report small transactions, forcing any entity that handles a transaction to act as a broker and dox its users, making mixers illegal, introducing regulation on privacy coins, etc. 

These dangerous moves are not about protection. They are not about anti-money-laundering. They are not about safety. They are about control. The Communist utopia is a principled thing known to historically fail, but not because it is wrong (which it is) or a breach of basic fundamental human rights, but in their minds, because they needed better data. This has always been the self-proclaimed historical argument. Fighting for our rights to protect our actions through how we transact may be the single most important concept we embrace right now.

Anyone who thinks bullying platforms to get rid of someone who allows people to discuss their views, and often medical experts who certainly know what they are talking about, is an enemy of freedom. Anyone who thinks it is good for GoFundMe to end fundraising campaigns at will for ideological reasons and not clearly immoral practices, is an enemy of freedom.

Bitcoin and sometimes some crypto, is freedom money.

There is a reason beyond essential security that we need peer-to-peer protocols that work. Everything that is needed to be known for the legitimacy of their use is public and available forever on the blockchain. Everything that we deserve as a human right to privacy should remain private. By redrawing the lines of decent behavior, these tyrants will paint every citizen into a corner where good behavior is shunned as illegal, where people who simply wish to be allowed to earn a living and live their lives will be 'outed' as criminals and money launderers, while doing nothing but routing their own money where they wish it to go.

If you don't think that the digital money of the state will act exactly as GoFundMe has at their will and whim, then honestly, you don't belong in crypto, but you may get it some day.

And on that note, a cautiously optimistic Crypto Gordon Freeman, hoping to always be the free man, for now... out.