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Global IT outage shows dangers of cashless society, campaigners say
(www.theguardian.com)
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this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2024
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Privacy
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Does anyone actually want a cashless society though?
I don't carry cash for the same reason I don't carry my socket wrench. I use it for specific things at specific times but I don't need it day to day. That doesn't mean I think socket wrenches should be outlawed.
Governments love the idea. It's much easier to collect taxes or punish dissidents in a cashless society.
Well, our own government has never said anything about it. If they did propose it I guess our democratic process would find the best way forward. The same could be said of a great many things that will never exist.
Also collecting taxes ought to be easy and fair. If no one cheats then no one pays too much if they do not cheat. Besides that, there's plenty of other measures that can be applied in 2024 to diminish tax evasion.
The right to have cash is granted on a constitutional level in the EU, all 27 member states would have to agree to get rid of cash.
It's now illegal in many parts of Europe to make large cash transactions.
... but how could someone buy a new Audi during a blackout ?