Skip to content

Ordinary Times

A place of politics, culture, and discourse

Primary Menu
  • Log-in
  • Welcome!
    • Masthead
    • Inquiries
    • Guest Posting Policy
    • About Feature Images
  • Community
    • Commentareum
    • State of the Discussion (beta)
    • Commenting Policy
    • The 500kth Ordinary Comment
    • The 750kth Ordinary Comment
  • Follow Us
    • On Facebook
    • On Twitter
    • Entries RSS
    • Comments RSS
  • Friends
    • Arc Digital
    • Outside the Beltway
    • Splice Today
    • Elections Daily
    • Liberal Currents
    • The Bulwark
    • Conservative Pathways
    • Misfits Politics
    • American Creation
  • Blog Archives
    • Blinded Trials
    • Mindless Diversions
    • Bookclubs!
    • Not a Potted Plant
    • Dutch Courage
    • Journeys in Alterity
    • The 49th
    • Jubilee
    • Safe Depository
  • Home
  • 2016
  • March
  • 20
  • BLINDED TRIALS: Online People & the Cashless Society

BLINDED TRIALS: Online People & the Cashless Society

There are, of course, a great many trade-offs when moving to a cashless society — just as there was when we moved from barter to cash. Personally, I have greatly benefitted from the convenience and automatic tracking of electronic banking, automatic deposit, and debit cards; I have also spent more than one aggravated afternoon on the phone with my bank, creditors, and credit agencies after having my identity stolen. You might find this trade-off to be good or poor, and I would certainly empathize either way. Where I get hung up, however, is when this tradeoff is presented as simply another reason to live in fear of a democratic government. What I find telling about McArdle’s worries, and why I think of her post as being a textbook example of Online People-ism, is the drilled down focus of that particular anxiety. First off, while it’s true that the government can overreach and take you money in a cashless society, it’s also true that they can too in one that isn’t cashless. If you don’t believe me, ask Clyde Ross. It is also true that I might someday get myself into the government’s crosshairs to the point where they feel they need to cut me off from all of my assets. If that’s the case, however, the least of my problems is going to be how easy or difficult it is for them to do so. I’m not Alex Jones, and I don’t have a secret plan in place to take my cash and bullion and stay off the grid for the rest of my life. If the government erroneously believes I have been running drugs, have killed my neighbors, or have scammed them out of $100,000 in taxes, probably best I confront them sooner rather than later.
From: Online People & the Cashless Society – Blinded Trials II
Tod Kelly March 20, 2016

There are, of course, a great many trade-offs when moving to a cashless society — just as there was when we moved from barter to cash. Personally, I have greatly benefitted from the convenience and automatic tracking of electronic banking, automatic deposit, and debit cards; I have also spent more than one aggravated afternoon on the phone with my bank, creditors, and credit agencies after having my identity stolen. You might find this trade-off to be good or poor, and I would certainly empathize either way. Where I get hung up, however, is when this tradeoff is presented as simply another reason to live in fear of a democratic government. What I find telling about McArdle’s worries, and why I think of her post as being a textbook example of Online People-ism, is the drilled down focus of that particular anxiety.

First off, while it’s true that the government can overreach and take you money in a cashless society, it’s also true that they can too in one that isn’t cashless. If you don’t believe me, ask Clyde Ross.

It is also true that I might someday get myself into the government’s crosshairs to the point where they feel they need to cut me off from all of my assets. If that’s the case, however, the least of my problems is going to be how easy or difficult it is for them to do so. I’m not Alex Jones, and I don’t have a secret plan in place to take my cash and bullion and stay off the grid for the rest of my life. If the government erroneously believes I have been running drugs, have killed my neighbors, or have scammed them out of $100,000 in taxes, probably best I confront them sooner rather than later.

From: Online People & the Cashless Society – Blinded Trials II

Continue Reading

Previous: Trumworld: Nine Finger Revolution
Next: Nooksack leaders disbar lawyer fighting tribal disenrollments | The Seattle Times

Related Stories

Open Mic for the Week of 6/23/25

Jaybird June 23, 2025
The American Dream is Dead

Group Activity: The American Dream is Dead or Alive, Depending

OT Editors June 19, 2025

From City Journal: Blue States Used to Lead in Education. Not Anymore

Jaybird June 18, 2025 27

Recent Comments

  • Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 6/23/25According to Emerson Polling, Andrew Cuomo is leading with 35% support, followed closely by Assembly…
  • Jaybird in reply to Dark Matter on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear FacilitiesI'm not particularly worried about the ones that would be launched. I'm particularly worried about t…
  • Kolohe in reply to Dark Matter on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear FacilitiesWell it is still Pride Month after all.
  • Philip H in reply to Dark Matter on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear FacilitiesLike Israel?
  • Dark Matter in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 6/16/25A couple of days ago Iran was offering to negotiate about their nuclear program AFTER Trump had Isra…
  • Jaybird in reply to Jaybird on Saturday Morning Gaming: Final Boss TheoryThe worst part is that there's no real spoiler-free way to talk about it except in the broadest of s…
  • Jaybird on Saturday Morning Gaming: Final Boss TheoryJust beat it. Wowsers. *THAT* was a game.
  • Dark Matter in reply to Jaybird on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear FacilitiesHow accurate is that? Not at all. They're designed to be used on a battlefield where we have troops.…
  • Jaybird in reply to Michael Cain on Open Mic for the Week of 6/16/25We've already seen how California has dealt with a similar scenario. If that really gets going? Uff…
  • Michael Cain in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 6/16/25Years ago now, when I was getting my MA in public policy, in a class on homeland security, when the…

More Comments

  • Jaybird in reply to Michael Cain on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Michael Cain on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Jaybird in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 6/16/25
  • Dark Matter in reply to David TC on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 6/16/25
  • Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 6/16/25
  • Dark Matter in reply to Michael Cain on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Jaybird in reply to Michael Cain on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Michael Cain in reply to David TC on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Michael Cain in reply to Dark Matter on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Jaybird in reply to Dark Matter on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Dark Matter in reply to Jaybird on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Jaybird on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Dark Matter in reply to David TC on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Dark Matter in reply to David TC on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities

Devcat Reports

Devcat image

We've had off-and-on issues with malware. As of right now we cannot afford a security upgrade but we're doing the best we can.

March 2016
S M T W T F S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Feb   Apr »

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

You may have missed

Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities

Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities

OT Editors June 22, 2025 23
piston

Why Some Women Leave Home

Clare Briggs June 21, 2025
exp33 (3)

Saturday Morning Gaming: Final Boss Theory

Jaybird June 21, 2025 4
2025-06-20 TDoRS C5169 (06.22.13)

The Last Day of School

Clare Briggs June 20, 2025

Recent Comments

  • Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 6/23/25
  • Jaybird in reply to Dark Matter on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities

Recent Comments

  • Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 6/23/25
  • Jaybird in reply to Dark Matter on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Kolohe in reply to Dark Matter on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Philip H in reply to Dark Matter on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Dark Matter in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 6/16/25

Ordinary Twitter

Tweets by Ordinarians

Recent Comments

  • Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 6/16/25
  • Dark Matter in reply to Michael Cain on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Jaybird in reply to Michael Cain on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Michael Cain in reply to David TC on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Michael Cain in reply to Dark Matter on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Jaybird in reply to Dark Matter on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Dark Matter in reply to Jaybird on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Jaybird on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Dark Matter in reply to David TC on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Dark Matter in reply to David TC on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • David TC on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • David TC in reply to Dark Matter on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Philip H in reply to Dark Matter on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Dark Matter on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
  • Jaybird in reply to Jaybird on Trump Announces Strikes on Iran Nuclear Facilities
Copyright © All rights reserved. | MoreNews by AF themes.