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BTC071: How Fiat Blinds Bitcoin's Importance w/ Alex Gladstein (Bitcoin Podcast)

Mar 30, 2022

Guest

Alex Gladstein

In this engaging discussion, Alex Gladstein, Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation, explores Bitcoin's profound humanitarian implications. He reveals how financial privilege can obscure the true impact of Bitcoin, particularly in contexts like El Salvador. Gladstein also shares insights from his new book and reflects on the cypherpunk movement's significance in Bitcoin's origins. The conversation highlights Bitcoin’s potential as a tool for empowerment in oppressive regimes and its transformative role in the global financial landscape.

01:22:06

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ANECDOTE

Canada Trucker Convoy

The Canadian government froze protestors' bank accounts after a Bitcoin fundraiser.
This highlighted Bitcoin's potential as a protest tool, even with flawed execution.

insights

INSIGHT

Freezing Russian Reserves

The West freezing Russia's central bank reserves is a pivotal moment in monetary history.
It emphasizes the distinction between inside and outside money, prompting nations to diversify from USD.

insights

INSIGHT

El Salvador vs. Honduras

El Salvador's Bitcoin adoption is exceptional because they chose Bitcoin over a CBDC.
This highlights the difference between a monetary system of freedom versus one of control.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Bitcoin as a Catalyst for Change

01:59 • 14min

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Bitcoin: Lifeboat in a Failing System

16:17 • 8min

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The Dual Edge of CBDCs and Bitcoin

24:20 • 19min

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Bitcoin: A Beacon of Hope

43:03 • 6min

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Roots of Cypherpunk and Bitcoin

48:39 • 20min

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Bitcoin: A Beacon of Freedom

01:08:44 • 13min

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Exploring Bitcoin's Broader Impact on Global Freedom

01:21:18 • 5min

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Check Your Financial Privilege

A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom

Yeonmi Park

In this memoir, Yeonmi Park recounts her struggle to survive in North Korea under the oppressive rule of Kim Jong-il. She describes her escape to China at the age of 13, where she and her mother faced severe hardships, including human trafficking. The book details their perilous journey across the Gobi Desert to Mongolia and eventually to South Korea, highlighting the challenges of adjusting to a new life and overcoming years of indoctrination. Park's story is a testament to her resilience and her emergence as a leading human rights activist before her 21st birthday.

Red-Handed

How American Elites Get Rich Helping China Win

Peter Schweizer

In 'Red-Handed', Peter Schweizer presents his most alarming findings to date by revealing the hidden transactions and alliances between American elites and the Chinese government. The book exposes how presidential families, Silicon Valley leaders, Wall Street executives, Ivy League universities, and even professional athletes are involved in helping China build its military, technological, and economic might. Schweizer and his team spent over a year scouring global corporate records and legal filings to uncover these secret deals. The book also highlights that many of these elites quietly believe the Chinese dictatorial regime is superior to American democracy.

The Lords of Easy Money

How the Federal Reserve Broke the American Economy

Christopher Leonard

The Lords of Easy Money tells the story of how the Federal Reserve's policies over the past decade have accelerated income inequality and put the country's economic stability at risk. The book focuses on the story of Thomas Hoenig, a former Federal Reserve Bank president who dissented from the Fed's policy of keeping interest rates at zero and printing large amounts of money. It explores the historical context, including the actions of Fed Chairmen Paul Volcker, Alan Greenspan, Ben Bernanke, Janet Yellen, and Jerome Powell, and how these policies have distorted financial markets, created asset bubbles, and burdened middle-class Americans with debt.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

12:30 - Recently the Senate is directing the State Department to investigate the economic impact Bitcoin is having on El Salvador - what is going on here?
34:09 - What interview was the most memorable for Alex's new book?
35:10 - Alex's thoughts on how financial privilege blinds people to Bitcoin's true impact.
50:04 - Alex's comments on the cypherpunk movement and why it was so important to Bitcoin's foundation.
01:02:00 - Bitcoin's privacy problem.
01:11:40 - Why are so many people with power in the world reverting to tactics of control?

*Disclaimer: Slight timestamp discrepancies may occur due to podcast platform differences.

BOOKS AND RESOURCES

Join the exclusive TIP Mastermind Community to engage in meaningful stock investing discussions with Stig, Clay, and the other community members.
Alex Gladstein's new book: Check Your Financial Privilege.
Alex's Twitter.
Allen Farrington and Sacha Meyer's new book: Bitcoin is Venice.
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