As much as I say "let's churn out this article and then I'm never using Steemit again", and as much as I vary between selling all of my cryptos and putting some more in for investments, I continue to compare Bitcoin and Precious Metals not just in a money aspect, but from an entire life perspective. Some people say that the two are on the same side: fighting the control of the central bankers, storing your wealth in your own possession, etc.
Here's another attempt for me to explain the rift in my mind between the two, because as much as they try to tell you that they're on the same side, I still remain in limbo about why BITCOIN has to be our "savior"
After all, if Bitcoin is a tool to fight the bankers and restore freedom, why is being integrated with Visa and the government regulations a GOOD step for it?
So okay, let's type up the drawing board again. Since I see some arguments repeated, we'll go ahead and dissect them.
1. Gold can be taken from you when crossing borders. Bitcoin can be sent to China instantly.
Okay, so are we going to ignore Digix? We already have a gold-backed blockchain payment system online, so you can already store your gold in private vaults and send the Digix currency around the world. What does Bitcoin have to do with it?
Does Bitcoin's unbacked nature mean that "since the value is totally unhinged from a real asset, it's the better choice"? Be honest -- if you couldn't access your daily ticker, how could you judge the price of a Bitcoin? Or Litecoin? Ethereum has an inelastic price now because many blockchain services require it, but as far as I'm concerned (and other people have said it better than me), the price of a Bitcoin is equal to however many worthless debt notes are put into the system, not connected to any real asset values.
But with Digix (and LODE if you trust them), 1 Digix = 1 gram of gold, period, and that's only if you can trust the company and redeem it easily.
It's interesting how paid voices are mentioning the "governments can take your gold" argument, but say nothing about them taking your Ledger Nano and installing a tracking bug onto it, same with your laptop and phone. Sure you can forego all of that and just store the 12-letter phrase into your brain, but technology is getting so advanced now that these devices can read your thoughts. And hell, what if you forget a word? Your gold is where you left it -- far easier to remember places and directions than language.
2. Gold is Outdated, Bitcoin is the Future.
Says who?
Gold has always been money, our foundation by which we judge value. Currencies are based on gold. Settlements between countries and ancient empires were done in gold. Civilizations without a solid gold foundation crumbled in due time, every time.
Bitcoin isn't even 10 years old. It's code can be copied an infinite amount of times and China owns most of the mining power. Other cryptocurrencies are hundreds of times faster than it. What kind of empire can be built on Bitcoin other than a digital empire?
What does the future even mean? The banking system is linking itself to Bitcoin. If you support the initial philosophy of it, you literally contradict yourself by supporting it now.
3. Gold is Honest, Bitcoin is "Get Rich Quick"
Why are you in Bitcoin? Chances are it's because:
"Bitcoin's going to a million, we're going to have super hi tech gadgets and be free from the bankers forever"
But again, a million worthless debt notes? Hi tech gadgets to track our every move and store it permanently on computers around the world? Being free from the bankers, using the bankers' system?
Or maybe it's because:
"Time to make some money, become a professional crypto trader."
Trading off of the hype whenever something like Amazon partners with Qtum, and then selling at the top. This is essentially stealing wealth over time, instead of creating value. If it makes enough to the point where you can live on it without working, you've now become slave to the markets.
This is something I've been feeling lately. Everything's so disconnected around me, that trading these markets seems like the most viable way out -- a solution outside of myself, stealing wealth from others in the market. You may think there's no harm, but everyone that holds as the price goes down gets basically wrecked.
How is this furthering humanity?
In order to get gold and silver, you need to create value within yourself and serve others. That's the only way to do it outside of stealing other's wealth. You can still invest in other people and businesses, and have them give back dividends to you (like how stocks should be), but none of these things in the market generate any real yield. It's just a "buy low sell high" playground, while the control infrastructure gets built all around us.
Which brings me to my last point...
4. Gold is Real, is Freedom, Bitcoin is Digital, is Slavery.
Why do you want mass adoption of Bitcoin? Why do you care? Is it because you're going to get rich off of the losers that buy in later on? Why play this game, the very same game that the banks play with us, if in the end it will take power away from us all?
You give your power to these smart devices, and they will rule you. They already rule, just look around. Do you really want phones and TVs and other smart devices holding your energy?
- Back in history, human labor was stored in precious metals, honest and consensual value.
- As of late, human labor was transferred into debt notes, starting a system that shoved the wealth of the entire world towards those that issues the notes.
- And soon, human labor will be stored into digits, giving power to an AI beast that will enslave us all, while those with the real assets have everything.
You have the power to stop this.
And sure, you gotta do what you gotta do to make ends meet. But I think we're all missing the point of life, and missing that fundamental connection to everything because we fear dying of starvation.
What are you giving your power to? The more attention you give to your phone, your laptop, the internet, and digital currency, the more powerful it all becomes. That's how advertisers make their money, how Bitcoin rises in value, and how everyone slowly gets alienated into their own personal rat races.