Watch me pay for a beer and a guided tour in bitcoin with near instantaneous payment to a tour guy very happy to receive it in El Salvador, where bitcoin is legal tender.
#bitcoin #elsalvador https://video.nostr.build/db786dc81937b4c3c114029c581f9eca90bf923bd9d441161bfa431caac9e4bc.mp4
In a world saturated with digital eyes, the line between safety and surveillance blurs. How much privacy are we willing to sacrifice?
A few years ago, the NSA intercepted 200 million SMS messages daily worldwide. A staggering breach of privacy, yet it's the tip of the iceberg.
From the Bahamas to France, governments exchange vast amounts of data on millions, turning global communication networks into open books.
Edward Snowden's 2013 revelations exposed a hidden world of surveillance, challenging our perceptions of privacy and security.
Imagine calling a hotline for help, only to have that data logged and analyzed. Where do we draw the line on surveillance?
A tale of two powers: As some nations push for complete digital oversight, others call for a more customer-centric approach to governance.
Every text, email, and call you make can be intercepted, stored, and analyzed. Your digital footprint is larger and more vulnerable than you think.
After the Snowden leaks, the world woke up. Yet, the battle for privacy continues, with laws struggling to keep pace with surveillance tech.
Surveillance or security? As digital eyes multiply, the line between monitoring for safety and eroding privacy becomes alarmingly thin.
Dive deeper into this urgent discussion and discover what's at stake and how to protect yourself : https://disruptive-horizons.com/p/the-temptation-of-generalized-surveillance
#DigitalPrivacy #SurveillanceSociety #GlobalSurveillance #DataPrivacy
The Temptation of Generalized Surveillance - From Orwell to Snowden, the slippery slope towards Chinese-style surveillance in democracies https://disruptive-horizons.com/p/the-temptation-of-generalized-surveillance
State indebtedness is at an all-time high - So little room for manoeuvre as disruptive forces converge https://disruptive-horizons.com/p/state-indebtedness-is-at-an-all-time-high
Review of Disruptive Horizons in 2023 - The first 6 months
https://disruptive-horizons.com/p/review-of-disruptive-horizons-in-2023
In a world flattened by the internet, the traditional powers of nation-states are being disrupted, including where it hurts most: the ability to raise taxes. Let's see how the conditions that made them powerful and wealthy in the 19th and 20th centuries are crumbling
Between the 1950s and today, the ability of countries to tax the rich has changed radically. Thanks to technological advances, high earners are more mobile and can easily escape high tax rates by moving, forcing states to reduce their highest income tax bracket
Corporate tax rates worldwide have plummeted from 40% in 1980 to just over 23% in 2021, because companies can increasingly locate in low-tax countries, leading to fierce tax competition
What's more, electronic money exchanges make it very easy for capital to cross borders, allowing paper profits to be placed in welcoming jurisdictions that will tax it little or not at all. States have been trying to combat these "paper" transfers, notably since the 2010s , with little result so far
While income and corporate taxes decrease, social security contribution, labor taxes and VAT rates are climbing, heavily impacting those who stay in their home countries. It's a silent burden on the less mobile middle class.
We're witnessing a historic shift: from immobile societies reliant on physical presence to digital, agile, and mobile economies, upending how nations finance themselves, just as they're getting an aging population whose social and health care costs are soon to skyrocket
"The growing difficulty of governments to raise taxes is more than just a matter of numbers: it's due to the profound disruption they are experiencing in the Internet age of globalization. Want to dive more into this topic ? Read the full article here: https://disruptive-horizons.com/p/the-worst-moment-taxing-times
Internet is the new Leviathan - In conclusion of the series about the disruption of Nation-States by the Internet https://disruptive-horizons.com/p/internet-is-the-new-leviathan
An easy way to decentralize #AI is to create a project similar to SETI@Home or Folding@Home, to allow millions of volunteers to share the unused cycles of their GPUs to train open source models that are then made available to the community.
https://void.cat/d/VeyvPz4hAZ6DJFoLTH1dt6.webp
No government, not even the US government, can fight a massive, decentralized, borderless phenomenon (cf. #Bittorrent vs. #Napster)
The closest project to this that I've found so far is GPUtopia. The project (in alpha stage) is that you can sell your unused GPU cycles in exchange for BTC paid via the Lightning Network.
It's a great idea, and they could make it even better by offering the option to donate unused GPU cycles (either a predefined %, or when there are times when there's no renter for your GPU) to a cause - including training open source models.
About the fact that no government can fight a massive, decentralized, borderless phenomenon, see https://disruptive-horizons.com/p/internet-makes-governments-impotant-bottlenecks
Why Liz Truss Went From Elected to Ejected So Quick ? The Eroding Sovereignty of Nation-States by Global Phenomena and Structures https://disruptive-horizons.com/p/the-eroding-sovereignty-of-nation-states
#disruptivehorizons #nationstates #bitcoinnostr #bitcoin #plebchain #BTC #cryptos
Ever felt more connected to a global community than your own nation? 🌍 Dive into our latest article exploring how the internet is reshaping our sense of national identity. Discover the profound impact of digital connections on our worldviews. Are you a citizen of your country or a citizen of the world? Find out now!
🔗https://disruptive-horizons.com/p/how-the-internet-is-eroding-nationalism
#GlobalCitizenship #DigitalAgeIdentity #bitcoinnostr #bitcoin #plebchain #BTC #cryptos
The Web of Fraud: How the Internet Exposes Nation-States' Weaknesses - From Kolkata to Paris: the Silent War Between Scammers and States https://disruptive-horizons.com/p/the-web-of-fraud-internet-vs-nation-states
The #Internet is reshaping tax landscapes, causing governments to scramble. A 0.1% tax hike in Norway led to a millionaire exodus, draining substantial tax revenues, because people have never been so mobile.
Big Tech like #Google leverages global footprints to minimize taxes, while countries struggle to catch up with outdated tax laws that stop at borders, while the Internet doesn't.
Case in point: France chased Google for €1.6B in back taxes, only to face defeat in court. Why? Outdated laws met digital behemoth.
E-commerce has also opened a Pandora's box of VAT fraud on physical products, creating a taxing puzzle for governments worldwide.
The hurdle of collecting tax debts across borders is a silent battle many nations face, tightening the fiscal squeeze. Only 4 EU countries manage to collect more than 10% of the sums claimed by another member state.
Even in a tight union, performance is abysmal.
From Norway's millionaire migration to Google's French tax feud, the narrative is clear: the internet is a game-changer in tax collection. The taxpayers have grown wings
Delve deeper into how the digital realm challenges tax norms, and what this means for nations globally. Must-read for digital nomads and people interested in the Internet's disruption of governments! https://disruptive-horizons.com/p/internet-makes-harder-governments-collect-taxes
#TaxOptimization #TaxCompetition#TaxFraud #VATFraud #TaxCollection #DigitalDisruption #bitcoinnostr #bitcoin #plebchain #BTC #cryptos
How cryptocurrencies are disrupting Nation-States : Why E-gold and Liberty Reserve were crushed as Bitcoin soared, why wasn't Satoshi Nakamoto prosecuted? And DAOs and other pleasantries...
Part 1 : https://disruptive-horizons.com/p/cryptocurrencies-are-disrupting-nation-states
Part 2 : https://disruptive-horizons.com/p/cryptocurrencies-are-disrupting-nation-states-2
#bitcoinnostr #bitcoin #plebchain #BTC #cryptos
nostr:npub1teawtzxh6y02cnp9jphxm2q8u6xxfx85nguwg6ftuksgjctvavvqnsgq5u Verifying My Public Key: "DisruptiveHoriz"
Article of the week : Where it hurts most: how the Internet makes it harder for governments to collect taxes - Tax optimization and tax fraud amid an increasingly fierce tax competition https://disruptive-horizons.com/p/internet-makes-harder-governments-collect-taxes
How the Internet lets you choose your laws, and how it's disrupting nation-states https://disruptive-horizons.com/p/how-the-internet-lets-you-choose-your-laws
Come meet me at the "Liberty in Our Lifetime" event in October :)
In Prague, the 14th and 15th of October
https://disruptive-horizons.com/p/liberty-in-our-lifetime-2023
10 Principles of History for predicting the future (1/2), To better predict how nation-states will be disrupted by the Internet and globalization : https://disruptive-horizons.com/p/10-principles-of-history-for-predicting
#History #Principles #Disruption #Internet #Nation-States
🚨 The Digital Disruption of Law Enforcement:
In today's connected era, the Internet is challenging the very foundations of how governments enforce their laws. Dive deep into this evolution and witness how the digital age is disrupting nation-states and the age-old essence of law enforcement.
🌍 Historically, states have relied on the threat of physical violence to ensure compliance. But in the vast expanse of the online realm, what happens when the perpetrator isn't within the state's physical grasp? The Internet, with its boundary-less nature, is transforming the traditional dynamics of power and control.
📱 A prime example is Twitter France. Back in 2021, when Twitter US didn't bow to a French legal request, it showcased the monumental challenges a global company can pose to a nation's legal system. In essence, companies with a vast digital footprint can remain elusive and almost untouchable by traditional laws.
📩 Another disruptor in the fray is Telegram. Boasting over 500 million users, its base remains a mystery. Founder Pavel Durov's nomadic approach, frequently moving and never settling, makes Telegram a moving target for governments worldwide. In this age, influence no longer necessitates a physical presence, and the Internet is a testament to that.
✈️ Consider the case of Edward Snowden. Once a US whistleblower, Snowden now wields influence over millions from his place of exile, thanks to the Internet. Exile, traditionally a method to silence, can now be a global stage, amplifying voices rather than muting them.
🏛 Another intriguing facet is how nation-states might sometimes overlook online crimes if they don't cross a certain 'seriousness' threshold. The inherent complications of digital boundaries present both challenges and opportunities.
💡 In conclusion, as the line between the digital and physical worlds continues to blur, nation-states face unparalleled challenges. However, for the global netizens, the online realm offers innovative ways to navigate through laws and borders.
As the digital and physical worlds blur, nation-states face unprecedented challenges. But for netizens, the online realm offers new ways to navigate laws. Let's do a deep dive about this topic in https://disruptive-horizons.com/p/how-internet-prevents-governments-enforcing-laws :)
Article of the week : How the Internet prevents governments from enforcing their laws — Unenforceable lawsuits, companies without headquarters, exiles, and the balance between the complexity of the case and resources
https://disruptive-horizons.com/p/how-internet-prevents-governments-enforcing-laws