Russia is Using Bitcoin for International Transactions | EP 1066

Summary

In this episode of Simply Bitcoin Live, host Nico is joined by special guest BJ Dichter to discuss the importance of Bitcoin in the context of financial freedom and the current economic landscape. They delve into the ineffectiveness of the 'have fun staying poor' meme and strategies for positively persuading people about Bitcoin. The conversation also touches on the power of community, the role of decentralized protocols, and the challenges of promoting free speech and transaction in a world of increasing censorship. The show emphasizes the potential of Bitcoin to empower individuals and the importance of education and open dialogue.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video discusses the idea that Bitcoin is seen as a form of resistance against traditional financial systems and government control.
• 🚫 The script highlights concerns about governments printing money and the inflationary consequences, suggesting Bitcoin as a hedge against such practices.
• 💡 It questions the necessity of taxes when governments can print money, implying that taxes might be used to maintain the illusion of government funding rather than actual necessity.
• 🌐 The discussion touches on the global impact of U.S. monetary policy and how countries like Russia are turning to Bitcoin for international transactions due to sanctions.
• 📉 The script suggests that the current financial system is designed to be difficult for individuals to save, and Bitcoin offers an alternative.
• 👥 The video emphasizes the importance of community and the power of peer-to-peer networks in the context of Bitcoin and free speech.
• 🗣️ There's a call to action for Bitcoiners to improve their messaging and approach when introducing others to Bitcoin, focusing on positive persuasion.
• 🌱 The script encourages planting seeds of knowledge about Bitcoin, suggesting that over time, as Bitcoin's value increases, people will become more receptive.
• 📈 The video suggests that Bitcoin's deflationary nature and censorship resistance are key incentives for countries and individuals to adopt it.
• 🌐 The discussion points to a future where decentralized protocols like Bitcoin and nostr could offer solutions to the challenges posed by centralized control of information and money.

Q & A

What is the main theme discussed in the video script?

The main theme discussed in the video script revolves around Bitcoin as a solution to inflation, government control over money, and the importance of financial freedom. It also touches on the use of Bitcoin as a tool for countries to circumvent economic sanctions and the role of decentralized protocols in promoting free speech and transactions.

Why does the speaker believe that Bitcoin is the solution to inflation?

The speaker believes Bitcoin is the solution to inflation because it is a decentralized currency that cannot be manipulated by governments or central banks. It has a capped supply, which makes it deflationary, ensuring that the purchasing power of Bitcoin holders is preserved over time.

How does the video script address the issue of government funding and taxation?

The script suggests that governments fund themselves not only through taxation but also by printing money, which can lead to inflation. It argues that high taxes are used to maintain the illusion that the government is funded by the people, when in reality, it is the printing of money that sustains it.

What is the significance of Russia using Bitcoin for international transactions as mentioned in the script?

The significance lies in Russia's move to use Bitcoin as a means to circumvent economic sanctions imposed by Western countries. This highlights Bitcoin's role as a neutral, censorship-resistant currency that can facilitate international trade without relying on traditional financial systems controlled by other nations.

How does the script connect the concept of 'freedom' with Bitcoin?

The script connects 'freedom' with Bitcoin by emphasizing that Bitcoin allows individuals to maintain control over their own money, free from government interference and censorship. It positions Bitcoin as a tool for financial sovereignty and resistance against centralized financial control.

What role does the separation of money and state play in the discussion?

The separation of money and state is a central topic in the discussion, advocating for a system where money is not controlled by governments. This separation is seen as crucial for preventing inflation, ensuring financial stability, and protecting individual financial freedoms.

Why does the speaker criticize the 'have fun staying poor' meme in relation to Bitcoin?

The speaker criticizes the 'have fun staying poor' meme because it can be off-putting and confrontational to those who are not yet convinced about Bitcoin. It suggests that a more positive and inviting approach might be more effective in persuading people to consider the benefits of Bitcoin.

How does the script discuss the impact of economic sanctions on countries and their populations?

The script discusses how economic sanctions, while intended to target governments, often have a detrimental impact on the general population of the sanctioned countries. It argues that Bitcoin can provide an alternative means of transaction and financial stability for these affected populations.

What is the 'Overton window' mentioned in the script, and how does it relate to Bitcoin?

The 'Overton window' refers to the range of ideas that are considered acceptable in public discourse. In the context of the script, it is mentioned in relation to Bitcoin as a way to shift public opinion and acceptance of Bitcoin as a legitimate and valuable form of currency.

How does the script suggest that individuals can promote Bitcoin and its values to others?

The script suggests that individuals can promote Bitcoin by understanding and using tools of persuasion, such as finding common ground, building emotional connections, and sharing personal stories. It also emphasizes the importance of patience, as changing someone's perspective on financial systems is often a gradual process.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 The Impact of Bitcoin on Global Finance

The speaker passionately discusses the potential of Bitcoin to disrupt traditional financial systems, emphasizing its decentralized nature as a safeguard against government control. They argue that Bitcoin's design allows it to act as a hedge against inflation and government-imposed financial policies, which can lead to currency devaluation. The narrative also touches on the psychological impact of high taxes and the illusion of government funding, suggesting that the current financial system is built on shaky foundations that Bitcoin could help to replace.

05:00

🛑 Russia's Embrace of Bitcoin Amidst Sanctions

This section highlights Russia's decision to use Bitcoin for international transactions as a response to economic sanctions. The move is framed as a significant milestone in Bitcoin's history, reflecting the growing trend of nations seeking alternatives to traditional financial systems that can be influenced by geopolitical tensions. The discussion underscores the double-edged sword of weaponizing currency, suggesting that such actions can erode confidence in the dollar and potentially lead to a shift towards cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

10:01

🚀 Bitcoin as a Solution to Economic Challenges

The speaker advocates for Bitcoin as a solution to inflation and the erosion of purchasing power. They argue that electing fiscally conservative politicians is not enough; instead, the true solution lies in separating money from state control, which Bitcoin achieves through its decentralized and deflationary nature. The narrative also touches on the importance of Bitcoin's censorship resistance, allowing for financial freedom and the potential for it to become a global reserve currency, especially for countries facing economic isolation.

15:01

🤝 Building Community Through Bitcoin

The conversation shifts to the importance of community and local engagement in promoting Bitcoin adoption. The speaker shares personal experiences and emphasizes the value of local Bitcoin economies, where goods and services are exchanged peer-to-peer using Bitcoin. This approach not only fosters a sense of community but also serves as a practical demonstration of Bitcoin's utility as a currency. The discussion suggests that strong local Bitcoin communities can act as a foundation for broader economic freedom and resilience.

20:02

🌐 The Global Shift Towards Decentralized Finance

This section delves into the broader implications of decentralized finance, with a focus on how countries like Russia and El Salvador are turning to Bitcoin as a means of circumventing traditional financial restrictions. The discussion highlights the increasing acceptance of cryptocurrencies by nation-states and the potential for Bitcoin to serve as a neutral, global currency that is not controlled by any single government. The narrative suggests that this shift is part of a larger movement towards disintermediation, where power is moving away from centralized authorities towards individuals.

25:03

💡 The Power of Decentralization in Social Media

The speaker discusses the rise of decentralized social media platforms like Nostr and the impact they could have on free speech and censorship. They argue that these platforms, which are not controlled by a central authority, offer a more resilient platform for free expression. The conversation touches on the challenges faced by centralized platforms like Twitter and the potential for protocols like Nostr to provide a more permanent and uncensorable solution to online communication.

30:05

🌟 The Future of Bitcoin and Global Trade

The discussion concludes with an optimistic outlook on the future of Bitcoin in international trade. The speaker suggests that as more countries face economic sanctions and seek alternatives to traditional financial systems, the adoption of Bitcoin could accelerate. They also touch on the potential for Bitcoin to serve as a 'trojan horse' for freedom, providing individuals in countries with repressive regimes with access to a global financial system that is beyond the control of their governments.

Keywords

💡Bitcoin

Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency that operates on a peer-to-peer network, without the need for a central authority like a bank or government. In the video, Bitcoin is portrayed as a solution to traditional financial system issues, such as inflation and government control over money supply. It is highlighted as a means to financial freedom and a hedge against economic instability, with the video discussing its role in international trade and as a store of value.

💡Inflation

Inflation refers to the rate at which the general price level of goods and services in an economy is increasing over time, leading to a decrease in the purchasing power of currency. The video discusses how governments often combat economic issues by printing more money, which can lead to inflation. Bitcoin is presented as a deflationary alternative, with a capped supply that cannot be manipulated, thus protecting against the devaluation of currency.

💡Fiat Currency

Fiat currency is a type of currency that a government has declared to be legal tender, but it is not backed by a physical commodity like gold or silver. The video critiques fiat currencies for being subject to government control and manipulation, which can lead to economic instability. It contrasts fiat with Bitcoin, which is decentralized and not controlled by any single entity.

💡Decentralization

Decentralization in the context of the video refers to the distribution of power and authority away from a central point, such as a government or corporation. Bitcoin operates on a decentralized network, which means no single entity can control or manipulate it. This is seen as a key feature that protects against censorship and promotes freedom of transaction.

💡Censorship

Censorship is the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security. The video discusses the threat to free speech and transaction, particularly in the context of social media platforms and financial systems. It contrasts centralized platforms that can enforce censorship with decentralized protocols like Bitcoin and Nostr, which resist censorship.

💡Nostr

Nostr is a decentralized social protocol that allows for censorship-resistant communication. The video praises Nostr as a platform that cannot be deplatformed or censored, as it operates on a protocol rather than a centralized server. This is seen as a significant advancement for free speech and the open exchange of ideas.

💡Freedom of Speech

Freedom of speech is the right to express one's opinions without fear of government retaliation or censorship. The video emphasizes the importance of this right, and how platforms like Nostr and Bitcoin can help protect it. It contrasts the open discourse enabled by these technologies with the restrictions and potential for censorship on centralized platforms.

💡Economic Sanctions

Economic sanctions are commercial and financial penalties applied by one group of countries against another group of countries, such as in response to alleged human rights abuses or terrorism. The video discusses how economic sanctions can lead countries to seek alternatives to traditional financial systems, like Bitcoin, to facilitate international trade and avoid restrictions.

💡Self-Custody

Self-custody in the context of Bitcoin refers to an individual having full control and ownership of their private keys, which are necessary to access and manage their Bitcoin holdings. The video advocates for self-custody as a means to protect one's wealth from third-party interference, such as government freezes or platform hacks.

💡Game Theory

Game theory is the study of mathematical models of strategic interaction among rational decision-makers. In the video, game theory is used to explain the dynamics of Bitcoin's adoption and resistance to censorship. It suggests that the incentives built into Bitcoin's design encourage widespread adoption and make it resistant to centralized control.

💡Protocols over Platforms

This phrase from the video suggests a preference for using decentralized protocols, like Bitcoin and Nostr, over centralized platforms, such as traditional social media or financial institutions. Protocols are seen as more reliable for protecting individual freedoms and resisting censorship due to their lack of a central point of control.

Highlights

Discussion on the perception of Bitcoin as a freedom against government-issued currencies.

Questioning the need for taxes if governments can print unlimited money, suggesting that taxes uphold an illusion of funding the government.

Argument that governments are funded by money printing, not tax revenue, and the potential consequences of this realization.

Emphasis on Bitcoin as a solution to inflation and the separation of money and state.

Critique of politicians' role in inflation and the suggestion that Bitcoin offers a different system without special privileges.

Commentary on the misconception that money is backed by gold and the reality of government expenses and tax revenue.

Discussion on Russia's announcement to use Bitcoin for international transactions as a response to US sanctions.

Analysis of the impact of US sanctions on the global adoption of Bitcoin as an alternative to the dollar.

Reflection on the importance of Bitcoin's deflationary nature and censorship resistance.

Personal stories from the Canadian truckers' protest and the role of Bitcoin in supporting freedom fighters.

Strategies for persuading people to investigate Bitcoin, including planting seeds and highlighting its long-term value.

The importance of local communities and their potential to create circular economies using Bitcoin.

Advice on maintaining a positive outlook and not burning out when promoting Bitcoin.

The role of Bitcoin in providing financial stability and acting as an insurance policy against economic uncertainty.

Final thoughts on the importance of a balanced life, including hobbies and relationships, alongside Bitcoin advocacy.

Transcripts

it's all going to zero against Bitcoin

it's going up forever

[Music]

onecoin you're against Bitcoin you're

against freedom

[Music]

so if the government can print The

Limited amounts of

money out of thin air why did they

collect

taxes I mean in theory it would make

sense right if they can print unlimited

amounts of money why would they need

taxes

for the answer is simple but it's very

shocking the real problem is that you

pay high taxes only to uphold the

illusion that you are funding the

government which you are

not it's shocking but it's

true the government is funded by money

printing paper backed with

paper a bubble that will inevit

inevitably

burst the situation is even worse than

it seems

because if most Americans and the rest

of the world were to become aware of

this

fars confidence in your currency will be

lost the dollar will fall and the

western civilization with

it yeah welcome to S Bitcoin live you're

number one source for the peaceful

Bitcoin revolution in KP news culture

Mantic Warfare we will be your guide

through the separation of money in state

there was Naim bu I believe speaking at

CPAC I think that one was in Washington

DC saying the quiet part out loud uh

when I was watching Camala and Trump

speaking last week as they're

campaigning the elections coming up in

November I heard questions one from a

reporter one from someone in the

audience basically asking them how are

you going to fix the price the prices of

goods like they're too expensive

groceries are too expensive if you're

asking a politician to

fix that issue it's

like government is the one who is solely

responsible for

inflation by debasing the currency so

asking them is like you're you're really

not going to get a solution out of that

so people really got to W wake up from

the scop the solution to

inflation okay you could say fine you

you elect someone who's fiscally

conservative but the true solution to

inflation that's something that I

Satoshi identified is taking money out

of the hands of State the true solution

to inflation is Bitcoin the true

solution to inflation is the separation

of money in state because Bitcoin no

matter who it is no matter how much

power they have no matter how much

influence they have if they want to make

more Bitcoin they have to get in line

like everybody else they have to invest

in the UN necessary infrastructure the

mining equipment the electrical

capability and there it's not a system

of special privileges meaning there

isn't anyone that can just create money

for free that everyone else has to work

for but I think most people around the

world it's not only the United States

they somehow still think that money is

backed by gold they somehow still think

that the majority of the expenses that

are incurred by government are are are

paid for by tax revenue that's not the

case at all and there is Naim buuk

moving the Overton window and it's our

job as bitcoiners to continue to move

that overt window because if you

actually look at the raw data the

numbers specifically in 2023 I'm just

going to give you one example but this

happens every

year the US government spent 1.7

trillion that's trillion with a t just

to kind of give you some perspective the

GDP of El Salvador is 32 billion the US

government spent 1.7 trillion more than

a colle collected in tax revenue last

year how was it able to spend more money

than it collected in tax revenue well

they were able to print the difference

that's essentially how governments are

being funded that's how politicians are

being are able to pay for things that

they can't afford that's how endless

Wars are a thing because of the Hidden

tax of inflation currency debasement so

we're going to keep hammering that point

home in other news as well finally it

just came out

uh Max Kaiser coined the term the global

hash War Russia has officially announced

that it will be using Bitcoin to

facilitate International transactions we

covered the news when when Putin signed

that law in into when Putin signed that

law and it passed to pass the the

Congress or the Congress equivalent in

Russia well the news came out that if

that they are going to start doing it

and the day they're going to start doing

it was yesterday it was September first

so I think it's a historic milestone in

bitcoin's history and the reason that

they're doing that is because of us

sanctions so the more that the US

government politicizes the money and the

more countries that perhaps are not in

good standing with the US government the

bigger the incentive it is for those

countries to seek Alternatives but the

thing is it's a double-edged sword and

the reason it's a double-edged sword is

because the US uh not only the US

government but the US like our style of

living we benefit tremendously from

being the world Reserve currency one of

the wor one of the fastest way of not

becoming the world's Reserve currency is

by weaponizing the money because when

you weaponize the money it doesn't give

a lot of confidence for anyone holding

the dollar uh less so transacting with

the dollar right so here you have

another country that you could say

doesn't really have isn't in good

standing with the US government they see

the problem they say hey we we have to

find a solution to this we have to find

an alternative we have to find a Dollar

alternative and we have no one to blame

but ourselves for them doing that I mean

do you blame them did you expect them to

just sit down and say you know what we

can't conduct International Trade

anymore because we can't use the dollar

of course they're going to seek an

alternative it's partly one of the

reasons as to why Naim buele uh chose to

make Bitcoin legal tender in Els

Salvador Els Salvador doesn't have its

own currency they were using the US

dollar so essentially they were at Mercy

of the US US fiscal policy essentially

whatever the US government wanted to do

because the El Salvador was using

dollars holding dollars they were

essentially like okay whatever the US

government does it affects us what Naim

bu said was like okay let's try an

alternative and so so far that's worked

right I suspect more countries are going

to follow suit not because of bitcoin's

marketing department but because of

bitcoin's incentives and bitcoin's

incentives are simple number one it's

deflationary meaning if you're holding

Bitcoin you're purchasing power was like

guaranteed to increase over time and

number two it's censorship resistant

meaning no one could censor Bitcoin and

if you can't censor Bitcoin you can't

politicize Bitcoin so breaking news huge

huge milestone in bitcoin's history now

just to kind of give you guys like

what's going on zoom out you have

multiple countries that are actively

mining Bitcoin multiple country multiple

Nation States including Russia by the

way Russia passed a bill legalizing

Bitcoin mining within their borders you

have multiple countries that are

actively holding Bitcoin you have some

of the largest banks in the world that

perhaps don't have direct exposure via

spot Bitcoin but they have exposure

through the ETF like things are getting

serious like this is becoming the real

deal people are putting a lot of money

and faith into the future of Bitcoin and

I think it's taking Bitcoin to the next

level and we have a cycle in front of us

that I think is going to reflect this

massive nation state institutional

adoption of Bitcoin I'm incredibly

excited for 2025 anyways today is going

to be a very special show we have a

friend of the show and a personal friend

of mine as well BJ ditcher in in the

house and of course we have Optimus

Fields I want to thank BJ in front of

our audience for uh you know when we got

uh deplatformed off YouTube uh BJ was

there and uh he helped us a lot and uh

he helped us get on Zero Hedge so BJ I

want to thank you for that uh you've

always been a friend of the show you've

always been a personal friend of mine as

well and of course for anyone who

doesn't know BJ was one of the major

figureheads behind the Canadian truckers

Pro test so he is a Bitcoin freedom

fighter in my eyes and I'm super happy

you know he's an ally of the show so

welcome

BJ yeah listen it was my pleasure and uh

you know I've had my my own uh dealings

with censorship as I'm sure you know as

you saw what we dealt with uh in Ottawa

and since and some a variety of other

circumstances but I thought it was very

important to drive home the point like

some people ask me why' you you know go

to this length uh for Nico and opty and

the guys and I said you know I see I

know what it's like to try to build a

business I know how difficult it is uh

It's a Grind and I see what you guys are

going through uh you know become close

with you and Sophie you have a child now

you have real

responsibilities and then to have

somebody out there just kind of nuke

your

livelihood uh it's it's it's losing

everything like that there's no words

for for it and uh I just felt uh that

somebody needed to do something and I

saw so many people in the Bitcoin

Community as well tried to do the same

and um I'm glad to help I'm glad it was

picked up by the guys at zeroedge it's

nice to see there are some people who

are reading my substack bj. substack

do.com by the way and glad to help and

let's hope it doesn't happen again but

if it does you know the entire Bitcoin

Community will be out there for you well

I'm highly appreciative of not only your

support BJ but also the support of the

entire Community it really meant a lot

for me personally and of course the en

the entire simply Bitcoin team a lot of

us a lot of people don't know but we're

pretty decent sized team and about four

of us are doing this full-time so you

know and YouTube was one of our uh one

of our Major Distribution platforms so

it would have definitely required a

major pivot from a bit Bitcoin uh from a

business perspective if we were not able

to get the channel reinstated so uh very

thankful for your support uh BJ very

thankful for the Bitcoin community

support and of course very grateful for

team YouTube for uh for allowing us to

continue to orange pill the world of

course anyways OPI uh what do you what

what do we have covered today during the

culture we have BJ in the house so I'm

expecting a very interesting

conversation yeah yeah of course and uh

you know hey what's up everyone we're

back it's Monday feels good to be back

um but yeah day it's hat day

today um no yeah so of course hat Day

Labor Day is hat day that's right labor

no work day but here you are Nico no we

don't dude when you run your own

business you don't get days off I know I

just trolling I'm just trolling but uh

but Labor Day is hat day like is that a

thing we're just trolling I was wearing

a hat and then BJ's like wait maybe I

need to get a hat and then he's like

wait we need to get Nico to wear a hat

and I'm like he doesn't wear hats so

that's not going to happen but anyways

anyways uh we're going in a tangent not

needed tangent here on the culture BJ of

course BJ's a freedom fighter but we

want to keep Today's Show positive in

the culture so BJ and I and of course

Nico as well will have a conversation

about how to best persuade people to

start to investigate Bitcoin and I it

might be a spicy take here coming from

BJ but he was telling me that maybe we

have to move away from the have fun

staying poor meme so we're going to talk

about how to positively persuade people

to look into all the things that we talk

about because it's becoming at least to

us and probably everyone watching the

show just how important it is to get

these ideas out to everyone so we're

gonna we're gonna I guess maybe

constructively critique our messaging on

today's culture so I'm excited for this

one I know anyone that talks to me

personally is always we're always kind

of talking about the same ideas like how

do we get this message across to more

people is is this uh is this an uphill

battle regardless or is this a futile

battle because people just don't care

what we talk about apparently at least

that's kind of the the Black pel version

of this but I'm also on the tip of BJ

where it's like maybe we just need to

work on our messaging and get this this

Bitcoin thing across the people in a

better way which I think is is very

helpful for all of

us yeah 100 perc uh BJ yeah know go

ahead go ahead Nico yeah it's uh I think

that's one of the most difficult things

that I've EXP experience I've been been

doing this for two cycles now8 years and

one of the most difficult things that

I've run into is orange ping people um

to the point that now I've got into a

point in my life and a point in the

Bitcoin rabbit hole that I'm just kind

of like you know what if you don't want

to listen to me I don't have time to

explain to you like Circle DOI I could I

could literally show you the bridge I

could show you the door uh but at the

end of the day the person has to cross

the bridge they have to open the door by

themselves I can't do it for them I

could lay out the case but I will say

something one of the most effective ways

in my experience is planting seeds so

what do I mean by that so usually when I

tell people the first time they dismiss

it but what tends to happen is they

remember the price in which I planted

the seed so they remember the price when

I first told them about Bitcoin and you

know it hurts a lot when someone tells

you that first they first tell you about

Bitcoin what it was

$1,000 and it Peaks at

$72,000 they tend to listen to you

that's a

72x they tend to be like okay uh maybe I

should have listened to that person so

that seems to be the most effective way

of orange peing people it's not making

fun of them it's not telling them have

fun staying poor it's not laying out the

facts most people they don't just don't

care um it's literally just planting the

seed number go up and eventually they

capitulate to number go up and they say

okay you know what you were right uh I

should have listened to you you know I

I'll buy Bitcoin two more things Bitcoin

is a humility test number one so you

have to be okay with the fact that you

didn't buy $500 $1,000 $10,000 Bitcoin

um and number two also uh Bitcoin is um

Bitcoin

like the train doesn't stop and every

single person including myself when I

got into the industry I thought I was

late because I was hearing stories of

people that were getting Bitcoin sub

$100 I heard people that were getting

Bitcoin at three

four5 and here am I like a schmuck

buying Bitcoin at $600 $700 and I'm like

like what the hell like I'm I'm too late

for this for this TR I've missed the

boat essentially like it's too late for

me and thinking back I'm like I should

have done more to acquire more Bitcoin

back then so I'm sure that at these

prices at

$58,000 we'll look back in 10 years when

this thing's trading at multiple

Millions per coin and you're going to be

like dude do you remember when we had an

opportunity to buy $58,000 Bitcoin I bet

you it's going to feel exactly the same

way

BJ yeah a couple of things uh sometimes

you know had this experience where I was

begging people when Bitcoin was ,500

bucks $2,000 something like that to buy

Bitcoin and one person listened and he's

very happy that he listened but then

when you get to the $70,000 Bitcoin what

happens to those same people you know oh

bitcoin's over bitcoin's done so my

Approach is a little bit different I try

to you know much like during the freedom

Convoy I did the communication strategy

and how to reach people people and how

to connect with them and what I've done

particularly with people who struggle

financially because they're going to be

more opt to listening to it I start with

you struggled to save money it's not

your

fault this is the way the system is

designed to make it an obstacle for you

to save money so the first step of

learning about what Bitcoin is to

absolve yourself of guilt and

understanding it's not your fault yeah

maybe we could budget a little bit

better there's no question but the

system is designed to make it almost

impossible for you to save for the

future and that's why we have Bitcoin

because that is now a system outside of

this system that does the opposite it

allows you to save over over time and

that's when they say but I you know I

don't make enough money you just need a

little bit it's not about dollars it's

about SATs it's about the smallest denom

of Bitcoin just accumulates that don't

worry about how much it is don't worry

you got to first get yourself into the

mindset of understanding it and I find

that helps with a lot of people and then

the other thing you said uh which is

just typical persuasion marketing

Communications is there's no magic

button there's no magic one thing you'll

say where you just say give one argument

to everybody like oh okay Eureka moment

right that does sometimes happen as

after you've brought people to a level

of awareness where they're at least

primed and willing to listen to an

argument and over time they'll be

looking for that Eureka moment and

everybody will have something different

based on their life experiences that

will resonate with them and that's what

will get them to make the leap and I was

the same way we were all the same way

right uh for me my orange pil is not in

Bitcoin anymore I know he holds some but

was James altucher because in in

2014 James altucher was doing comedy

skits at Bitcoin uh get togethers and

he's the one you know is watching him

for a long period of time and that's

what really got me to say you know what

I think he's right why because he's both

a financial guy and a computer

programmer you understands the code he

can read the code so everybody's got a

different emotional state or emotional

trigger that will get them completely on

board it's about discovering what that

emotional that unique emotional trigger

is to each individual 100% 100% agree

with that anyways guys we still have a

hell of a show lined up for you guys if

you guys are enjoying the show help us

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get to the numbers we have a lot to talk

about let's check it out here we

go the Bitcoin

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anything on their store at the time of

recording Bitcoin is again at $

58,4 190 fud Dennis SATs per dollar

1,710 block height 85956

blocks to having

19,44 having estimate March 23rd 2028

total lightning network capacity

4,938 BTC capacity value 288 million

realized monetary inflation 1.4

1.4% market capitalization 1.16 trillion

Bitcoin vers gold market cap

6.69% in the grand scheme of things

we're just getting started

big fan of Dr Jeff Jeff Ross which has

exited Bitcoin Twitter he is exclusively

Noster only this is a trend that I'm

that I'm continuing to see more and more

bitcoiners are deleting their Bitcoin

Twitter accounts and they're going

exclusively on

Noster huge fan of Noster I've been

extremely active the last couple of

weeks or so since my first experience

with censorship and D platform

I I I just I understand why this is so

important because you know what you

can't deplatform someone on a protocol

right like let's say you get banned off

a specific Noster app there's many other

apps that you can use that interact with

the Noster protocol you could bring your

followers with you I'm so bullish on on

this technology I'm so bullish on nostr

is an incredible idea and I and I

believe it's the future of social media

will it be able to overcome bitcoin's

Network I mean sorry Twitter's Network

effect that Still Remains to be seen but

so far I see uh engagement up I see

usage up on Noster so if you haven't

already signed up I highly recommend you

checking it out it is a little bit

different um but I promise you that once

you zap someone or you receive receive

zaps uh it's a great feeling anyways um

so Dr Jeff Ross uh posts on on Noster he

says although September may have some

weak data points I have officially

pivoted from Dr bull crab to Dr bull

bullish macro and liquidity Tailwinds

are coming soon it won't happen all at

once in fact it will start slowly at

first but it will happen I expect the

next 14 months of bitcoin's price action

should be generally lit Halloween 2025

is my next major Target date for

infotainment purposes only so take that

as you may Dr Ross is had some

incredible call outs in the past so

really excited to see how this plays out

and yes I think we've all been extremely

bored of Dr crab and just the general

crab action that we've seen throughout

the summer usually that's pretty normal

in bitcoin's history things tend to cool

down in the Summers but they do start to

pick up in Q4 I think uh I'm I'm sitting

in that camp but no one really knows

what the price of Bitcoin is going to do

tomorrow anyways getting to today's

headline news Russia to begin using

cryptocurrencies in international trade

it goes on to say Russia will begin

using cryptocurrencies as an

international payment method starting

September 1st as the nation seeks

alternatives to circumvent the economic

sanctions imposed by Western countries

faced with challenges and traditional

Payment Systems Russian authorities are

exploring altern alternative methods to

facilitate International Trade before

the Ukrainian conflict in 202 2 the

Central Bank of Russia had advocated for

a complete ban on cryptocurrencies

however their use has become more

prevalent after Russia was excluded from

the Swift payment system isn't it

awesome how incentives kind of play out

this is the Bitcoin Game Theory you know

this is this is so beautiful like we

don't call Bitcoin the money of enemies

for no reason right no one has the

ability to censor someone else's ability

to use Bitcoin or censor someone else's

transaction no one has the ability to do

that so it's anyone could use it really

and what I believe has happened with the

traditional Fiat system the traditional

Financial system it's it's become highly

politicized and again you can dislike

the Russian government you could L

dislike the Cuban government you could

dislike the North Korean government you

can dislike the government of

Afghanistan you could dislike them and

rightly so however what people don't

talk about is the collateral damage of

what happens when these Co when these

countries get

sanctioned the justification as to why

these countries get sanctioned is for

regime change it's to topple those

governments that hasn't really worked

out with Cuba that hasn't really worked

out with North Korea the actual victims

of this are the people of those

countries which are innocent and just

like you and I they're just trying to

put food on the table and all of a

sudden they're not allowed to open bank

accounts US bank accounts US dollar

accounts they're not allowed to transact

with US Dollars well Bitcoin is for them

Bitcoin comes in it says I don't care

where you're from I don't care where

where you happen to be born which you

have no control over Bitcoin is for you

this is why we say Bitcoin is the most

inclusive Equitable money the world has

ever seen anyways it goes on to say on

August 8th Russian President Vladimir

Putin signed legislation legalizing the

experimental use of cryptocurrencies and

international payments and Forex

transactions the Central Bank of Russia

will oversee the process the process as

the country begins using

cryptocurrencies for international uh

for international payments on September

1st so they started yesterday it goes on

to say while the Central Bank governor

and the Finance Minister have previously

indicated efforts to legalize

cryptocurrencies details on how they

will be used in international trade and

their security framework remain unclear

I suspect you're going to start to see

an acceleration of this specifically in

countries that don't benefit from having

a reserve currency from countries that

if they did what the US did and they

just printed an ungodly amount of money

they would just cause rampant

hyperinflation or inflation just because

other countri R aren't holding that

currency so there's a little bit of a

check I suspect you're going to start to

see more and more countries go and look

at Bitcoin and say you know that that

looks like a pretty good deal that looks

like a pretty good

idea specifically in countries that I

think are dollariz and there's a lot of

them for example Panama Ecuador El

Salvador just to name a few these

countries don't have Fiat they don't

have local currencies they use the

dollar so they're more incentivized to

seek alternative systems and I think

that's what we're going to start to see

in the next five to 10 years I think

we're seeing bitcoin's Game Theory play

out Alex gladstein wrote an excellent

article for Bitcoin magazine called uh

Bitcoin is a trojan horse for freedom

and this is a great representation of

that Russia isn't exactly known for a

country that has the best human rights

record right this is a country that you

can make an argument is a authoritarian

country totalitarian country where the

leader essentially doesn't like

opposition but out of necessity out of

Game Theory they see Bitcoin and they

see it as a means to an end they see it

as a means to facilitate International

Trade without being uh without being

meddled with right which by the way I

think this is going to be a one of the

excuses that are going to be used

against Bitcoin precisely because

because they can't censor certain

transactions so it's just interesting to

see bitcoin's game theory play out and

my opinion I've said this before many

times on the show I don't think you

current US sanction policy is compatible

with an open monetary Network on which

No One controls no politician controls I

don't know how that's going to play out

in my opinion I'm going to pass it on to

BJ I feel like BJ you have a little bit

more uh feelings and thoughts and

experience on this front uh but it is

quite interesting to see but at the same

time not surprising at

all yeah well there's a lot to unpack

there man um just a few short points I

think uh generally I agree with

everything that you've said I think we

all

do uh the the only thing that I might

differ on you is Bitcoin doesn't change

human nature and I personally am not a

cultural

relativist so there are our cultures are

different we many of us come from

different backgrounds I'm talking around

the world right you and I are Western

but there are people around the world

who have different

cultures however the the goal of

suppression of speech uh has not as you

said worked out to our favor and the

ability for people not to transact has

also not worked uh over the past Century

let's say so I think we're all better

off much like free speech the freedom to

transact allows people allows us all to

understand how the world really works

you know I had this this debate

frequently like I'm from a a particular

uh culture that deals with uh certain

issues around free speech and I'm always

me and a few others always the rabble

rousers that say stop stop calling

people names and start engaging with

people and start going down the Free

Speech rabbit hole because there are two

benefit it's a free speech that we

always forget and that is freedom of

speech and the freedom to transact but

let's say the freedom of speech first is

the right to respond to

Ridiculousness and freedom of speech

also allows us to learn who's a resident

of Crazy Town who can see doesn't

understand the importance of the freedom

to transact the freedom to feed their

families you know during uh this event

in Ottawa in this book honking for

freedom.com by the way uh we had when

our accounts were frozen there was one

particular trucker who said to me uh I'm

gonna have to get insulin in two weeks I

I can't pay for insulin now what am I am

I supposed to die it was her husband is

my husband supposed to

die so yeah that's exactly what happened

you had a western liberal free country

essentially tried to kill its citizens

that's what it was doing so that is not

going to benefit any of us over the long

term this is why Bitcoin is an important

component of free speech and I believe

the freedom to transact will be the next

Global cultural debate that we're going

to have over the next couple of

generations and personally I firmly side

on the freedom of transaction side

because I've seen the implications of

when everything you have is shut down

and you know people often talk in the

Legacy Media we had our bank accounts

Frozen No no we had our bank accounts

Frozen our credit cards Frozen lines of

credit corporate accounts like you if

you were uh if you had any affiliation

with any Corporation boom they all got

shut down and then what happened

afterwards well then Brazil did the same

thing when they had a trucker protest

after the Lula election right then Iran

did the same thing to the protesters

that were trying to overthrow the mulas

what did they do they froze all their

bank accounts for a bunch of young

students across the country who wanted

greater freedoms and now we've converged

on the point where back to

Brazil the government of Brazil has

frozen the accounts of x one of the

platforms that you are broadcasting to

so this is the pathway to Absolute

chaos where the alternative is everybody

has the right to speak everybody has the

right to transact and at least we get a

better sense of what the global

chessboard looks like what do you think

be beautifully put and it's actually a

theme or something that we've been

talking about on simply for quite a

while now which is this idea of what I

call the great

disintermediation uh first it's starting

with information and now it's slowly

moving into money and unfortunately if

not unfortunately good for I would say

the globe but for governments that have

been used to controlling the narrative

for the longest time uh the internet

essentially has disintermediated The

Gatekeepers so now you have mass scale

Global peer-to-peer Communications which

is social media and now you have the

introduction of of protocols like Noster

where you don't even have an there is no

ability to deplatform and if you can't

deplatform if you can't censor and I

think this is the point that you were

trying to make BJ you you're it becomes

a forcing function for you to have to

debate your perspective if you can't

deplatform or censor the perspective and

it lives on you as a politician now you

have a a form of accountability you kind

of have to answer to the point that that

the other the opposition or the person

who that they're trying to make and you

know freedom of speech here in the

United States it's not per

but I think the founding fathers had

enough wisdom to realize that if there

is a bureaucratic Elite or there's an

elite that gets to decide what is true

information and what isn't what is

misinformation what would happen was

that they would abuse that power for

political reasons so that they said okay

you know what no Congress can't make you

know can't make a law stopping the

freedom of speech like we let free

market idea free market of ideas decide

you know what's what's true and what's

not true is it perfect is it a perfect

solution no it's not a perfect solution

but I think it's a better solution than

an elite group of people getting to

decide what information is true and what

information isn't true because because I

think history has shown how much that's

been abused now apply that to money it's

the same concept right no no human being

should have number one the ability to

create money for free that another human

being has to work for and number two no

human being should have the ability to

censor someone else's money no one

should have the ability to do that

because again I think it gets there's

time you have historical example after

historical example where that gets

abused now this is why I'm so bullish

and optimistic about Noster and Bitcoin

you can't stop it you can't censor it

you can't take it down so then it

becomes a forcing function where if you

can't censor transactions if you can't

censor information all of a sudden as a

politician you're going to have to

rebuke it you're going to have to have

uh an argument on your side to back up

your perspective because so far I think

the American public was sold on the idea

of sanctions as a mechanism of regime

change but we haven't seen that and I

think the collateral damage of a lot of

these sanction policies are the

populaces of those countries so the

population of Cuba the population of

Venezuela the population of Russia I'm

not talking about the Russian government

or any of these governments I'm talking

about the people that live within those

countries now all of a sudden with

Bitcoin they can download an app or they

can download something on their on their

computer and now they can interact with

the global economy right it's an

absolute GameChanger anyways op we are

running a little bit late on time do you

have a two-minute bit yeah I'm just I'll

do it quickly I think this news is

obviously huge news yes there it's not

perfect because it has to go through the

central bank and we covered this in the

in the past that you know it's basically

they got to go through the official

channels to approve the fact that they

can use Bitcoin or they said

cryptocurrency but I think this is

showing two things one that a lot of

bricks nations are moving over away from

trying to hold us treasuries and now

they're realizing that Bitcoin is the

real International currency and I think

we're going to be seeing slowly but

surely this continue to Ripple into

every other country and more people

waking up to this fact that hey I don't

need to go through the US to use money I

don't need to use uh you know American

Swift payments to have international

crossb payments that's what Bitcoin is

for and again say what you want about

Russia and Putin as the big Boogeyman of

the world you know you you can fully

believe this but it just goes to show

the meme that we talk about constantly

that Bitcoin is for anyone anyone that

sees the use case of Bitcoin is going to

realize that hey maybe having a neutral

money that isn't controlled by one

nation is a good idea maybe this is why

we're all here in the first place but

hey we still got a lot of work to do to

educate the masses but we we we'll talk

about that in their culture how we can

do that better anyways keep it moving

nio all right everybody let's get to

news lots to talk

about the Daily

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all right everybody I do want to go

through some headlines which I think are

absolutely fast fascinating and it comes

from one of our favorite Legacy Media uh

Publications which has attacked Bitcoin

a lot in the past and of course I'm

talking about the paper of record

talking about the New York Times so

first this uh BJ's already laughing this

opinion this opinion piece the headline

is the greatest threat to democracy is a

feature of democracy the latest one uh

critic's notebook the Constitution is

sacred is it also dangerous one of the

biggest threats to America's politics

might be the country's founding document

very very interesting now moving on to

uh the news I'm I'm going to put all

this together uh this is what happened

over the weekend uh Brazil this is a CBS

News uh public publication it says

Brazil blocks block on social network X

goes into a effect joining other

countries around the world here is uh a

another new uh Legacy Media publication

the guardian Robert Reich wrote an

article for Robert Reich has a very

popular YouTube channel I believe he was

an official uh that was part of the

Obama Administration here's Mario nfal

one of the best news aggregators on on X

and he says the Guardians Robert Reich

has published an alarming opinion piece

calling for Global action against elon's

Free Speech initiatives on X Reich

suggests Regulators have threatened Elon

with arrests for disseminating lies and

hate citing uh pavar devar's arrest in

France as a potential model the article

criticizes quote free speech absolutists

like Elon and Dav aligning with

Alexandre de Morales censorship efforts

in Brazil the guardian's position seems

to contradict Traditional journalistic

Values of Defending free expression

instead supporting a troubling trend of

government overreach in controlling

online

discourse by the way here is uh the

presidential one of the presidential

candidates Camala Harris and she had

some thoughts on X let's check it out he

has he has lost his Privileges and it

should be taken down and and the bottom

line is that you can't say that you have

one rule for Facebook and you have a

different rule for Twitter the same rule

has to apply which is that there has to

be a a a a responsibility that is placed

on these social media sites to

understand their power they are directly

speaking to millions and millions of

people without any level of of of

oversight or regulation and that has to

stop by the way like that's why the

first amendment is structured the way it

is but essentially what they were what

they're doing and Mike Benz has done an

incredible job covering this is

essentially the way that they're

circumventing the First Amendment

because the like the the government

itself the US government itself can't um

they they can't promote laws or they

can't enforce laws actually shutting

down the free speech of Americans but

what they did to circumvent circumvent

that is that they put pressure on

private companies this came out by the

way when Zuckerberg admitted not too

long ago that he regretted censoring the

speech of certain Americans due to a lot

of discussion with the pandemic and he

admitted that a lot of that pressure

came from the administration right so I

I think it's it's a little bit scary to

me that not only Legacy Media Outlets

but also a potential future president is

basically calling for more censorship

that I mean isn't that the most

anti-American thing that you can think

of uh here's David Sachs David saaks by

the way is one of the Silicon Valley

guys that uh went out in support of of

of of cryptocurrencies and and the the

the the Trump Administration I think he

has a really really good point here he

says in the global struggle against

authoritarianism the West's real enemy

is itself American politicians speak

constantly about the IND uh

indispensable role of the United States

in leading the Free World against

authoritarianism if that's true why is

the White House So So Silent in the face

of new Global threats to free speech in

January American citizen Gonzalo L uh

passed away in a Ukrainian prison for

posting YouTube videos the state

department didn't lift a finger to help

last week telegram founder was arrested

in France for the crime of insufficient

content moderation now Brazil has banned

X for resisting the uh the dicta of a

tyrannical judge who salv who salvat

over the possibility of jailing Elon

Musk they EU is one step behind with

ocrat the Bretton pursuing a criminal

investigation against Elon for quote

platforming disinformation which Breton

defines to conclude a convers to include

a conversation with Donald Trump in the

UK the government of camir strammer

imprisons critics of open borders with

more Zeal than it prosecutes violent

crime in Canada Justin Trudeau crushed a

trucker's protest against mandates by

asserting sweeping new powers to freeze

bank accounts at no point has the White

House expressed concern about this new

Iron Curtain that seems to be descending

across the West quite the contrary Mike

Zuckerberg confirmed that the Biden

Harris Administration reportedly

pressured meta to censor during the

pandemic worse the FBI primed Facebook

to censor true stories about Biden

family corruption by suggesting that the

hunter Biden's laptop Hunter Biden's

laptop was rushing thisinformation now

the the the point I'm trying to make in

all this and I'm not trying trying to

pick a certain side or whatever is that

I think that as long as

platforms are a are centralized and

there is a CEO and there is a

centralized server form I think that

that will inevitably be prone to

government pressure and inevitably

government being or the state being able

to co-opt those platforms I think that's

not a question of if I think it's a

question of when how do you go around

that well the way that you go around

that is protocols over platforms and

this is exactly what Bitcoin and Noster

is and why the reason that I believe

you're you they're able to get away with

this and the reason as to why I believe

Satoshi disappeared in the first place

is that I think if Satoshi was still

around he'd be in jail right now that to

be perfectly Frank right this is why

it's so important for these protocols to

stay decentralized because then there

isn't a single entity to go after and

because there isn't a single entity to

go after because there is no uh you know

Cable cable to just

unplug they live on and as they live on

it's what I was saying it inevitably

becomes a forcing function when you

can't conf when you can't freeze

someone's account when you can't censor

someone's speech and it lives on and

there's nothing you could do about it

you're inevitably going to be forced to

respond to it not from a place of

strength from but from a POS from a

position of equality and you're going to

have to argue based on your merits right

and that puts you in an unfortunate

situation if you're an authoritarian

anyways the last original thought that I

had over the weekend was how

totalitarian regimes are reacting to ex

SL telegram is exactly how they're going

to react to Noster Bitcoin problem for

them is there is no CEO to threaten and

single server Farm to shut down so

that's kind of like the last point that

I wanted to make without focusing on a

specific political party or specific

politicians that are that are more Pro

censorship or more uh pro- Free Speech

what I want to focus on is the solution

and the solution to this Satoshi already

discovered the solution to this is De

centralized protocols over centralized

platforms that being said I do applaud

Elon and I do applaud the CEO of Rumble

for putting up the good fight but

imagine like the Bitcoin CEO doesn't

have to put up a fight like who do they

whose door do they knock on there is no

door to knock on that's the whole point

that's the beauty of it and I think that

empower as individuals in the process BJ

I mean they they mentioned one of the

things that you played a huge role in uh

what are your thoughts on all

this couple of things she mentioned that

X and uh there shouldn't be different

rules for one platform versus

another what rules can I see the rule

list what what are the rules that

Facebook is

following that that Twitter is violating

I haven't seen I thought the rule was

we're a corporation and everybody has

free speech and by the way according to

Citizens United money is Free Speech

which is something I think bitcoiners

can talk more about so I'd like to hear

more about her rules that she said are

broken because I I don't know of any

rules that she's referring to um the

other thing is they I don't think it's

the free speech that they fear I think

what they fear is the persuasion you

know we we I hear these terms that make

me crazy all the time information and

misinformation uh it's how about it's

just information it's opinions and facts

and sometimes they're kind of muddled

together and guess what we're going to

hear opinions and facts we don't like

it's called being an adult I think the

problem that we've been sold is the idea

that free speech is going to make us

happy and uh comfortable and tranquil

and everything's going to be

strawberries and uh and and cheesecake

no free speech is uncomfortable it's

supposed to be uncomfortable you know

why because the world is uncomfortable

the world is a difficult place there's

so much amazing things so many amazing

things that go on in the world day to

day but there's also things that happen

that make us all uncomfortable and many

of us are dealing with this on a regular

basis you know yesterday uh were six

hostages that were uh found uh not dead

but murdered and brutalized and

butchered yeah that's pretty

uncomfortable uh but that's just the

reality of life but if you if you

embrace the fact that Free Speech it's

uncomfortable but it's honest and it's

reality then at least we'll be able to

get to a place where there's less

friction and I think what's happening

right now I'll get to the protocol thing

in a second because elon's come in to

Twitter and he's removed much of the

shackles that Twitter had been uh

suppressed with the same way you guys

were last week there's going to be this

pain period going on and this pain

period is where all the um Pandora's

boxes get open and people see a whole

lot of opinions they like and a whole

lot of opinions they don't like and

everybody's got to got to comb through

it and figure out okay I got to reenter

the world and how it works and

understand it and you know what over

time there's a shorttime negative effect

of that but over the long term it's

going to be beneficial to all of us to

everybody the people we like and the

people we dislike and that's what

protocols do that's what the Bitcoin

protocol does that's what Noster does

it's a long-term play it's not a

short-term solution to make sure you

inundate yourself with confirmation bias

of the opinions you want on that's part

of the problem that we're we're

experiencing is everybody's been putting

put into silos where they all start

everybody only hears opinions they agree

with that's why nobody has any clue

who's going to win the US election in

November I mean I think we know who's

gonna win but everybody believes that

their team is g to win because they

don't talk to people on the other side

which was my goal with the trucker

Convoy I explained to these people that

you know some of them got it some of

them didn't I need to get the people who

oppose us on side and I can do that I

can do that with a positive message of

Hope and coming together around unity

and just becoming a little bit more

Canadian again and we witnessed it you

know you guys wouldn't know in Cana in

the United States but in Canada there's

always been a divide amongst French

Canada Quebec and western Canada Alberta

which is basically our Texas

uh but it was fake we learned in the

freedom Convoy it's all fake when you

get the politicians and the media out of

the way all of us just kind of get along

and I think that is the ethos of what

the protocol

protocolization of the world is going to

lead to over time so yeah I completely

agree with you man 100% and we're going

to explore more of this during the

culture segment the show is running

quite long today but if you guys are

enjoying the show so far make sure to

smash that like button and uh we're

going to dive deep into the culture

segment talk more about Free Speech

orange orange pilling people with our

guest BJ ditcher all right everybody

let's get to the culture here we

go the daily

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culture all right everybody before I

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orange palap today I'm going to pass it

on to Opi we talk about today's

culture yeah well BJ and I were joking a

little bit before the show that we

wanted to leave Today's Show on a

positive message and everyone in the

chat's like dang that that turned it

getting kind of dark so we're going to

do what committed to do is ending the

show on a positive note so just to

rehash BJ of course you are Infamous for

being a part of the truckers Convoy and

if you missed the beginning we really

want to maybe have some constructive

criticism have an open dialogue with

bitcoiners you guys watching this on how

best to orange pill people and maybe you

know for better a words pick on some of

the faults that we've been talking about

recently and and I've noticed this as

well I've I've been thinking about this

constantly anytime I'm on the phone with

one of my friends either that is in the

Bitcoin industry or just a bitcoiner in

general we're always wondering okay

what's the best way to get this message

across so this is what we're going to

talk about right now so I'm going to

pass it over to you BJ how do we best

persuade and Reach people in regards to

all of the things that we're talking

about as bitcoiners whether it's freedom

of speech freedom to transact you know

the problems with inflation all of this

stuff how do

we compact this information so that it

comes across to people and you you

mentioned earlier there is no Silver

Bullet to this it's it's more of an

ongoing dialogue of planting these seeds

of freedoms into your everyday Normie

and your friends and family out there

yeah the first thing is don't ever think

you can persuade people with facts

that's just not how we're wired that's

not like we didn't get to bitcoin uh

because I mean many of us we understood

what it was but it was the freedom

aspect that there's something off off

the system outside of crazy town that I

can put my money in and then the facts

come afterwards right like we always

post rationalize so understand that's

that's how most people are especially

people who know nothing about the

financial system and don't really care

and unfortunately that's how most people

are they don't even know how the Fiat

system works so if somebody doesn't know

how the Fiat system works uh bombarding

them with a bunch of facts on you know

the Bitcoin protocol is not going to get

them the other thing is to learn the

different tools of persuasion that well

now you can't talk about facts what can

you do well there's things like

reciprocity common ground emotional

connection stuff like that like that's

how you reach people and it takes time

it's good it's not a quick simple

solution that's going to bring people

into the space but the best people to

practice

on I think you're all going to agree

with this are your friends and your

family because we all know the number

one people who don't listen to a word we

say are our own family right we love

each other but you know you try to share

an opinion with your parents

uh or your aunts or uncles or whatever

they just dismiss you so those are the

people you need to practice on and when

you can hone in those skills on your

loved ones and your friends and you

figure out the tools that work most

effectively to persuade them to at least

start to open their mind which is always

the first step then you'll be you'll be

able to persuade absolutely everybody so

just bend and I tell people this also

about lockdowns and mandates and masks

and all that sort of stuff the reason

the government was able to get away with

what they did uh in locking us all down

and bringing us into this dystopian

nightmare is because we weren't talking

to each other we weren't talking to our

neighbors and our friends and whatever

we all started to become a little bit

isolated and went on the internet and

went into Twitter spaces but the

community around us were foreigners to

us so maybe what we got to do is um

maybe some sort of communal effort where

all of us start to reach out and learn

who our neighbors are develop

relationships with them so that they

trust you and those are the people that

you can practice the tools of persuasion

about Bitcoin and freedom and that the

government is not always your friend

because I learned at a very young age we

always would learn about the Holocaust

from a very young age and what I learned

what I took away from that that a lot of

people seem to miss

is that was your

government people forget that you know

when you hear the stories of an Frank

the people who ratted out those people

and sent them to death camps those were

good citizens that did that because

that's what the government was that's

why the lessons of that period of

History are so important as well as

Rwanda and many other genocides since

because genocides are committed by

governments so we now for the first time

have a solution and this is the positive

note we finally have some hope we have a

protocol we have this internet we can

get away from Crazy Town and what we

need to do is reach out to our friends

and our families and those around us and

strangers in our communities and show

them there is a freedom alternative and

you shouldn't be afraid of that

alternative because a lot of people do

want security over freedom but you know

what freedom is the security and that's

what Bitcoin is that's your stability in

the future because when our governments

talk about you know they want to tax

unrealized gains the the word I think of

when I hear unrealized gains that's a

synonym for retirement fund so they want

to tax your retirement fund why don't

you get some money off the system where

the government can't touch it and then

you have a little bit of a peace of mind

you have that insurance policy and then

you can engage in the free free speech

debate with your friends and community

and bring them over and then start to

oppose the authoritarians who seem to be

uh gaining a lot of traction in our

society today absolutely that I'm

bullish on those local communities I

remember a buddy of mine uh uh uh you

guys know him by the name BTC sessions

uh he did a um he did a a SAT Market in

in Calgary where from and uh it was

really cool cuz you put together a

market and everyone just pays each other

in Bitcoin it's this circular economy

and there was a guy who made eggs there

was a guy who made pickles there was a

guy who made beef jerkey which was gone

in like three hours uh there was a guy

who made 3D printed things the point

that I'm trying to make is I if you have

a strong local community and you have

peer-to-peer money right um and you

don't have to rely on you know other

sources that empowers you as an

individual and I think society would be

like in a much better place than it is

and also sorry don't interrupt also

because we have this tool the internet

you can now merge that local community

with a broader Global community of

bitcoiners that you've met you know you

meet somebody in your neighborhood who

starts to get curious about it bring

them into the Twitter spaces bring in

the toxic Happ hour shout out to Anders

and pubby you know it it doesn't just

have to be exclusively the local

community we now have the ability to

bridge local communities with global

communities and if we're doing that

we've hedged both uh scenarios 100% 100%

OPI yeah 100% And also I mean I think

this is like we've been talking about

the whole day that the power of

peer-to-peer Communications and

protocols and the like that we

constantly talk about I think me and

Nico have been going really hard on this

idea the last couple of weeks of just

how important peer-to-peer is really

whether it's information whether it's

transacting and I think since we've seen

in the last couple of weeks this is why

we're seeing the powers that be clamped

down on freedom of speech and clamped

down on speech and frame it in such a

way so that it seems like this big bad

Boogeyman but in reality I really like

how BJ put it you know you get to see

who is how do you say you get to see who

is living in crazy town and I I say it

not so nicely I'm like you get to see

who an idiot is you know when they speak

freely but I like I like the way you put

it it's it's a lot nicer this you get

when we talk about everything you and

all ideas are out on the table it just

goes to show who is living in the real

world and who has really crazy ideas and

I think this is a good thing and most

people I think especially in outage

forget just how new social media is in

general I know we've grown up with it in

our lives and it seems ubiquitous with

just everyday life but it's still a

relatively new phenomen on and this is

why we're seeing the powers that be

clamped down on speech and freaking out

about everyone talking about things and

transacting freely is because it just

thwarts their power in real time and now

as individuals we have more freedom and

more sovereignty hence why we are in the

position we're in but I do want to Pivot

this a little bit BJ because before you

pivot before you one more thing people

who have that divide with you let's say

for for a lazy example we'll take the

political divide left and right which I

don't believe is real I think it's more

collectivist versus

individualist the people who com who you

think how could this person possibly

think this and vice versa it's just

because they're subjected to different

information because all of our media

lies alternative and Legacy Media they

all lie they all lie through Omission so

often you find when you just fill in

some of the gaps of information then you

start to realize oh they're not so crazy

after all they just missed this very

important piece and that's what we can

do with Bitcoin is explain no this is

not it's not for criminal money this is

the point the the piece that you're

missing and that's where you can insert

some of the attributes of Bitcoin love

it love it BJ okay I did I did chease it

in the beginning of the show and I think

we set it up well this whole time so BJ

on that note what is uh your beef with

the meme of have fun staying poor why is

this not an effective messaging

firstly I think it's hysterical it's so

funny uh the problem is that you're

you're forever making somebody uh adhere

to Fiat right you're being

confrontational with them you're you're

arguing with them and you're deprecating

to them so if you're saying have fun

staying poor they're going to say okay

fine f you you have fun have fun playing

with your Bitcoin you've completely

turned them off so as much as it's funny

I get it that's not persuasive that's

the opposite of persuasion and that's

why I suggest we should be not entirely

dropping it there's times where it's fun

maybe amongst bitcoiners it's better but

to people who don't know Bitcoin they

don't need to stay they don't need to

hear have fun uh staying poor they need

to hear when you're interested let me

know I'm always there for you and that's

it love it okay well BJ personally I I

mean I've done some re Arch here but I'd

like to get your take on this what what

are the more powerful tools of

persuasion it depends on the person

anything emotional because we're all

going to communicate a little bit

differently and um for me I mean I think

reciprocity is a big one uh doing things

for other people and it's also different

for men and women too I I know I'm going

to get hopefully W don't get trouble

with YouTube for that but um men and

women communicate differently men uh

communicate usually around a task

whereas women in women communicate more

around the situations of their lives and

emotional issues and stuff that's not

belittling it's just we're we're

different right um so for example that's

and that's that's an opinion of yours

right for

YouTube okay for

YouTube so the idea is like look all of

us people were asking why is Bitcoin why

are there so many men in Bitcoin and

it's nice to see we're starting to get

women come into the space it's because

we we form relationships based on tasks

whether it was working on my motorcycle

I had a crew of people I hung around

with working on my car I had a different

crew of people I hung around with you

know when I was a kid and we discovered

mp3s and Winamp all my buddies were into

computers and we would just be you know

overclocking our computers and then

going to my parents and saying I thought

you could overclock at 200% I didn't

think that would blow the motherboard

but whatever right like you come

together around a task and that's how

you form your relationships so it's kind

of dependent upon uh upon you

specifically and um you also you Common

Ground uh sometimes the one thing that's

being used that we shouldn't be using

all the time now is politics so shared

identity uh which is dangerous and

that's kind of why the collectivists are

here trying to destroy identity and

distort what identity is sometimes

nationalism and in the west you know

people have a distorted impression of

the importance of nationalism uh it's

important for Americans to be proud to

be American and I'll tell you why an

example of uh red van was when I had met

him many years ago explained to me he

said look for example in Turkey atat

Turk decided we are going to be

nationally Turkish our religion comes

separate but we are nationally our

identity is Turkish and we're going to

be Western and you know what that did

that prevented turkey from turning into

another because Saudi Arabia or Qatar or

a country like that it prevented it from

being too extreme on one side so

identity is an important tool as well

and finding common identity with people

there's so many um uh and then there's

pre persuasion you know an example of

persuasion is right behind me on that

side there's a book of honking for

Freedom that's priming people to be

hopefully interested in understanding

and learning the story of the freedom

Convoy so it just depends on the

scenario who you are there's a great

book you can start with this stuff by

Robert Shalini that was written in the

80s or 90s uh called influence and that

teach teaches a lot of the basic tools

of persuasion but if we learn that in

the Bitcoin free speech space then it's

going to be a lot easier to reach people

who are they're they're primed they're

looking for something look right now

there's economic uncertainty we see all

the signs that the economy is not doing

well this is the perfect landscape to

show people there is a hopeful solution

now it's Bitcoin it was created because

of the GFC now's your opportunity to

build your nest egg your insurance your

insurance policy if you will uh to vent

any Financial catastrophes in the future

does that answer your question yeah

absolutely 100% all I got one final

question Nico I know we're trying to end

it but I I think it'd be a good positive

note to end on BJ we kind of Nico kind

of touched on it and and was a little

trolly earlier but I I think we've all

felt this as bitcoiners you get to the

point where you just start quoting

Satoshi and you're like look bro if you

don't get it I don't have the time to

convince you so one last advice for the

audience how how do they prevent getting

demoralized when they are talking about

Bitcoin and the do keeps getting shut in

their face how do you prevent that and

and keep going out there and keep trying

to persuade people enjoy your life

outside of Bitcoin Bitcoin is not

everything like I have a whole bunch of

different Hobbies I have two different

startups I'm involved in right now like

my life is quite busy so Bitcoin is an

important aspect of it but I don't I

don't spend 100% of my time on bitcoin

and I find what happens is people uh

they get borderline obsessed with it

because they know how important it is

and they focus all their energy on it

well of course you're going to get burnt

out U maybe what you need to do is find

if you're somebody who needs barriers

maybe you need to time block that you

give yourself I don't know three hours a

week to orange pill people on bitcoin

than these certain hours you know people

go into Twitter and spend all day on

Twitter um you know if you block things

and it's going to prevent burnout and

it's going to allow you to focus on

other things that in your life that are

important but if you're singularly

focused on bitcoin then yeah you're

going to burn yourself out now you guys

are a little bit different because you

know Nico it's your business and you

guys are working together but I'm sure

you too you have things outside of

Bitcoin it's important not to forget the

things in your life that give value and

that's the whole ethos of what the

Convoy was peace love unity and freedom

fre and spending time with those you

love and if you do that then it's going

to be a lot easier for you to resonate

with people because you you'll be in a

much more positive emotional state when

you're trying to reach new people I love

that love itj as I always say get

outside touch some grass eat some good

food you know get some exercise in and

uh as BJ ended his rant with a good rant

I don't mean to uh paint that in the

wrong the wrong way but being optimistic

is the way of life guys that's right

beautifully beautifully beautifully said

all right everybody today is September

2nd 2024 first simply Bitcoin show of

September love it starting Q4 wa wa

September come on get it right

September historically Bitcoin tends to

not do so good on September okay October

I'm in between September or October

oober hold on guys guys guys you've been

in Bitcoin a long time how many years we

were like oh my God this 80% volatility

hour to hour it's got to stop well it's

definitely stopped we got what we wanted

there's a little bit of stability in the

market bit Bitcoin is the new stable

coin anyways guys if you enjoyed the

show for September 2nd 2024 make sure to

smash that like button we're simply

Bitcoin live I'm your host Nico is my

co-host Optimus fields and our guest

today BJ ditcher go check out honking

forf freedom.com honking forf

freedom.com BJ's holding his book up I

consider him a dear friend and also a

Bitcoin Freedom Fighter all right

everybody love you all if you guys

enjoyed the show smash the like button

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