Bitcoin and Hive let you BYOB (Be Your Own Bank). We can extend the principle further to BYOP: Be Your Own President.
Cover image made using SVG, with light edits made using MS Paint.
TL;DR
- About Electoral Politics
- Current Currency
- Cryptocurrency
- The BITCOIN-HIVE 2056 Option
- The BYOP Option
- What Can We Do If We BYOP?
- Money
- Business
- Commerce
- Infrastructure
- Domestic Policy
- Foreign Policy
- P2P Relations
- Mutual Assistance
- Mutual Defense
- Freedom of Association
- Freedom of Speech
- Petition To Redress Grievances
- Due Process
- Justice
- Wellness
- Education
- Bottom Line
- Just My Two Sats
About Electoral Politics
Worldwide people are voting in elections for head of state or head of government. Many voters got the leaders they wanted. Almost as many are stuck with someone they didn't want. Notable situations just since 2020 include the United States, Nigeria, Brazil, Israel, France, and Canada.
Dissatisfaction with electoral politics worldwide is reaching ATHs every day.
It's one thing for losing voters to deal with their loss if the winner left office with a list of accomplishments even they could applaud.
But no-- the losing voters not only get reminded every day that they lost, but their competition had made things worse than they were before.
In any other kind of system where people express their preferences, they get what they want. Only in politics are half the people disappointed all the time, and only in politics are people forced to accept package deals which include things they never asked for or wanted.
No matter how localized electoral politics is, it ends up operating like a centralized institution: excessive regulations, top-down hierarchy, and slow to change. Even when "the people" want to replace a duly-elected leader ahead of time using legally established procedures such as a recall vote, it will take weeks to months from the collection of signatures to Election Day/Week/Month.
Current Currency
Currency is government-issued money. Fiat currency is currency the people are required to accept and recognize for all transactions even when superior money exists. Even if you and your neighbors prefer to transact in gold
or gems or geese, the grocer or bank teller only accepts fiat currency.
United States Dollar is the current king of currencies. When it's not used as money worldwide, it is used as a measuring stick by nearly all nations.
With sovereign debt achieving new ATHs with each passing second, fiat currencies as we know them will disappear one way or another. This includes USD, although given its status as the world's reserve currency it will be the final currency to fade away.
Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency exists as a viable alternative to fiat currency, even if its various ecosystems are in constant flux and the computer network infrastructure is relatively primitive. Unfortunately-- whether we want it or not-- Central Bank Digital Currencies will be imposed on us regardless of pretext.
Even if we want to be left to ourselves to buy and sell goods and services to each other using cryptocurrency, the people imposing the CBDCs aren't the kind of people who leave others alone. For certain, these people were not elected by us.
The BITCOIN-HIVE 2056 Option
We've tried rule by fiat, monarchs, emperors, judges, cartel, elections, revolutionaries, experts, and bureaucrats. At best, we got mixed results. At worst, they all failed us.
On Friday 2023-January-6 I proposed a radical team for top political office: BITCOIN-HIVE 2056. We've tried the usual, and it wasn't working for us. So why not go with the decentralized pair of Bitcoin and Hive as a winning team?
The only drawback to the BITCOIN-HIVE 2056 option is time: it will be a while before both can join forces to transform the world for the better. We will see CBDCs before then, and they will deny us the opportunity to go with BITCOIN-HIVE 2056.
What other option do we have?
The BYOP Option
One of the first things we learn in cryptocurrency is BYOB: Be Your Own Bank. This allows us both freedom and responsibility we haven't had before. We have the:
- freedom to make our cryptocurrency work for us in ways not possible in TradFi; and
- responsibility to protect our keys because if we lose them then we lose whatever cryptocurrency uses those keys.
Ultimately we're on our own, but we can form dApps, procedures, and institutions to help us manage our own banks.
We've been able to make this principle work for us in terms of cryptocurrency.
What if we applied with principle to politics?
BYOP-- Be Your Own President.
When each of us can "Be Your Own President," we can have the freedom to interact with anyone in any way at any time no matter our locations.
You don't want to be your own president? Then be your own monarch. Be your own emperor. Be your own ruler. The idea is BYOP, but the "P" can be whatever model of leader you want to be.
What Can We Do If We BYOP?
If we follow the BYOB principle established by Bitcoin and altcoins, we are not only B=Bank but also B=Business. We begin to operate with an Owner's Mentality. This puts all of us following BYOB on a level playing field.
We each win when we can help the other get what the other wants. Even if our interests normally don't align, we can help each other on a case by case basis.
So why can't we do that as "President" using BYOP?
There would be billions of us, and we would all be both "President" and Bank/Business. If there are things we can't do individually, we can join forces in order to accomplish something which benefits us as a group and as individuals.
Below is a very incomplete list of things we can each do based on the BYOP principle:
- Money
- Business
- Commerce
- Infrastructure
- Domestic Policy
- Foreign Policy
- P2P Relations
- Mutual Assistance
- Mutual Defense
- Freedom of Association
- Freedom of Speech
- Petition To Redress Grievances
- Due Process
- Justice
- Wellness
- Education
1 Money
We can accept whatever cryptocurrency we want, whether it's Bitcoin, Hive, Dogecoin, or even SafeMoon. For those of us with other preferences, we can accept precious metals, base metals, precious gems, other commodities, or even fiat currency. If neither side of a transaction has money desired by the other, an alternative form of money can be found.
2 Business
Once we have the money situation settled, we can offer our goods and services to each other and to everyone else for mutually acceptable prices. Whatever we offer, it's done on a value for value basis.
3 Commerce
This is business done at scale. We can do it as individuals, and we can do it as teams or groups.
4 Infrastructure
Whether our businesss are digital or physical, we will need infrastructure to support our businesses: computer networks, blockchain, metaverse, roads, rail, ships, planes, spacecraft, automobiles, mines, pipelines.
5 Domestic Policy
This would be what we do for ourselves. We are free to do as we wish provided that we don't violate others' rights to do as they wish. It's "live and let live" back by popular demand.
6 Foreign Policy
This is similar to Domestic Policy, only we formally establish relations with other "Presidents" for mutual benefit. It's similar to Commerce.
7 P2P Relations
P2P under BYOP works just as it does with decentralized cryptocurrency. We may prefer to use established channels for business or anything else, but we always have the option of dealing with each other directly.
8 Mutual Assistance
We all get hit with hard times and adversity sooner or later. Instead of relying on some political government for "assistance," we help each other in our time of need. Today it's me, but tomorrow it's you. Funds are set aside regularly for precisely this purpose.
9 Mutual Defense
This is similar to Mutual Assistance, only it's concerned with crime and security. Should the SkyNet, ID4, or The Matrix scenarios come to pass, we band together for self-preservation.
10 Freedom of Association
We are free to associate with whomever we want. We are also free to not associate. As "Presidents," we have the flexibility to change our associations at will. There should be no reason for any other "President" to feel disrespected or denigrated if we all have Freedom of Association. All associations are voluntary.
11 Freedom of Speech
Hive sets the standard when it comes to Freedom of Speech and censorship resistance. Hive isn't perfect, and in the future better options will arise to foster and protect Freedom of Speech.
12 Petition To Redress Grievances
If we use cryptocurrency which is staked, we have greater say in how things are done. Nevertheless, those with lesser stake can have perfectly valid reasons to complain about some situation or other. Arbitration is already done between organizations, nation-states, and between union and management/ownership. Arbitration can be adapted for BYOP.
13 Due Process
We all want to be treated the same way, and that means we maintain our rights even as we are accused of some violation. Innocent until proven guilty is the default for us, and there will be established ways to go through the process of determining innocence or guilt. If we're going to lose whatever rights we have, the least that can be done is to exercise due dilligence in determining that we merit the loss of our rights.
14 Justice
Short of loss of life, anyone harmed by another is to be made whole. In the case of loss of life, justice is to be determined by the parties directly harmed. The "President" paying restitution is considered to be under sanction while restitution is being made. To avoid vendettas, Justice must be swift and impartial; BYOP allows for that.
15 Wellness
We can follow whatever philosophy to maintain or to achieve Wellness or good health. All traditions of medicine are available to us, and we are free to use any which suit us. Freedom of Association is essential for Wellness to be possible.
16 Education
We've seen education mandated by centralized institutions and authorities, and we know how it turns out. Under BYOP, Education is to be handled at the lowest level possible using whatever models make sense. Also under BYOP, anyone can learn about anything without offending anyone else. When it's time to demonstrate mastery of a subject or skill, it can be handled in whatever way makes sense to a fellow "President."
Bottom Line
Various forms of political government have been tried, and all have failed. Some were more successful than others, but all ended in failure.
With decentralized cryptocurrency such as those offered by Bitcoin and Hive, we can realize one of the fundamental promisses of cryptocurrency: BYOB (Be Your Own Bank).
Rather than trying to centralize every aspect of our lives, what if we took BYOB to the next level and practiced BYOP (Be Your Own President)?
Following the BYOP principle, we are responsible for what happens and for what doesn't happen. We would also establish a level playing field for ourselves in how we relate to each other and our businesses under BYOB. If it works, watch BYOP moon. If it fails, then BYOP failure is contained to the lowest level possible.
Success or failure is in our hands, and with BYOP our preferences are satisfied.
Just My Two Sats
If people are willing to continue with the electoral politics model, BITCOIN-HIVE 2056 is as valid any human candidates for top elective office.
Since it will be a while before BITCOIN-HIVE 2056 can come about, there is another option pursue much sooner (perhaps as soon as right now): BYOP
Be Your Own President is an extension of the principle of BYOB (Be Your Own Bank). If we are our own banks, we are also our own businesses. This means that each of us is a business owner, and that means we relate to each other as business owners. BYOP is the next logical step, where we handle the functions of a political government at the most decentralized level possible.
BYOP doesn't need cryptocurrency to work, although BYOP combined with cryptocurrency would take things to a higher level.
There are many ways in which we can exercise BYOP, so the 16 ways noted above make a very incomplete list.