For those of you who enthuse about the end of cash, pay closer attention to whatâs actually happening with some of these digital schemes. It can be scary.
Guy
Cash wonât die anytime soon. Although I donât like cash, I find it inconvenient and I love my miles credit cards, sometimes it is useful and a good backup.
Since I moved to Taiwan I never leave home without 3k cash, in HK I barely kept 200$ in my walletđ
I definitely donât enthuse, but anything in particular?
âAnythingâ meaning concerns about cashlessness?
For me, at the top of the list are surveillance schemes, including this biometric monitoring in the Chinese student example above.
Guy
Anything in particular that makes a good reason not to worry?
Sure there is. Just no one believes in it.
The ruling party believes in it. It use of rule by law (and not rule of law) is a key mechanism to retain control.
Guy
Maybe yes and maybe no.
Let me restate my point: they believe in the legal system as a key weapon in maintaining power. Of course itâs not a separate branch of governmentâseparation of powers is not the CCPâs thing.
Is that clear enough?
Guy
Sure. Do you think history is anything but fiction? I imagine more people fear the CCP than believe in it.
PSA (with Chinese characteristics)
Is there anything more laughable and pathetic than China?
Oh wait there is. Russia.
Like reading an elderly man got thrown off a normal city bus in China because he was wearing a normal surgical mask and not an N95. Sigh.
Or people being locked up and not allowed to evacuate during and after the big quake in Sichuan. Double sigh.
Can never be too careful!
For a greener city!
How many have to die to be saved from Covid?
âDisinfectantâ. Suuuure.
They had to destroy the village to save it!