This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
I wonder how many trillions of dollars the Trump dumpster fire will end up costing American business.
You'd think our corporate overlords would remove him.
Let's say the pre-Trump economy is worth $100 trillion, and a particular billionaire's share is $2 billion. Let's say Trump catastrophically decreases the economy's value to $50 trillion, while increasing corruption such that that Trump is getting more power, and the billionaire's share is $10 billion.
This is followed by a collapsing market that creates a dip in share prices or private valuation, the assets of which can be bought for pennies on the dollar, eventually leading to that billionaire having $30 billion in a total economy worth $20 trillion.
Win/win for Trump and the billionaire, at the cost of everyone else.
That's basically what's happening, and will continue to happen.
I'm not an economist, so here's my ass talking, but I don't think your example scales out.
Not everyone wins in a failing economy. If one billionaire makes out, three more lose money.
Not everyone wins in a failing economy. If one billionaire makes out, three more lose money.
No, yeah, that's true. But the billionaires are also competing with each other in a (perceived) zero-sum game and they believe the ones who are cozying closest to Trump will be the best ones positioned to make money - either in a corrupt or a failing economy. But every recession has been a golden opportunity for billionaires.
Heck, in post-collapse Russia, this is how oligarchs first appeared - the "shock therapy" of the 1990s transition to a market economy dropped the value of resources to nothing, and the rich at the time bought them and became the ultra-rich. Some didn't make it. ( Like a super-bacteria forming from the ones not killed by antibiotics, the ones that survived were even more resistant to control.)
Good example, especially given that it looks like a Russian oligarchy is where we've been headed since 2016
This is followed by a collapsing market that creates a dip in share prices or private valuation
I am not a billionaire, just an average joe lucky to be able to borrow a few thousand from my Roth 401k in order to buy oil stocks in March 2020 at 90% off.
I earned between 15x and 20x what I invested and paid off my student loans when the market recovered.
It's not just for the billionaires, but you're right, all of this is intentional and the wealthiest will profit the most.
At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if they're working on it. He's destroying their bottom lines.
That said, if you go after the king, you'd best not miss.
Their bottom lines aren't very important to their goal of owning everything. Money is just a vehicle for power, but once they own everything and everyone they won't need it.
The parasites are still making money. Rocking the boat would temporarily interrupt the party, they'll continue to party until they're forced to change.
Good. The Mastercard and Visa tax never made any sense. We deserve better.
Good. Make it hurt.
I want to see CEOs from the sky.
They would be tiny from way up there
reminds me when Brazil launched their Pix payment system nationwide, which is free for individuals, and the US launched an investigation into unfair trading
potential unfair advantaging of Brazilian payment services over US competitors was cited
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has accused US president Donald Trump of being "bothered by Pix" because it "will put an end to credit cards"
lol get rekt
Against what? Against consumers that don't need to pay fees? Against the Brazilian government who is behind the pix?
Poor US companies with billionaires yatches bills to be paid.
Hello, friends in civilized lands, especially those of you who work at financial institutions...
Some of us in the states are excited to watch you do some damage to the entrenched middlemen that have been skimming from all of us for so long. Please do consider letting us sign up for the new stuff. Our money is still worth something, for now!
I agree 100% but also this is like when you watch your brother punch your dad to make him stop hitting your mom, and you know you're going to get the shit kicked out of both of you later for it.
...unless one of your grabs the crowbar and goes for broke...
Hey blue states...
Seconded.
i would gladly make the switch if for no other reason than just playing a tiny part in screwing over Visa and MasterCard.
Why? Cause fuck em! That's why!
come on canada start taking notes
At least we have e transfers and debit unlike down south. I for one will be jumping on the first non us credit card however.
I'm all for Europe doing their own thing. I'm an American and even I hate seeing the US use it's position for bully politics. No citizen of any other country should ever thing that an American company or govt will treat them with dignity or respect. Look at how we treat each other.
Why do Visa and MasterCard exist? The middleman that jacks up the price while offering the end user nothing? Thanks capitalism.
There was a time back in the day it was useful.
Love to see it.
Anything that diminishes Visa and MC's power is probably a good thing.
I'm glad to see Visa suffer, but I'm pretty concerned that Wero requires a proprietary phone app. There is no way to shop using Wero without this proprietary software.
It doesn't require an app. When you pay, you select your bank and it will redirect you to a page that the bank provides. My bank provides a QR-code I can scan with their banking app, but it also offers a log in form to pay.
So I guess it is based on what your bank is willing to provide.
This is based on my experience with 'iDeal' the predecessor of wero.
Is Wero OpenSource ? Between me & you, I really hope GNU-Taler gets mass adoption they are on version 1.3 I think
For those who were a little concerned about the "breakup" phrasing in the title, I didn't see any indication in the article indicating those payment methods would stop being accepted. Just moving away from being reliant on them.
We've had this in Australia since the 90s at least. All debit cards are dual network: They support both Visa/Mastercard, as well as the local network (called EFTPOS). EFTPOS is noticeably cheaper to process - around 0.3% fee, compared to ~1% for Visa/Mastercard debit in Australia, ~1.5% for credit, and ~3% for Visa/Mastercard in the USA. The profits stay in Australia rather than going to a US company.
That's only for debit cards, though. EFTPOS doesn't support credit cards.
Same in Norway and I think same in many countries, biggest issue is across borders inside of Europe. Most payments online also.
if Turkey was able to do it with Troy, why not Europe with Wero? Hope it all goes well
Costco broke up with VISA so, it's possible. Re-establish the Templars again as the new money lenders from old.
Hope they don't just end up recreating their own version of it
They will.
Let me be delusional in peace
But... But... Blackjack and hookers...
I'm all for a European system like this, but the only downside I currently see is that using Wero wouldn't provide any protection in the same way that a credit card does, unless I missed that on the Wero website.
Give me the consumer protection of a credit card and I'll sign up to Wero or whoever!
Does Visa/Mastercard actually offer any protection themselves? When I've had to reverse debit card transactions due to fraud or otherwise, I always just called/reached out to my bank and they did it. I never communicated with Visa/MC. Since this system is pretty much SEPA in a trench coat, I'm pretty sure the same would work here.
Nice. We have JCB in Japan but I think it piggybacks off VISA/Mastercard for overseas transactions. It'd be cool if it partnered up with a European counterpart for purchases made in the EU.
Good. I don't want those two fucking corporate assholes telling anyone where they should spend their money on and banning or restricting accounts of any NSFW artist out there while their owners are all over the Epstein files.
Finally someone is doing something about this. I worked in finans and people wouldn't believe the amount of money that goes to America because we use EMV and whatever the payment transaction system was called.
Good. I hate Visa and MC
I think the Digital Euro is going to be a better idea long term - taking off the hidden tax of payment processor fees is going to make businesses and people richer.
