As of lately we seem to be witnessing a rush of de-monetization moves and a set of compulsory or semi-compulsory measures to switch to fully-electronic systems of payments.
Allow us to recap some examples.
Some time ago we reported what was happening in Uruguay (Uruguay - When Cash Becomes Illegal).
M-Pesa (a mobile phone-based money transfer system) took for storm Kenya, Tanzania, Afghanistan, South Africa, India, some Eastern European countries and other markets.
India has very recently implemented a de-monetization policy whereby it removed from circulation their most popular currencies and are moving full steam ahead with an electronic system of payments with biometric authentications (UIDAI).
Venezuela has also demonetized by removing all 100 Bolivars notes from circulation and thus forcing the population to use either credit or debit card.
And so on.
The situation in Uruguay, India and Venezuela was prompted due to the "need" to "fight" tax evasion, "black money" or "huge mafias". In other words, to destroy the myriad of mechanisms that free markets develop when people realize that they are being fleeced by their governments through the endless devaluation of the currency or through plain robbery under the thin guise of "tax". All for the greater good and the betterment of society, of course.
The M-Pesa example is a private initiative of several companies who realize the profit potential when they observed that "air time" for phones was actually used as currency. This is interesting for two reasons. The market selection of "air time" (which in Kenya can be transferred from phone to phone) as currency is a vivid and shining example of true free markets at work and how they solve problems without the intervention of "central authorities". In Kenya the free market decided that "air time" is a convenient and suitable means of exchange, even above and beyond the "official" Kenyan currency, the Kenyan Shilling.
The second reason is that although this initiative (the M-Pesa) was a private endeavour, it required a "special" licence from the government in addition to the compliance to all relevant banking and financial regulations, including the KYC policy (i.e. the Know Your Customer). In order to satisfy these requirements, the M-Pesa linked digital accounts with official Kenyan IDs.
And there you have it.
Yet another freedom squashed like a bug. Instead of anonymous payments, now all transactions are fully electronic which means that they are fully achievable, traceable and are an open book to governments. This escalation of loss of privacy is very worrisome because through one way or another or for one reason or another, our entire lives are being collated and archived for the future. We are at the point of no return. All information is becoming electronic and thus everything is becoming fillable. It is not only that governments have no business in our lives, but that the accumulation of such information is the wet dream of dictators. Every person on the planet will have a file. From that file weaknesses and strengths can be ascertained and thus people can be controlled at an individual level. If you thought that the Gestapo or the KGB were thorough, you have not seen anything yet. And now, with the advent of the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEI) imposed on all banks (see for example Tax Justice Is Here And Now What) and the imposition of traceable and identifiable e-methods of payment we don't even have the monetary resources to resist. We have been warning about this phenomenon for quite some time now. See for example, Big Problems With Big Data and CitizenFour - A Movie You Must Absolutely Watch.
This trend towards Total Awareness Programs (i.e. the Total Control Programs) will determine the medium-term future direction of all our political systems. This kind of controls will be used through governments that have been shelled out (far more than the current ones) which will become, for all intents and purposes, dictatorships of the left. Can't happen? It is already happening. It will happen. The shift towards socialism (i.e. communism-light) will only accelerate. And these kinds of events are only the tip of the iceberg because dictatorships are never satisfied with the amount of information they collect. There will never be an end to this. Be prepared. Be aware. All your life, all your endeavours, all your writings, communications and even conversations; all your most intimate moments are theirs to have and they will. It is just a matter of time, and not too much at that either.
That's why we ask you not to vote, because for now, for a very little now, for a very small window of opportunity, we can still degrade and get rid of all governments; all political systems. Today they are still vulnerable to denial of votes. Tomorrow, tomorrow we will have dictatorships which will be vote-denial proof. Alas, this is not to be. We know because of our studies in political systems (i.e. Political Systems Lifecycle, The Law of Political Systems Direction and The Three Laws of Political System Change) that this is not going to happen. People simply don't jump over political evolutionary steps.
Our recommendation then? Make money. As much as possible. Find a less oppressive country. Use the money to cushion yourself and your family against the upcoming onslaught. And above all, keep your ideas to yourself. Don't be a target. Don't be a victim.
Unless, of course, you enjoy being a "Person Of Interest" with the iron thumb of the state pressing down your throat. If this is your preference, then go ahead. Keep voting. Your choice.
Note: please see the Glossary if you are unfamiliar with certain words.
