It is difficult to really understand how much things are changing from our day to day experiences. It is as though a huge stone is thrown into the middle of a tranquil lake; we see the big splash but rarely wait to watch all of the ripples as they reach the shore and subside after many minutes.
All within the past couple of years we have had two large stones thrown in the water: the Trump Presidency and COVID-19. Those first splashes and major waves have affected us all but as the Trump administration has ended and a more positive outlook on COVID thanks to vaccines we’re nearing the end of the wave and now for decades of ripples.
As for Trump, the ripples will remain when it comes to Trump supporting friends and family. Trump did many outrageous things but for me the ripple that will always remain is the environment he created for Asians here in America. His use of the word “kung flu” and blaming everything on China had the effect of increasing hatred for Asians in general.
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My family is part Asian so one would think the bonds of family and friendship would motivate the Trump supporters I know to publicly disagree and state that his actions and words are wrong. That never happened. Instead there is a mix of silence, increased support for Trump and one even telling me to “stop pretending” that I have concerns due to Trumps words and actions.
The ripples are that I am no longer friends with those individuals and would prefer to no longer see any of my old acquaintances who supported Trump. No matter how I try to understand and come to a more amiable solution one thought always ‘trumps’ all. If I had supported a leader and that leader said or did things that could threaten someone I know I would drop my support for that individual full stop. Perhaps I just value personal bonds over the ravings of a con man more that others?
Trump supporters do not do that. The best you can get is that they will say they do not like him personally but that he is “one of the best Presidents ever,” and so they must look past his personal faults.
Change comes both quickly and slowly. I would never have imagined that so many people could be so blinded. Now I truly understand how entire countries can go astray as it is happening in my lifetime.
Trump supporters are those who show their patriotism by adding even more flags to their houses, cars and podiums while simultaneously denying healthcare to their fellow citizens. Conservatives by nature do not want change. They would have been against women voting, against civil rights, for the Vietnam war and so on. It seems to me that they have been on the wrong side of every single major event which has shaped the course of America for the past 100 years.
And they’re on the wrong side now. It is the Trumpers who have caused COVID to spiral out of control. We churches not supposed to have been completely open and full last Easter? They refuse to wear masks. Texas is dropping all health protocols to distract from the greatest catastrophe to hit Texas in a generation by ignoring the other big disaster in COVID. Look Texas, SNOW! There can’t be climate change right!?? We could have been in a much better spot by now if it weren’t for Trump and his legion of idiots.
The ripple in my life caused by Trump will not subside for many years, maybe even decades. It is time to say goodbye to those I know who supported him as I will never be able to look past the damage caused.
Putting Trump and COVID aside there are other changes causing less of an immediate splash but will reverberate even longer than Trump and COVID. I’m speaking now about a technological shift which appears only in news snippets but will change the world. Remember how Apple and Microsoft were just small computer companies? I bet there are very few reading this who does not interact with one of their devices on not just a daily but an hourly basis! Amazon was a small bookseller but has completely changed the way we buy products. Facebook was some online directory for college kids and now you couldn’t stop people from oversharing their pictures everyday!
I lived through all of those examples and in every one I never realized what they would become. Well, this time I’m better at seeing the future and the future is in cryptocurrency and blockchain. We’re just in the beginning stages where it is mentioned here and there in business groups, there might be a few news articles expressing astonishment or some forward thinking companies such as Tesla and Square making big moves. Yet, the mainstream has no idea what it is aside from the only coin – Bitcoin – which they heard about on the news.
As with any new technology you have your supporters and detractors. On one side they state their coins and tech will increase in incredible exponential value very soon while the other side say those coins and tech will be worthless.
For me, I’ve been a computer nerd since my family received an Apple II c back in 1995. I have to say there were only a few times I’ve been as excited as I am now. For fun a list a few of those exciting times:
- Windows XP – What a beautiful operating system!
- My first website
- World of Warcraft
Cryptocurrency and blockchain is the future. Bitcoin is simply the first bright star appearing on a dark night. However, Bitcoin is not going to be the main show, that belongs to decentralized finance, smart contracts, non-fungible tokens and everything else that wrapped up will be known as “Internet 2.0” At this moment, all of these things are for internet nerds only, the mainstream only knows of something called Bitcoin and that it is worth a lot.
I dipped my toes into crypto late last year buying some on Robinhood and then trying out Coinbase. I didn’t know much but put a few thousand in and was amazed when that initial small investment quadrupled in size. OK crypto, you have my attention.
Since then I’ve been studying and the more I study the more fascinating it becomes. From that small Robinhood purchase I’ve now got my own crypto cold wallet, am mining Gridcoin on three devices, joined communities formed around the coins, have substantially increased my investment and even stake/delegate coins. Next up is to learn more about blockchain websites such as Steemit and blockchain games like Decentraland.
Like any new technology it has powerful detractors such as Janet Yellen Secretary of the Treasury or Dr. Doom a pessimistic economist. If there is one thing I’ve learned, especially with the Trump fiasco, is that just because someone is very smart in one thing it does not make them smart in *all things*. Bitcoin is a threat to Janet’s word and all she knows. For well known PhDs and Economists, well some of the greatest idiots I know hold PhDs.
An economist is an expert who will know tomorrow why the things he predicted yesterday didn’t happen today.
Laurence J. Peter
It is my view that this is the future and the very neat thing about crypto and blockchain is that authoritative powers cannot simply shut it down. The only way it can be shut down is if the entire world turns off the internet. For America, it really isn’t governed so much by elected officials as it is by business. Corporations call the shots and that is why the Supreme Court classified them as people. They are ‘people’ who tell the government what to do. And these ‘people’ are starting to invest in crypto and blockchain. Tesla, Square, JP Morgan, and so many others know it is the future. Politicians can be idiots yet still convince other idiots to vote for them. The health of a business resides in profit and profit rarely tolerates stupid people and their decisions for long.
As for that future that I not only believe I see, but almost feel as well, here are my thoughts.
Bitcoin will not come to rest so much as a payment system but rather a store of value. It is digital gold: one does not spend their gold but they hold it as it retains its value through the years, decades and even generations. Governments and even countries with their currency come and go but gold is always valuable. If you watched the video above remember, the US dollar is nothing more than a promise from the government that is backed by nothing. This government just had Trump for a leader and their capital overrun! Given the absurdity and awfulness of the Trump administration the country is in decline. Their response to COVID really wreaked the economy resulting in a lot of money being printed out of thin air. Therefore, due to the increased supply our money is worth a lot less even though the government will not admit it. When you see highly successful companies adopting Bitcoin you know something big is happening. These companies have legions of smart people working for them and are not reckless with their profit making. Being stupid and reckless is the domain of politics (see Texas for a very current example).
As I said above Bitcoin is just the first shining star. There are a ton of incredible projects out there that come with coins as well. The examples are endless but some easy examples are: smart contracts, digital value on both digital and real world items, all kinds of financial tools with an easy example being able to cut out the middlemen, send money overseas immediately with a fee amounting to pennies and so on. Almost any project could change the world and if there is any doubt just look at Dogecoin
The real trick is to bet on the right horse. Many projects will not survive but some will rocket to the moon like Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook. Getting in early is paramount to incredible wealth creation and it just so happens the possibility of getting rich is a wonderful motivator to continue learning about a subject which can get quite complex very quickly. I happen to like learning this stuff and it is drawing me back into my computer like Windows XP, Warcraft and Facebook did.
Continuing with change I’ve decided to stop using Facebook and Instagram. The toxicity and stupid opinions of Trump supporters were part of the reason but really just the straw that broke the camels back. In the beginning connecting with everyone was exciting but overtime those connections degraded substantially. Facebook does not foster deep, nurturing connection but instead mostly bragging, comparisons and a complete disregard for decorum and reservedness. Now those that never really followed politics watch propaganda and feel the need to post every factually untrue item they’ve been fed. Before social media everyone would keep certain opinions to themselves prioritizing harmony and just getting along. Now, they have to post their opinions daily and fight with anyone they’ve ever met who disagrees with them.
I used to love Facebook and now I hate it.
So, in ditching Facebook and other social media I’m finally accomplishing something that has been on my mind for a long time. That is focusing inward with the goal of living a more peaceful and serene life. In order to do that I have to step out of the arena where the volume of chatter has become overbearing. I have to say goodbye to the constant contact and everyone’s opinion taking up space in my head. I’ll be able to find peace.
I’ve written a novel and my laptop battery is almost dead so I must bring this to a close. But before I do I’d like to mention the social platforms I’m using.
I really like Reddit because unlike Facebook I can actually learn things. The focus for me of course is on technology, crypto and blockchain. On Reddit there are legions of people with endless communities where I can learn as much as I’d like to. On Facebook however it is just another selfie or some Trumper posting blatantly false nonsense. The gulf in intelligence between the two is astounding. I’m now on Reddit many times a day and always learn something new. These Redditors are my people and like the prodigal son I’m returning to my internet brethren.
The second platform is Discord. I see the kids using this and have set up my own server. Discord was created for gamers but it has become a lot more. In fact one could think of many communities as a live chat room for Reddit communities. So I’m not using it for gaming unless we’re all playing Minecraft together but rather to participate in communities around certain subjects like crypto. My online world has changed dramatically and since I use technology every hour of the day one could say my life has changed.
When I look back just four years ago I realize the magnitude of change which has occurred. I also feel I have a good grasp on what will come. America will continue to slide due to the forces which Fox and Trump have sparked into accelerated action. America will continue to fragment as society and the economy continue to experience shock especially with the widening chasm between rich and poor. Decentralization of the internet, currency and information will continue despite the best efforts of government to stop it. The government exercises control through control of money and the military. Crypto is taking one of those levers of power away and it remains to be seen exactly how the government will try and deal with it. In fact, I’m not sure they really can do much if the idiotic questions asked by representatives in Congress and the Senate are any measure. I think a good portion of them have a hard time updating their mobile phone let alone trying to understand blockchain.
The world will continue to change and I will roll with it. It is times like these that I realize how valuable my international education and experiences actually are. I can call myself a Global Citizen! I hope the best for all of humanity, not just “America First,” and I know that this belief is correct. I am grateful for an “international freedom” and am glad I’ve learned to be open to new ideas and can easily incorporate them. I will create my own world rather than having it created for me.
This is the way.
