We are so used to investments these days, such as stocks and bonds, that we do not even question them.
When, really they are not investments. They are more akin to a place created to soak up your extra money. And are only an asset when you consider inflation. Inflation, which is the reason why you have to invest in the first place.
Money under your mattress was one of the most common ways to store your wealth up until WW2. And really, did you need anything better? Was there anything better? Money was actually difficult to obtain. And it was truly useful.
Real Estate was propagandized into being an "asset". It actually isn't, except that it is made scarce by artificial means, and made to increase in price via mortgage money printing.
So, what really is bitcoin?
And what is an asset? an investment? money, after the money printers are stopped?
The Evils of the Fed
The Fed, and the debt based, fractional reserve lent, fiat currency they brought with them, have really changed everything in the financial world.
Literally, there are people in this world who make money by moving money around. These people do not create anything of value, they just skim off the top, making things more expensive for everyone. And people think that it is fine to buy/sell stocks. This evil has become normalized.
People think that it is fine to have corporations that foist their costs onto the public, and collect all the gains for only themselves.
It is only because of the money printing that these things have lasted for any length of time. And only because of the inflation money printing causes that people are forced into investing to just keep up.
Stocks are much more evil than we think
Besides the base evils of these entities being a corporation, stocks are themselves an abomination.
A man cannot have two masters…
But every corporation has to serve their customers and their share holders, but most importantly, must ensure the corporation lives on. Usually the customers desires are completely opposed to what the share holders want. Think about planned obsolescence.
If there was a company that was vital, and so was always profitable, would anyone sell its shares? Like, why are shares of electric companies for sale? They are free money. Buy them up and never sell. The only reason you might sell is because you can buy a different share with more free money. Really, why would anyone sell the shares? Especially those who are serviced by the electric company.
The town factory was often the heart of the town's economy. Why is it bought and sold? Don't people in the town understand how important and valuable those stocks are? If the town's people actually cared about their livelihoods, none of the shares would ever be sold.
But, because we do not see the real value, we just trade these things like baseball cards. In fact, we give more importance to baseball cards.
Why does an exchange for stocks actually exist? Even if it wasn't evil and corrupt.
What will bitcoin change?
Let us say that bitcoin is the future of money. That soon, we will have solid, decentralized money. What does that change?
It changes everything.
Without money printing, why would you invest in anything like stocks or bonds or real estate?
Stocks are only priced so high because everyone else is "investing" in the stock market. And bitcoin has outperformed the stock market. Why would anyone put money into a corporation that they hate the existence of? Just leave your wealth in bitcoin, let the stocks/corporations just go away.
Bonds will not pay any interest. They can't. Usury cannot exist without money printing. (there is no way to create the interest. So, you cannot charge/pay interest) So, a bond will only be sold to people who want to support the project it is going to pay for, like a bridge being built, else, just keep the bitcoin.
Wall Street will become empty, because none of them are needed. Everything important there will be made into a smart contract, and all the money changers will be driven away.
All of this comes together and makes me wonder, is bitcoin an investment?
It is probably more appropriate to say that we do not know what an investment is, and that bitcoin is actually solid money. And in a world that is inflating into oblivion, everything is going to zero vs bitcoin.
In my opinion, we have passed the point where bitcoin is a speculative play, and is now the future of money. I could be wrong, but most of those "wrong" are in the realm that bitcoin gets corrupted, bought up by banksters, and we just created a new bitcoin for us. Sorry banksters, you are not invited into our new club.
As the populations drops off, and our views on land ownership change, real estate will not be considered an asset.
And bitcoin will probably, in the future, be compared to money under the mattress (because money in the bank is not safe)