The Fresh Adversary
There is no doubt that the recent cycles of elections globally, especially in the U.S., have unveiled several “elephants lurking in the shadows” rife with hypocritical behaviors, psychological trials subjecting the working class to novel forms of manipulation, all under the cloak of misinformation. The post-Cold War era transitioned from a straightforward good versus evil narrative to a landscape devoid of the enemies necessary to sustain the West’s military-industrial-political complex. In this absence, the illuminati in control sought a fresh adversary to maintain their foothold, a foe that was simpler to manipulate. This new antagonist became the populace itself.
What one might fail to recognize is that this journey to dominate the working class commenced well before the conclusion of the Cold War. It sprouted from the foundations of numerous self-serving initiatives aimed at enhancing the educational frameworks in the West, under the pretense of shielding “uninformed” investors from making their own financial choices that could infringe upon Wall Street, along with the facade of safeguarding democracy, the dollar, and the market structure.
The Deceptive Fiat Triumph
Currently, the military-industrial-political complex boasts an implicit near-complete triumph over the 99%, built upon a series of skirmishes tracing back to the 1980s, where the battles became earnest. This was the era of deregulation, Wall-Street predators, and the emergence of financial engineering, alternatively dubbed the Perestroika of finance. I perceive the 1980s as a pivotal moment for Western civilization. The decade appeared promising, recovering from stagflation, economic and political regress, and the tumultuous 1970s filled with conflicts and hostage situations. Yet, the socio-financial battles that followed aimed to suppress the common people by dominating their education, wealth generation, transportation, dietary and labor habits, among other aspects.
If you don’t acknowledge that the 1980s imposed such extensive societal transformations upon us, consider that this period marked the birth of PEOPLExpress, the inaugural low-cost airline where the public was informed that this was the future of air travel with no more reserved seating or meals. The decade experienced the ascendance of finance as the leading area of study for college-age youth. Graduates were instructed to disregard “real” work since the future revolved solely around transferring money from one place to another. Our food supply chains plummeted, continuing their decline through the 90s and beyond, with innovations like “Olestra,” the fat substitute that not only promised to decrease your calorie consumption but also offered the delightful side effects of abdominal cramps and loose stools as indicated on the warning label of all items containing it. And for the environmentally-conscious readers, the decade witnessed the disappearance of glass bottles, replaced by the Tetra Pak plastic age.
While I reference an abundance of earth-shaking actions throughout the 1980s, one of the most significant movements was the nuisance imposed on our educational systems. These impositions spawned enduring adverse effects on individuals’ capacity for rational thinking, fostering tolerance, and demonstrating decision-making skills. Promoting “self-esteem” in schools without earning it became the slogan. Rewarding mere “attempts” constituted 35% of your college course grade. Recall that this California-originated initiative suggested that elevating individuals’ self-esteem could curtail crime, poverty, pollution, global warming, and nearly all social ills. Yet, they seldom noted that it could “repair the economy” or “repair the world”. Instead of enlightening the masses with practicality and rationality, they were taught to merely commend themselves. This shift in mentality, this alteration to the social and educational frameworks of the 1980s, I propose, served as the catalysts for the decline of global societal norms and values, and subsequently, financial literacy.
“The Defeated are the True Victors”
Over the ensuing decades, the movements I underscore have inflicted damage on the succeeding generations, impacting financial literacy among other societal principles. We now observe the outcomes of these, perhaps, well-meaning but misplaced programs resulting in the frustration we experience as we endeavor to educate not only the youth but also adults about Bitcoin.
I recall a phrase I once heard on a television sitcom that shall remain unnamed to avoid potential copyright issues: “The defeated are the true victors.”
Is this the world we desire?
I apologize for my outburst but as Shakespeare said: “I express, therefore I exist”. If you’re feeling dismal at this juncture in my diatribe, either take a pill, a nap, or grow a backbone… or some other fruit and move ahead.
“Rotten” Orange…..Pilling
What ails investors and markets today? They represent the TikTok investor generation who believe they can make investment decisions and quick profits after spending 14 hours a day scrolling the app as a substitute for the subpar quality of university “education” in practical finance. Present-day investors consider themselves immune to history’s lessons. They possess all the answers. Somehow, knowledge gleaned from history seems irrelevant beyond their five years of experience at a Big-4 consulting firm following the acquisition of a dual business/fourth-century art history degree financed by $200,000 in student loans.
The Wall-Street-political-media industrial complex contributed to the “dumbing down” of investors. They achieved this through tribulations such as the manipulation of Libor, collusion in the gold market, and the Madoff Ponzi scheme, which fostered pure distrust of all established financial or mathematical frameworks, regardless of their foundation or potential educational sources. Politically driven misinformation further stoked the flames, asserting that inflation is “beneficial for you” and that recessions no longer exist as they once did. Global political powers also added their perspectives urging you to be “green or perish.”
“A fool and his money are easily parted” was theadage. Nevertheless, currently, the fool profits at the expense of the sensible.
To this blend of the misguided and poorly informed contemporary investor generation, global central bank cash creation since the 1980s has injected their substance through the generation of an oversupply of liquidity. Equip the TikTok investor with liquidity and, to quote Alan Greenspan “irrational exuberance” follows. Investors mistakenly believe they possess expertise in portfolio strategy, risk evaluation, and investment. The oversupply of liquidity has surged through the TikTok generation faster than a Fauci/Gates inspired virus.
In essence, these Spoiled Oranges over the past decades have fostered today’s imprudent money management mindset. The Dunning–Kruger effect has encouraged recklessly throwing money at “Shitcoins” instead of Bitcoins.
Moneyzine.com revealed that the proportion of US adults lacking financial literacy was at 25% in 2023, that Gen Z and Gen Y have the most inadequate financial literacy levels among US generations, at 38% and 45% respectively, and that 48% of teens claim they acquire personal finance knowledge from social media.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn stated: “Human beings possess different abilities. If they are free, they are not equal. And if they are equal, they are not free.”
But can a value proposition, a monetary revolution surmount such a predicament?
Would Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn have envisioned that his remarks could be applicable to our quest to liberate ourselves from Fiat dominance?
Can Bitcoin serve as a significant equalizer and simultaneously offer personal freedom?
From Spoiled Oranges to Orange Blossoms
It is vital to educate the new generation not just about Bitcoin, but also to re-educate the public on basic financial wisdom. Practicality must return to triumph over likes accrued on Instagram. Today’s Robinhoods must cease learning finance on TikTok and delve into historical context. Concerning Bitcoin, the brave Greg Foss asserted that it’s “just math”.
The “soft-spoken” Max Keiser also remarked: “We must persist in educating the masses and promoting savings in Bitcoin to effectively drain the kleptocratic swamp presiding over our financial system.”
Even “God’s Banker” could not evade the wrath of the irrational Fiat realm, meeting his end under just one bridge too far.
Without financial wisdom as articulated by Benjamin Franklin in “The Way to Wealth“,
“We suffer double taxes from our idleness, triple from our pride, and quadruple from our folly”
Are you prepared to awaken to the necessary reality, or be taxed fourfold?
This is a guest contribution by Enza Coin. Views expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily represent those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.