To my brothers in cryptoland, you can feel it in your bones can't you? The creeping specter of invasiveness and control seen in the Chinese Social Credit System.
Like propositions in California which end up spreading around the country, these tentacles of Big Brother will not remain the purview of China, of that I'm certain. The reason is that it offers too much delicious control over the populace, and will end up being exported globally.
Those of you outside of cryptoland, enjoy your freedom while you can.
Loyalty To A Brand, Becomes Loyalty To The State
We've all seen those "rewards" cards that you sign up for at your local supermarket and other retail stores. When the first came out at the nearby Giants Market, you could pick one up by just asking for it to save on your gas purchases.
They've since changed it, and now you need a valid ID in order to get one. They want to know exactly who you are, as opposed to before when you could remain anonymous. So I picked up a bunch of them under the old system correctly assuming that this might be the case in the future, and I was right.
Recently they "upgraded" our college ID cards you know, to enable them to better "track" the students. They keep telling me that they don't "see" me in the system. I use the old card, which is a shielded card in a shielded wallet and doesn't have the tracking "feature" built in. They sent out an email a couple years ago for students to volunteer to swap their old ones for the new upgraded cards, but somehow I never got around to it...
I'm just not wired that way which is why I was attracted to crypto in the first place. However, I do stay up on all the latest news in tech and privacy (or the lack thereof), and see some form of a Social Credit System as an inevitability.
Thus, the easiest way to sneak this in is through these cards and of course partner apps. They'll offer discounts on products at first, then be rolled out (slowly) to other aspects of our lives. Remember the lotteries offering a prize to those who "got their jab" during the pandemic? Offer a prize for an expected behavior will be the rule of the day.
The days of my grandmother burying greenbacks in a jar in her backyard will be all over. Everything will be digitized meaning that "good" citizens will be rewarded with bonuses and discounts, while those "bad" ones won't qualify, and even worse, may have their assets frozen.
I could even see them offering social tax credits for those willing to comply, and even a bonus for those willing to swap your fiat and willingly join the Social Credit System world. Turn in $100 in bills and they'll enter $125 into your credit account.
What To Do About The Denizens Of Cryptoland?
Some people think that crypto will be outlawed at first, but I think something else is likely to happen. I believe they will try to co-opt the blockchain, as some of its features will prove attractive to onboarding the first pioneers into this new control scheme.
I see a period where influencers are paid to shill for the brand-spanking-new Social Credit System, in order to help rope in some of the more gullible members of the crypto community. This will give it a veneer of acceptability and the muggles will follow along. California may hold a referendum, and next thing you know, that's all she wrote.
But, there will be those diehards who will see the new offal for what it is. Freedom isn't free, and they're not about to give up their decentralized system, and will innovate their way around this digital infection.
Like silent warriors, we will use stealth and make use of the deep bench of our vibrant community to help maintain the freedoms we so dearly love. Thus the stage will be set for the next great battle in blockchain-space. And we'll fight (and win) this war together.
Please check out my recent posts:
The EverNoticeThat Interview: Andy Stoll - Social Entrepreneur (PART 2)
The EverNoticeThat Interview: Andy Stoll - Social Entrepreneur (PART 1)
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