In our cashless society, we need to take digital jail seriously
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Re: In our cashless society, we need to take digital jail seriously
#2It sounds like the author lives somewhere upper class. I've never been to a business that can't take cash.
Re: In our cashless society, we need to take digital jail seriously
#3The simple answer is to reject the cashless society.
In the medium to long term it's simply incompatible with any reasonable definition of freedom. Surveillance is bad enough, but a system that allows governments to arbitrarily "turn off" thousands or millions of people at the push of a button is too powerful to not be abused.
Even the mere existence of such a system has a chilling effect. Which I suspect is precisely what these people want and is exactly why we can't give it to them.
I'll take inconvenience over slavery any day of the week.
This isn't some sort of anarcho-libertarian paradise opinion, I have no issue with there being a well functioning justice system.
But yeah, if you want to seize assets, get a court order and go and lock someone in a box and take their things, don't take the cowardly way out and pretend that you've just flipped a database key and it's not really a big deal.
By the same token, if you tell me there's been a murder on my street I'll give you the CCTV footage of my door cam. If you ask me for a backdoor, I'll tell you where to shove it. That's what being a member of a free society is, that seemingly minor distinction is one of the most important things we have and better minds than mine have sought to elaborate on why.
Even a child is able to understand that force is still force regardless of whether it involves the direct visible physical kind.
Re: In our cashless society, we need to take digital jail seriously
#4It sounds like the author lives somewhere upper class. I've never been to a business that can't take cash.
In SF, they recently passed a law saying all stores must accept cash.
https://www.ktvu.com/news/san-franciscos-cashless-ban-now-in...
Re: In our cashless society, we need to take digital jail seriously
#5It sounds like the author lives somewhere upper class. I've never been to a business that can't take cash.
It's become common in many restaurants and stores throughout North America during the COVID pandemic. It seems unlikely that all these businesses will revert. Other places such as China and some Nordic countries have gone further.
Re: In our cashless society, we need to take digital jail seriously
#6I like the idea, but can’t they get around it with prepaid cards or (eventually) crypto? And rich people aren’t punished at all, they can always get someone else to do it. I think they would need to use an equivalent of a no-fly list, which would be hard to make every business to use, and also privacy crushing.
Re: In our cashless society, we need to take digital jail seriously
#7It sounds like the author lives somewhere upper class. I've never been to a business that can't take cash.
I'm far from the biggest crypto enthusiast but pretty hard to buy home, purchase car, get business loan etc. without a bank account. Obviously you can still get food and clothes no issue but I think the larger point stands.
Re: In our cashless society, we need to take digital jail seriously
#8It sounds like the author lives somewhere upper class. I've never been to a business that can't take cash.
There are a few that won't take cash, especially in the more COVID-conscious areas.
Nominally it was because during early pandemic people were worried about handling cash with virons on it, or otherwise bringing infected peoples' bodies nearer to cashiers' bodies than strictly necessary.
Then many realized that their profits didn't take a hit since card payments are common now and nearly everyone has a card.
Now it seems simply to be a convenience thing. Probably businesses are happy with prompting every customer with a tip request, rather than expecting them to remember to drop some money in the jar before they leave with their goods.
Re: In our cashless society, we need to take digital jail seriously
#9It sounds like the author lives somewhere upper class. I've never been to a business that can't take cash.
I live in a "not affluent" city, and cashless is common. Many restaurants will not take cash. No hotels take cash. Some gas stations do not take cash. Grocery stores actively encourage cashless payments. etc...
Is it more likely that you frequent places which are cash-centric? Coffee shops, independent retailers and the like?
Re: In our cashless society, we need to take digital jail seriously
#10It sounds like the author lives somewhere upper class. I've never been to a business that can't take cash.
many Walmart and other grocery self-checkouts began only accepting cards due to a ""coin shortage"" during covid, and it seems like they now have no reason to revert.