I suddenly found myself crammed into the backseat of a van next to a bleeding stranger…
I decided to try a new Uber feature that lets you save a few dollars by sharing a ride with a stranger. As it turns out, that stranger needed a ride to the hospital.
When he got in the car, I noticed his arm was wrapped in white gauze. And just a few minutes into the ride, it started to turn red as the blood seeped through.
For the next 15 minutes, I tried to distance myself as much as I could, as I began to feel nauseous.
I realized I’d made a huge mistake. But I couldn’t afford to complain.
I was in a new city, and I didn’t have a car. I needed to keep my five-star rating with Uber so I could get around.
Like many Americans, I’m dependent on Uber when traveling. It’s the world’s largest ride-sharing company, making 7.6 billion trips this year alone.
These ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft make transportation cheaper, easier, and more convenient in just about every city.
But they also put you at the mercy of the system and those who are in control.
I know that at any moment, I can be shut out from this new system at the flip of a switch.
Unless you live in a major city, gone are the days when you can wave your hand and hail a cab. And the only question asked is: “Where am I taking you?”
No background check or personal information required.
If you don’t use Uber or Lyft, you might think this doesn’t apply to you. But if you ignore this message, you’d be making a huge mistake.
Tomorrow’s Financial System
Recently, Daily editor Teeka Tiwari did an investigative report uncovering how the government will roll its new digital dollar out. You can watch that here.
Now, I don’t want to dive into the specifics here since Teeka did that in his investigative report. But it’s important to know that this new digital dollar will be issued and controlled by the government in a database.
Here’s a quote from one of Teeka’s recent Daily essays:
What’s frightening about a centrally controlled digital dollar is that a government could shut off access to anyone for any reason at any time. And if a government bans cash, you’re literally locked out of your money.
They control your spending…
They could cancel orders on things they don’t want you to purchase, like red meat or ammunition.
Friends, a digital dollar will offer 100% visibility into every penny you spend.
Our government and dangerous unelected technocrats will turn into all-ruling overseers, scrutinizing and punishing us for every financial move we make.
It will be George Orwell’s Big Brother… but on steroids.
As Teeka explained, you’ll no longer have full control over the dollars in your bank account. And they can even be used against you.
For example, if you say the “wrong” thing on social media, you might not be able to send you kids to the top colleges.
Or if you voted for someone government officials don’t like, you might not be able to buy the house you want.
As you can see, a digital dollar can turn into a weapon. And if you’re doing something the government doesn’t like, it can use it against you.
I know this sounds crazy that the government would care about the little things you do on a day-to-day basis… But this has been going on in China for years.
In 2014, China announced a social credit system that monitors the behavior of its citizens and punishes those who don’t behave in “the right way.”
And with the rollout of China’s digital yuan, it can now completely ban citizens with low social credit scores from its financial system.
I get it if you think what’s happening in China can never happen in the West. And of course, Western nations like the United States aren’t draconian like China.
But that doesn’t mean they can’t infringe on your financial freedom.
Just look at what happened in Canada last year when truckers lined the streets of Ottawa to protest the COVID vaccine mandates.
When they didn’t go away, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time since its passing in 1988 to freeze bank accounts and cancel credit cards of protestors.
Now, those who had physical cash could still buy food, water, and gas for their vehicle. But if you relied on electronic payments, you were completely shut out from the system.
However, as Teeka explains in his investigative report, even physical cash is being phased out.
This Shift Will Happen Faster Than You Think
Look how quickly Uber and Lyft have disrupted the decades-old taxi system… (The Uber app launched in 2010, and Lyft launched in 2012.)
Today, they’re the largest ride-hailing companies in the United States. Over that time, we’ve handed complete control of our transportation over to two companies.
The apps know where you’ve been and where you’re going. They even know your home address.
People are willingly giving up their privacy and control for the sake of convenience.
But the worst part is you can be shut out of the system if you don’t conform with its rules.
In 2020, Uber banned over 1,250 riders for not adhering to its mask policy.
And last year, several users of the biggest ride-sharing app were suddenly banned without explanation. When attempting to use the network, here’s what they were told:
We’ve reviewed your account and found activity that doesn’t comply with our Terms and Conditions.
After careful consideration, we’ve determined that you’re no longer eligible to ride with Uber, and your account will be deactivated effective immediately.
Now if you don’t rely on ride-sharing apps like Uber to get around, you might not think this is a big deal.
But here’s what you need to understand… Once the government or a corporation has complete control over a system that you rely on, it gets you to conform to its standards.
And once the new digital dollar rolls out, it doesn’t matter if you have $100 or $100 million in your bank account… You’ll be impacted by this new money system.
The transformation we’re about to see with the financial system goes beyond being shut out of a ride-sharing service.
It’s not being able to get on an airplane to see your loved ones because you exceeded your carbon footprint for the year.
Or not being able to send your kids to the best colleges because the government doesn’t like what you said on social media.
Or not being able to buy a house because you voted for someone that government officials don’t like.
And when this transition to the new dollar happens, it’ll happen fast. That’s why you need to watch Teeka’s latest investigative report and prepare today if you don’t want to be at the mercy of the system.
One asset he recommends is bitcoin because its decentralized nature makes it the opposite of a centralized digital currency.
And if you self-custody your bitcoin, no one can confiscate it. You don’t need permission to transact with it. There’s no counter-party risk.
I’ll be honest… I was afraid to write this essay.
I fear that Uber could shut me out of the transportation system I rely on when traveling if I say the “wrong” thing.
But it’s a risk I’m willing to take to get this story to you. I can always find another way to get around.
However, once the government takes control of the dollars in your bank account, there isn’t “another way to get around.”
Regards,
Houston Molnar
Analyst, Palm Beach Daily