So true.

In the UK, if you have something stolen and you inform the police, all they will do is give you a crime number for your insurance claim. If you have a tracker on your stolen phone and you tell them exactly where it is, they won't even go and try to recover it.

But if you write some hurty words on Twitter and someone complains, then the police will be at your door in numbers ready to you record you as an offender, even if no crime has been committed. You will forever be listed as someone who has committed a 'non-crime hate incident'. You may be going for a job in the future where they run a police check on your details and you might not get the job. The record will not show what you did, just that you have offended someone!

I don't know for sure the reason for this situation, but it is likely the result of a bad incentive system. The police have quotas they they have to meet in order to measure their effectiveness. Going round to someone's house in order to reprimand them for exercising their right to free speech is much less likely to result in a violent situation against the police, than by trying to confront any real criminals.

The incentive system needs to change.

Government officials often use “security” as an excuse to take your rights. They’ll increasingly say they need to surveil and control your communications and payments to keep people secure.

How about starting with the streets and trains and such? If they were actually serious about security more-so than control, they’d make sure that basic stuff is sorted out first.

Honestly, I think those all in on gold, who think Bitcoin is a scam, are wrong, but I also think belittling gold and going 100% in on Bitcoin isn't the wisest either. Both have their strengths and weaknesses, but there are situations that either can win. The wisest course of action is to have a bit of both. Gold is safe, but has less upside. Bitcoin has a bit more risk (though nothing like Schiff thinks), but has a much larger upside. Real diversification is the key.

yeh

Costa Rica abolished its army in 1948. Could this be why it consistently ranks high in happiness indexes, prioritizing education and healthcare over military spending? What lessons can other nations learn? #CostaRica #Peace

Don’t lie women, one of your biggest secret fears is that a bug is gonna crawl up into your vag one day.

To my knowledge, this has still never happened to me, but the thought keeps me up at night 😳