I think a key thing for non Bitcoin progressives to come to understand is that the redistribution of the billion class they/we seek cannot even begin until the money has been anchored.

I know everybody is dunking on the random governor who decided that she could just wave her hand and unilaterally suspend any right she dislikes simply by hissing the word "emergency," but the problem is that she's only wrong if another political force — the courts, politics, disobedience, or Locke's old Appeal to Heaven — proves her wrong. Enforcing the limits of official power isn't some American $currentYear problem, it's a recurring issue throughout history.

The question is why we're suddenly seeing the authoritarian instinct activating so much more openly — and frequently. In prior decades, they had to be cute in how they went about it, often requiring laws and lies. Now they're remarkably comfortable simply stating "because of the 'emergency,' you can no longer {travel | donate | engage in commerce | read | communicate | carry}," and that's the whole of it.

The next question is what you're going to do about it.

One specific example then I’m done ranting this morning.

Progressives in general want affordable, accessible healthcare for all. I think that’s a good goal and thing to have in the U.S. that we are awful at currently.

However, Medicare for all won’t work under the current system.

The current system is healthcare providers, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies saying “jump” and the US government saying “how high.” Progressives want Medicare for all under the assumption that we have a blank checkbook and unlimited debt potential to pay healthcare costs, even if these costs are completely controlled and dictated by greedy corporations at elevated rates.

If we end the era of easy money, infinite debt, and embrace hard money and more savings for lower and middle class, we can maybe start to figure out how to address healthcare in our country. Until then, it is broken beyond repair and no bandaid solution will work.

Btw, I also think it would be ok for tax payer dollars to fund healthcare if and when the broken system I described was replaced. There are many things tax payer dollars DO NOT need to be spent on, or as much, and no the answer is not get rid of taxes and “voluntarily” take care of each other. I don’t take those arguments seriously for tackling problems like healthcare, housing, climate change, etc in 2023.

Some people are so blinded by the Matrix they will fight to protect it.

The tribalism in humanity is going to keep many people in this broken system.

I realize you may see “progressive” and want to scream.

I may not be the “progressive” you imagine, because bitcoin ushers in a new era. Scream at me all you want, but I’m on team bitcoin and better world for humanity. I don’t think that’s stupid 🤙🏻

The fact that Bitcoin isn't yet accepted everywheree and for everything really underlines for me how few people have actually used Lightning. Whenever I show somebody how it works, there's always that "wow" moment. But why was it a surprise?

The problem is that normal people still understand BTC from the one half-remembered opinion piece they read in 2017, and are operating under the belief that transactions still take an hour to settle, rather than being instantaneous and irreversible — money transmission without the Paypal Problem. The public mind needs a cache refresh.

Me too. Did you also listen to the WBD podcast with L0la?

I’m glad they’re getting exposed as frauds

Last hot take for the night: the live-action version of One Piece has some of the worst lines I've ever heard delivered. The sort dialogue that can cause physical discomfort even to someone watching alone and unwitnessed — just as the perfect crime cannot erase the awareness of guilt. They tried so hard, too. A shame.