Don’t let your fear be a crypto killer
A government cannot function without utilizing fear to keep its citizenry in check. No matter how benevolent or necessary that government may appear, rest assured that it (and by it, I mean the individual actors who refer to themselves/are referred to as government) will do everything in its power to convince the people that chaos will reign in its absence. This is often historically accomplished through the introduction of “the other”; that ever present threat of a foreign entity, which s hell-bent on your destruction. This has been played out time and time again, and still continues today. The modern day USSA is a great example. Just look at all the threats “we” constantly face! But fear of “the other” simply isn’t enough especially in the Information Age, where the lowly citizen has access to more of the government’s wrongdoings at their fingertips. That’s why governments also require that the citizenry fear the government, itself. Or, at least the citizens need to fear the consequences of disobeying its arbitrary edicts. One of the greatest instillers of fear is the Internal Revenue Service (or whatever the extortion agency in your neck of the woods is referred to as). And now, predictably, the IRS has turned their attention to the crypto world.
Having already struck fear and uncertainty in the hearts of crypto enthusiasts back in 2014 by making cryptocurrencies eligible for the dreaded capital gains tax, the IRS is now upping the ante by trying to force crypto traders and hobbyists alike to track ALL of their transactions so that the government can extort money off of every trade. Forget that this is a Herculean task for most beginners, much less the heavy day traders. The IRS is serious and it has many a crypto hodler paralyzed by the fear of making a mistake in their calculations that will end up transforming what they thought could be a life changing experience (helping secure their financial future through cryptocurrencies) into a much different experience: being caged for trying to live freely. Leave it to government to attempt to punish an individual for becoming more successful.
Are most crypto hodlers really at risk, though? The reality appears to be that they are not. Sure, the IRS has gained a ruling against Coinbase, in order to force the cryptocurrency exchange to divulge the account information of some 14,000 customers, but Coinbase has millions and millions of registered accounts. Add to that the fact that the IRS has regularly been reported to be understaffed, and that was with the prior litany of regulations. This means that the IRS simply does not possess the manpower, nor enough funds extorted already from the tax cattle, in order to “crackdown on cryptos” as they claim to be doing. They would have to shift the bulk of their focus to the crypto world to even attempt to make a dent, and that would decimate their already limited ability to snag all the current extortion evaders under the current draconian regulations. The IRS can only bluster, threaten, and occasionally attempt to make an example out some big name, big money individual or corporation, in hopes that it will create a chilling effect on others. That is, after all, how most governments (and their agencies) operate: not through brute force but by relying on the horizontal enforcement and inaction of its citizenry due to the fear of its arbitrary consequences.
This is not to say that one should be careless in divulging what they may or may not have in their crypto wallets. Joking about the Lambos and islands you intend to purchase is one thing; routinely bragging about the size of your bags, though, is a recipe for disaster. Not only will it place a target on your back for the government goons, but it will also invite hackers to test your security abilities. No, it’s much better to wistfully, and loudly, announce your disappointment for missing out on the next big thing. Or you could just have your passwords, private keys, and/or the places your wallets are kept sink in a tragic boating accident. I’ve heard that these unfortunate events have always been quite common when governments threaten to disarm the citizenry, with thousands of firearms meeting their untimely demise due to freak fishing accidents, so I can naturally see an uptick in similar instances as the government and its IRS goons continue desperately attempt to close Pandora’s Box…
So the bottom line is that the IRS wants you to be scared, but there isn’t as much bite behind their bark as they would have you believe. They are woefully outmanned and laughably underprepared for this newest technological advancement. Governments, after all, are always lagging indicators of culture. Unless you are one of the new crypto millionaires or a complete idiot, then you don’t have much to worry about. And even if you are the former, things like the slew of privacy coins, VPNs, some crypto washing, and only cashing out through local meetups that can be your friends. For the latter, well, it’s a tad difficult to fix stupid.
Related links:
http://bit.ly/CryptoCapitalGains
http://bitcoinlawhub.com
http://bit.ly/IRSCoinbase
http://bit.ly/IRSunderstaffed
I absolutely agree with this article or blog or whatever we call this stuff now. The government has always used fairly well known people to attack and make examples out of so that the sheeple will follow their rules. Fortunate that a large majority of us are waking up. Its only a matter of time before we have a massive Boston tea party act in my opinion. Once we all get tired of seeing innocent people meerly wanting freedom being enslaved. How many more must be sacrificed before we rise up in unison and declare with a single voice “ NO MORE?” Government is useful and so are rules, however, we the people can regulate society just fine without big brother pointing a gun to our head. The government is a useful tool. We have simply allowed them too much girth. It is time for a diet. Time to regain our power and our liberties. Never give in and never be complacent. We will win our freedom. We have to begin showing those that appose freedom the benefits of it and paint a picture they can see and want to have to them. We must rebuild family and community if we ever intend to free ourselves from this hell.
I would argue that government is an outdated and all too often abused tool, but that's a discussion for another time. I would agree that more people are becoming aware of the issue at hand but, unfortunately, the fear instilled through years of indoctrination tends to lead most to apathy rather than action. The reality is, however, that it would not take much to start things in the right direction. Historically, it has taken only about 10% of a given culture, working at an almost religious level, to change that culture. If just 10% of the tax cattle simply started saying "NO MORE!", as you referenced, then this part of the system would come grinding to a halt. The IRS nor the government, itself, possess the manpower to handle such a large scale refusal. I just wish that more people recognized the true power that they wield.
Agreed! So when and where do the masses meet and declare no more? Im not rich and im no good at bringing people together, but im a warm body with a loud voice.
I'm far from rich myself. As far as bringing others together, that can be difficult. I have been doing my best to spread the message over the last few years, hence the reason I do a radio show and some podcasts. One of the best tactics I have found, whether it to be to fight this injustice or another, is to lead by example. Openly reject any victimless crime laws (which most are) that you are comfortable with putting yourself at risk of a possible reprisal from the State. The more times you are able to "get away" with something, the more others will see that there is less to fear.
Hold Fast - Be Humble - Best Way to Be - great points though man
Just dropped a new post myself, https://steemit.com/travel/@kashmirz/sydney-trains-24-hour-strike-and-life-in-motion check it out if you get a chance i would honestly really appreciate it #vincentb unite!