Posted On: Saturday - February 3rd 2024 10:16AM MST
In Topics: AntiChrist China Economics Orwellian Stupidity Bible/Religion
Long-term Peak Stupidity readers know that one hill I am continually fighting for personally is, to put it simply, cash. That is, I don't see any good coming out of the trend toward a cashless society. Our anecdotes and rants on the subject, often titled something about "cash is King", can be found usually with the Economics topic key.
Before our Peak Stupidity road trip this past summer to the Middle Kingdom, I mentioned that I did not really have to go on this trip. I've been there either 11 or 12 times (may have lost all evidence of one of them). However, after reading Kai Stittmatter's We Have Been Harmonized: Life in China's Surveillance State* in late '20, and having not been there 3 years already by then, I really wanted to go back just to see with my own eyes how far the Orwellian practices described in that book have actually gone. Otherwise I would have stayed home.
Well, that mission was not a complete success. Even with trusted Chinese help, I was not deep enough into Chinese society to check on all the matters that Mr. Strittmatter described. A bit confusingly, my Part 3* of the review describes what's not officially, but basically, Section 2 of the 3 sections of the book - the reader may want to read that Review - Part 3 to get the BeJesus scared out of him. That is, even if he is not Chinese, if he's worried that this stuff spreads thanks to wonderful Globalist overlords.
I will concentrate only on the money then. Per, in non-Chinglish this time, Revelations 13:
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:Well, we missed the 1-D bar code era, predicted by a guy whom I though was nuts 4 decades ago. We likely won't need QR codes (2-D bar codes, basically) on our person due to nice, can't really say "non-invasive" here, micro-, maybe even nano-, electronic chips of various sorts.
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
Functionally, any modern society can be there. "We HAVE the technology"?, as they say.** In China, 6 is nothing like 8, but it's a slightly lucky number is all. I don't know where verse 18 fits into the scene in China (maybe 666 is in every QR code), and if Chairman Xi is one of the AntiChrists, with a Mandate straight outta' Hell, (hash tag: 1984WithChineseCharacteristics), nobody's talking about it.
So, I just observed and took pictures for a week or so.
That scene was in a small store. Both parties were using their phones to do this transaction. I paid with cash however.
In this village, I took this scene especially to capture the look of the old China. This would have been nearly the same looking 15 years ago. That, however, is in contrast to the new areas, which comprise most of the place now. As for this subject, many people generally live as they always have, and I'm sure the lady paid cash for her veggies.
Cash aside for a second, the Orwellian ubiquitous camera placement - with AI behind it, per author Strittmatter - is even in this village. I don't know whether I can find the picture I took of a big pole with 10 or more obvious cameras. As small and hidden as they can be now, I wondered whether this pole full of them was a legacy from a few years back or more of a blatant warning...
Yes, I noted the face mask. I'd say that the
That was in one of the BIG railway stations, as we went through the line to pay for tickets.*** Indeed, you can still pay in a wad of Mao 100's**** - each is ~ 15 bucks. That doesn't mean most people do. #Convenience! I cannot say that facial recognition and eye scans were not part of the cash transactions though. That equipment is all over the place.
This thing looked like it MIGHT still take cash. As for a card reader, I didn't see much credit/debit card usage in China. (There must be some sort of "cash cards" though.) Much of the population has nearly missed that whole era of payment style, in the same way that most Chinese people missed the land-line phone era*****, their Chinese schoolteacher's lesson about land-line phones being invented by Chinaman Ai li xian de Gaim Baol having gone, whooooshhh, right over their heads.
Yet, one can use his phone to get a bottle of colored sugar water, as long as this thing is connected to the internet. That gets to the basic point here. The Chinese government, as about all of them, wants everyone connected. That allows control, as everywhere connections - phone or old-timey cable - are allowed, one must show his identity to be connected. You can still pay cash, but for places where it matters, ID is ascertained with cameras that are hooked into the big network to check if it's OK for you to buy or sell.
Without that, one can try to live off-the-grid in China too, but that's going to get harder and harder. The policy is to get everyone into the cities (this village realistically is one), living in those 30 story high-rises, and using apps for their very lives.
So, in conclusion, Orwellianism in China is not as bad as I'd envisioned from that book (well, either of them), but things are set up to where The Beast can clamp down at any time.
* Our long 4-part review of the book appears here: Part 1 - - Part 2 - - Part 3 and Part 4.
** Any 1970s TV fans want to chime in...?
*** There were multiple lines to get through though, security, getting tickets confirmed (or something), then actually using them, then there was a line to board... "It's all so tiresome", as the man said.
**** As far as I could see, Mao is still on all the bills. (I'v got an old one, a small denomination with some women on it, but I was told it was of numismatic value at this point.) Will Mao be the last guy on the currency?
***** It's not like they would have never seen one, but, until just about the time cell phones came into wide use, most Chinese people were too poor, so they'd seem them only in government offices.
Comments:
MBlanc46
Monday - February 5th 2024 2:38PM MST
PS I guess that your answer is correct. My guess that “getting used to it” is more than simply cultural. I’d think that they’re probably genetically disposed to living in crowded, hive-minded conditions.
Moderator
Sunday - February 4th 2024 8:40PM MST
PS: "Perhaps Orientals are more amenable to living like insects in a hive." I think one could say that on average they are, Mr. Blanc. Is it because they've been forced to by overpopulation for centuries (IMO) and gotten used to it?
MBlanc46
Sunday - February 4th 2024 1:05PM MST
PS Make that “Cash is Freedom!”
MBlanc46
Sunday - February 4th 2024 1:02PM MST
PS Perhaps Orientals are more amenable to living like insects in a hive. They can live however they want to live, as far as I’m concerned. Unless the entire thing collapses under a mountain of debt, it looks as if it’s the wave of the future. And not just in the Orient. At 77, I’ll be with my ancestors before they get total control. I feel sorry for you younger guys. Perhaps you can figure out how to stop them. Cash is King!
Moderator
Saturday - February 3rd 2024 6:28PM MST
PS: Yep, Adam, they try to tell you in commercials even that cards are quicker. That's not usually the case, especially with all the menu items that the cashier will often have to prompt customers through.
However, a check for a large roast beef, cherry turnover, waffle fries and a Jomoca shake (at least that's what I'd get)? OK.
Thanks you for your follow-up re: the 1/4-24 socket head cap screws. Yep, they came very quickly - 2 days or so - and I did need them. (I'd gotten what I could from 2 different Lowe's and Ace didn't have any, IIRC.)
I'll go check ammo prices tomorrow. I missed 2 gun shows in a row, so, I'm not with it.
However, a check for a large roast beef, cherry turnover, waffle fries and a Jomoca shake (at least that's what I'd get)? OK.
Thanks you for your follow-up re: the 1/4-24 socket head cap screws. Yep, they came very quickly - 2 days or so - and I did need them. (I'd gotten what I could from 2 different Lowe's and Ace didn't have any, IIRC.)
I'll go check ammo prices tomorrow. I missed 2 gun shows in a row, so, I'm not with it.
Adam Smith
Saturday - February 3rd 2024 3:36PM MST
PS: Greetings, Mr. Moderator!
Leveration?
Oh... Haha! Engrish...
https://engrish.com/
I was somewhere not too long ago (don't remember where) and someone I was talking to was surprised that I still use cash. Seems most everyone is wired up for using those silly plastic cards for everything. I recently saw a girl at the grocery store use a plastic card to pay for a pack of gum. Weird.
When I was a teenager I worked a cash register at Arby's for a couple years. We didn't even take those plastic cards. It was cash (U.S. or Canadian) or a check. That was it. I cannot imagine buying fast food with a plastic card.
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OT...
I finally got around to posting a follow up comment under post 2850. (I'd say I was being lazy, but that's really not the case. I worked an early day the other day and yesterday I prepped much of the garden for spring flowers.)
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I've also been meaning to ask you how that order from fastenere worked out. When I posted that link I wasn't really suggesting it as I have never done business with them. But they do look legit as per the interweb reviews. I'm just curious if they're any good in case they ever have something I need.
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And just in case anyone is looking to stock up on ammo, or looking for something that you might not be able to find locally, you might check out opticsplanet...
https://www.opticsplanet.com/
I've placed several orders with them and so far so good. They take a bout a week to deliver as the shipments are coming out of Salt Lake City. Some of their prices are better than I can get in town and I did get to stock up on some 410 handgun ammo before they ran out.
Anyway...
I hope you have a great weekend, Achmed!
Happy Saturday! ☮️
Leveration?
Oh... Haha! Engrish...
https://engrish.com/
I was somewhere not too long ago (don't remember where) and someone I was talking to was surprised that I still use cash. Seems most everyone is wired up for using those silly plastic cards for everything. I recently saw a girl at the grocery store use a plastic card to pay for a pack of gum. Weird.
When I was a teenager I worked a cash register at Arby's for a couple years. We didn't even take those plastic cards. It was cash (U.S. or Canadian) or a check. That was it. I cannot imagine buying fast food with a plastic card.
-------
OT...
I finally got around to posting a follow up comment under post 2850. (I'd say I was being lazy, but that's really not the case. I worked an early day the other day and yesterday I prepped much of the garden for spring flowers.)
-------
I've also been meaning to ask you how that order from fastenere worked out. When I posted that link I wasn't really suggesting it as I have never done business with them. But they do look legit as per the interweb reviews. I'm just curious if they're any good in case they ever have something I need.
-------
And just in case anyone is looking to stock up on ammo, or looking for something that you might not be able to find locally, you might check out opticsplanet...
https://www.opticsplanet.com/
I've placed several orders with them and so far so good. They take a bout a week to deliver as the shipments are coming out of Salt Lake City. Some of their prices are better than I can get in town and I did get to stock up on some 410 handgun ammo before they ran out.
Anyway...
I hope you have a great weekend, Achmed!
Happy Saturday! ☮️