Gilded Age Greed and Golden Bitcoin

Dr. Riste Simnjanovski is simply a tenured prof of nationalist medication astatine California Baptist University. Most recently, his published probe explores integer assets successful the nationalist and backstage sectors.

In 1873, Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner copublished the novel, “The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today.” While the substance doesn’t person the designation it should, perchance arsenic a effect of the nonstop onslaught connected American politics, it’s a superb portion of lit that Bitcoiners whitethorn find amusing. In immoderate event, I powerfully promote readers to instrumentality a peek astatine it. The correlations to what Americans look successful 21st-century authorities seems to overwhelmingly reflector history. In my opinion, the correlations to Bitcoin are casual to spot.

One of my favourite Twain quotes states, “Suppose you were an idiot, and accidental you were a subordinate of Congress, but I repetition myself …”

Twain, and the lesser-known Warner, had a knack for satire successful a mode that was a spot violative and vulgar astatine the time, if not compelling and true, to a fault. If Twain had a Twitter account, he’d person millions of followers and possibly an adjacent magnitude of vocal objectors.

The deeply-rooted corruption of American authorities astatine each level is pervasive and systemic. All perspectives hold that corruption exists, authorities officials prime winners and losers successful concern and concern returns the favour by financing their adjacent “elected” official. The irony is that the existent era, i.e., post-Civil War America, is present virtually defined arsenic “The Gilded Age” taken straight from Twain and Warner’s satirical book.

The process of gilding is beauteous straightforward: you instrumentality thing of small oregon nary worth and use colour to it successful bid to make the illusion of wealth. One mightiness ideate a tin coin, painted with a aureate hue to lucifer a golden coin.

At the time, what connected the aboveground appeared to beryllium a booming economical and concern epoch for each of America was, well, gilded. There were monolithic disparities betwixt the affluent and the mediocre arsenic good arsenic a dense absorption connected materialism successful immoderate circles.

The affluent financed their empires connected the backs of the poor, arsenic did section and nationalist politicians; 1 mightiness reason that not overmuch has changed today. In that mode of financing, wealthiness gaps grew and lavish lifestyles that were thrust successful the look of a starving moving people bubbled over. What appeared aureate connected the aboveground was worthless underneath. How often person we witnessed politicians walk laws that yet crook taxation dollars into dividend payments for their idiosyncratic portfolios?

Do not let your concern professors to preach that this epoch was the economical roar of a beingness successful America — these moments defined greed, slavery and corruption. Regular Americans had small to nary recourse. If Bitcoin were astir during the Gilded Age, the authorities itself whitethorn person been considered a shitcoin. Most recently, the collapse of Luna is simply a reminder of this corruption and greed. As always, Bitcoin is antithetic and the value of this volition lone beryllium much brightly illuminated erstwhile much centralized scam projects illness successful a cascade of carnage. Regardless of what broadside of the aisle you’re on, if you’re targeting the opposing side, you’re not paying attention; greed is apolitical.

Between the years of 1870 to 1900, the satellite took announcement that America was booming (for some). As a result, a monolithic migration westbound took place. Native Brits, Scots and others braved horrific oversea and onshore journeys successful an effort of securing an accidental of caller prosperity. Unfortunately, galore of these talents were wasted arsenic immigrants mostly worked for monolithic corporations specified arsenic John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil, Cornelius Vanderbilt’s railroads and Andrew Carnegie’s Carnegie Steel Company. (In lawsuit you were unaware, Carnegie Steel Company yet became J.P. Morgan’s U.S. Steel monopoly … and lipid tycoons besides person heavy roots successful Big Pharma. There is simply a crushed galore aesculapian tract products person a petroleum base. Just saying … but let’s get backmost to Bitcoin.)

Perhaps Twain and Warner were connected to thing successful their acknowledgment of the inequalities during this play successful time. The Gilded Age was, successful galore respects, governmental corruption masquerading arsenic state and opportunity. Has thing changed oregon person the veils and tactics simply been updated?

There is simply a fashionable operation successful the Bitcoin assemblage that states, “Fix the money, hole the world.” What if Bitcoin existed astatine that clip and immoderate excess currency earned by laborers could person been stored, immune to governmental corruption, confiscation, ostentation oregon governmental party? Technologically, each that existed astatine the clip was golden and silver, yet galore of the poorest radical of the federation could not adjacent bargain fractions of coins; successful Bitcoin, buying fractions of coins is possible.

I would suggest that fiat is simply a gilded currency, that centralized protocols are gilded projects and that nine is witnessing, successful existent time, the proverbial overgarment chipping away. The unhappiness nine is facing isn’t with 1 different arsenic the media forces america to believe; the unhappiness is with the realization that what we’ve been sold and the currency we request to acquisition it, is each gilded. Many politicians themselves are gilded. If fiat personalities were a thing, they’d person followers connected Twitter lusting implicit their aureate hue.

Yes, fiat currencies are important arsenic a mean of exchange, but they are (and volition proceed to everlastingly be) a unspeakable store of value. The deflationary aspects of Bitcoin, specifically, the information that determination volition lone ever beryllium 21 cardinal bitcoin and that each 4 years the reward for mining the coins is chopped successful half, lone marque the plus much pristine to radical who bash not ain immoderate bitcoin arsenic they bespeak connected past and go exposed to Bitcoin. The economical clang that has been occurring passim 2022 volition lone mint much Bitcoiners.

Bitcoin fixes wealth with nary gilding required. However, tin Bitcoin besides code an unfulfilled soul by providing humanity an accidental to question their existent purpose? My caller presumption is simply a nine untrusting of a gilded reality, whitethorn person besides questioned their ain existence.

In erstwhile articles and a book, I’ve addressed an unfulfilled soul, but however tin fixing wealth assistance the psyche oregon code this contented of a gilded world? I would suggest that these concepts are not interdependent, but they whitethorn beryllium interconnected. Yes, corrupt radical with much resources volition dispersed corruption; but what of bully people?

What if bully people, with bully intentions, beardown values and a coagulated motivation compass had entree to the aforesaid resources the robber barons did during the Gilded Age?

What would the satellite look like? What astir politics? Business? Industry? Your family?

I suggest that the quiescent bitcoin assemblage (QBCs are the ones not trending connected Twitter) is going to forge a caller way for the adjacent procreation arsenic they crook their backs connected centralized projects and follow Bitcoin.

These newly-minted Bitcoiners are not gilded, they’re real, and they’re genuinely disheartened with scam projects and centralized greed. Many successful the “crypto community” are becoming Bitcoiners arsenic they ticker the overgarment spot away.

This is simply a impermanent station by Dr. Riste Simnjanovski. Opinions expressed are wholly their ain and bash not needfully bespeak those of BTC Inc. oregon Bitcoin Magazine.