Cashless Society

hailhailkc

Not a good thing. Having all of our transactions monitored, checked, tracked and regulated cannot be positive. Cash is something that, imho, scares quite a few people in this world who hold a lot of power. Take away our cash…and I literally mean our paper currency and coins…and you have a nation that can be controlled at an even higher level. Think about it on even a small scale. No more odd jobs for money, no more working part-time for your family to make some extra dough, it all just goes away. Scary.

You might be able to circumvent the process because new technology always gets cracked and de-coded…but…it's still scary.

Are we moving down this road? I think so.

LikeAnOcean

Most of my money is cashless, so would it really make a difference? Right now I have seven bucks in my wallet.. That wouldn't get me very far.

Except for old and crazy people, who really stashes away their green savings in a lockbox under their bed???


Maybe tomorrow I should take some money out and go demand the original gold nuggets back from uncle Sam.

hailhailkc

LikeAnOcean wrote:

Most of my money is cashless, so would it really make a difference? Right now I have seven bucks in my wallet.. That wouldn't get me very far.

Except for old and crazy people, who really stashes away their saving in a lockbox under their bed???

It's not so much about ALWAYS operating with cash, because I operate with checks and credit cards too…but…it's about the people in power eliminating another form of currecy exchange that they can't control and…most importantly…tax.

Ahnimus

Cashless societies aren't good. Not at all. Private banks aren't good either. When you realize that the federal reserve is a private bank. You know you are in trouble. President Andrew Jackson tried to fight them with the "greenbacks" but failed unfortunately. War drove the country in debt, they could only borrow money from a private bank. At that time it was called the Bank of America. He had to concede the federal currency to the private banks. The main difference being that the main benneficiary of the currency is givin to a private individual instead of the people. In addition to that the greenbacks operated on a full-reserve banking system, while the CFR system is fractional reserve. The private bank can use money in the bank for it's own investments. The CFR also has the power to print money, they are the only ones that can. So when the fractional reserve system fails, they cause inflation to compensate. Thus when the country goes into debt from war, you get inflation. The US currency is based on a gold standard. The gold is partly housed at fort knox. Thus, with inflation, gold price goes up.

That's my analysis anyway, but I'm not an economist.

Let me add to that a bit. Gold is the standard, but theoretically all metals would go up.

Meatwagon

Credit/Debit cards, online bill-paying, automatic deposit for your pay check. Just a couple of ways that I can think that means you never have to see money again!! Your check goes to the bank, companies use the auto-pay to get their share for the bills, and you swipe your card at the grocery store for some cold beer for the weekend. Not much loose change in your pocket for a soda. But don't worry, those damn machines are now taking debit cards too!! Funny how this is all a convience for us consumers.

catefrances

LikeAnOcean wrote:

Most of my money is cashless, so would it really make a difference? Right now I have seven bucks in my wallet.. That wouldn't get me very far.

Except for old and crazy people, who really stashes away their green savings in a lockbox under their bed???


Maybe tomorrow I should take some money out and go demand the original gold nuggets back from uncle Sam.

excuse me, but every transaction i do is in cash.

WindNoSail

catefrances wrote:

excuse me, but every transaction i do is in cash.

God bless you Cate...I bet you are one frugile lady!

Ahnimus

In my opinion

The whole point to a cashless society is to control you. If you live in the United States you will soon be issued an RFID card by Homeland Security, which could be used for controlling your life. Next thing you know you will be paying for everything and accessing things by retinal scan. It's not a joke. It's all here in the Real ID Act

In Canada in 2002 the Canadian Parliament did a study on Standing Order 108(2) A National Identity Card for Canada?. Interestingly enough the polls say when asked "Do you support or oppose the idea of the federal government issuing voluntary/mandatory ID cards to Canadians?", to mandatory ID cards 71% voted in favor. When the poll asked "What if a new national ID card contained a copy of the cardholder's fingerprint or eye scan to ensure that the card could not be used by anyone else? would you support or oppose the idea?" 75% voted yes to mandatory ID cards. However in the conclusion they state "The general public must be made more aware of all aspects of the issue, and we must hear what ordinary citizens have to say about the timeliness of a national identity card.". So we will probably be getting them soon too.

It's not a good thing in my opinion.

BackwardsBlues1

I really don't understand what you're saying.

I don't see the problem in a cashless society. money is just an abritrary means of counting anyway.

moving away from paper facilitates transactions on every level.

chopitdown

BackwardsBlues1 wrote:

I really don't understand what you're saying.

I don't see the problem in a cashless society. money is just an abritrary means of counting anyway.

moving away from paper facilitates transactions on every level.

imagine a cashless society...the gov't can trace everything...that's the point. Transactions are facilitated no doubt, but it's just another way the gov't can sneak in and monitor.

BackwardsBlues1

chopitdown wrote:

imagine a cashless society...the gov't can trace everything...that's the point. Transactions are facilitated no doubt, but it's just another way the gov't can sneak in and monitor.

that's paranoia. it's not like the government's going to monitoring every cup of coffee joe schmoe buys. let them monitor what I buy, let's see how long they stay interested.

chopitdown

BackwardsBlues1 wrote:

that's paranoia. it's not like the government's going to monitoring every cup of coffee joe schmoe buys. let them monitor what I buy, let's see how long they stay interested.

it's just another way to keep tabs. I personnally don't care if they monitor what I buy (which isn't much) but i do care about the potential for abuse that would arise. I usually fall on the side of if you have nothing to hide it shouldn't bother you...but i dont' want the gov't in my life that much as a basic rule.

Uncle Leo

I agree that I would rather not see a cashless society. I usually use a credit card for the airline miles (just had a free round trip from Minnapolis to Seattle for my wife and I). But cash not only keeps the government from knowing when I buy a bottle of booze (not that I would do that) and from when HHKC buys hard core porn, but it is just convenient at times. I suppose I could use a credit card to buy a 60 cent candy bar out of a machine, but i'd rather just use coins...

electronblue

hailhailkc wrote:

Not a good thing. Having all of our transactions monitored, checked, tracked and regulated cannot be positive. Cash is something that, imho, scares quite a few people in this world who hold a lot of power. Take away our cash…and I literally mean our paper currency and coins…and you have a nation that can be controlled at an even higher level. Think about it on even a small scale. No more odd jobs for money, no more working part-time for your family to make some extra dough, it all just goes away. Scary.

You might be able to circumvent the process because new technology always gets cracked and de-coded…but…it's still scary.

Are we moving down this road? I think so.

great thread topic!...~

JaneNY

I do see us moving in that direction, but I think cash will still be there for a good long time due to the poor and the marginalized in society. Not everyone has a bank account, and some people will never be able to be educated on using pin numbers and such. But we are definitely moving in that direction and you have to make a conscious decision to use cash - it is so easy to use debit and credit cards. I like using cash - its one of the last anonymous things we can do. Have you noticed that at many stores when you use cash, they automatically ask you for your phone number or zip code? I always decline. Have you also noticed how many grocery stores have those store cards where you only get the sale price if you present it at the cash register?

even flow?

There are pros and cons to "cashless society". It would put the drug trade in a tail spin. Kids couldn't mow lawns and shovel drives. No lemonade on the corner.

I have been to wine/cheese shows where I have paid for a chipped card with a loaded amount of money on it to use at the various kiosks as cash. Not a bad idea if you can use up the exact amount on the card. But if you lose it, it is like money. Gone and can be used by anybody.

I am sure a few of you have been out shopping only to have the server(s) go down and the machine for reading your mag stripe (sorry I am in the biz) go down so you are stuck using cash you can go and get from the ATM only to realize the server also runs that machine. Then you have no money and a credit/debit card that is useless. They have been working on and promoting chip cards for a while here and they can't iron out the kinks. It will be a very long time before cash gets replaced.

For you people in the States, it will sure quell the Mexicans getting paid under the table. You should like that, no?

Watch Escape From LA and you will see what I believe to be what will enventually happen to society. One big crash and back to zero.

electronblue

hailhailkc wrote:

You might be able to circumvent the process because new technology always gets cracked and de-coded…but…it's still scary.

now this is some scarey shit...~

Uncle Leo

My response to HHKC's final question is that I do not really see the US moving away from cash. At least not anytime soon. I know there is some will to do away with the penny, but that's due to the cost of producing them.

Then again, maybe I am naive.

decides2dream

even flow? wrote:

There are pros and cons to "cashless society". It would put the drug trade in a tail spin. Kids couldn't mow lawns and shovel drives. No lemonade on the corner.

I have been to wine/cheese shows where I have paid for a chipped card with a loaded amount of money on it to use at the various kiosks as cash. Not a bad idea if you can use up the exact amount on the card. But if you lose it, it is like money. Gone and can be used by anybody.

I am sure a few of you have been out shopping only to have the server(s) go down and the machine for reading your mag stripe (sorry I am in the biz) go down so you are stuck using cash you can go and get from the ATM only to realize the server also runs that machine. Then you have no money and a credit/debit card that is useless. They have been working on and promoting chip cards for a while here and they can't iron out the kinks. It will be a very long time before cash gets replaced.

For you people in the States, it will sure quell the Mexicans getting paid under the table. You should like that, no?

Watch Escape From LA and you will see what I believe to be what will enventually happen to society. One big crash and back to zero.

good points.

funny too, my first thought was...we can't go cashless, b/c all the illegals wouldn't get paid, and they ARE a big part of our society whether people want or like it. all the landscapers, many restaurant workers, etc. and absolutely, all the kiddies doing odd jobs too.

i truly enjoy the convenience of not using much cash...but i abslutely think it's a neccessity to have the existence of cash.

MCG

catefrances wrote:

excuse me, but every transaction i do is in cash.

Are you a drug dealer?

PaperPlates

worried your pot dealer doesnt take american express?

Cosmo

After the Pearl Jam tour through California... I'm broke.
So, I've already entered the Cashless Society.

electronblue

Cosmo wrote:

After the Pearl Jam tour through California... I'm broke.
So, I've already entered the Cashless Society.

..sounds as if you may have witnessed some great pj shows on a few good 'notes' or more...~

melodious

MCG wrote:

Are you a drug dealer?

many people are fixed in mindset of payng cash for everything. they are the few that will remain off the scope. there are many citizens living in america that wish to remain debt free...using credit cards and payment systems, puts ones identity in a database called big brohter...it is also an example of endentured slavery as well...certainly if we are not addicted to bad food, 40 oz's, or some other tangible obsession, we have a tendency to enslave ourselves to credit...

and why would you call some1 who deals with cash a drug dealer? why would you jump straight to that conclusion?

PaperPlates

melodious wrote:

many people are fixed in mindset of payng cash for everything. they are the few that will remain off the scope. there are many citizens living in america that wish to remain debt free...using credit cards and payment systems, puts ones identity in a database called big brohter...it is also an example of endentured slavery as well...certainly if we are not addicted to bad food, 40 oz's, or some other tangible obsession, we have a tendency to enslave ourselves to credit...

and why would you call some1 who deals with cash a drug dealer? why would you jump straight to that conclusion?

I believe he was being humorous.

kenny olav

I agree that a cashless economy controlled by an elite (even an elected elite) is more dangerous than a pure capitalist system.

However, there are other models for a cashless society:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participatory_economics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarcho-communism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_anarchism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gift_economy

The Abolition of Work (genius!)

know1

Cash to me is meaningless. It's just paper. It can be done away with real quick. I'd love to go cashless. I think cashless is safer.

melodious

know1 wrote:

Cash to me is meaningless. It's just paper. It can be done away with real quick. I'd love to go cashless. I think cashless is safer.

and could you describe this cashless method of payment, k-1? are u referring to bartering, or what?

Jeanwah

This thread makes me think of two words...Big Brother. While I don't think we could ever do away w/ cash, I do believe that going cashless increases the gov't control. And the Bush administration wants that more than any other presidency. Just look at his idea for wire-tapping!

melodious

PaperPlates wrote:

I believe he was being humorous.

;);)"you just never know when one needs a translator".....;););)