back to article Florida man slams 'tyranny' of central bank digital currencies in re-election bid

A Florida man has chosen the next cultural wars flashpoint he will rally behind in an effort to mobilize the 2024 US presidential electorate: central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). "Such a currency would give a federal government, our federal government, the absolute control over your money," the former Wrestlemania star …

  1. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells
    Facepalm

    The WEF's priority is to crack down on free speech. The Chinese pioneered the social credit score for this purpose.

    Anybody celebrating the above would surely cheer on a centralised digital currency.

    If you don't eat your crickets, you won't get any pudding.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Surely the pudding is a lie?

      https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/shocking-survey-reveals-the-reason-elites-are-out-of-touch-and-it-isn-t-why-you-think/ar-BB1gYhkd

      "A stunning 77% of elites and 89% of super elites support the “strict rationing of meat, gas, and electricity.”

      "Oh, and 47% and 55% believe the government affords Americans “too much freedom.”"

      Two words, the second one is 'off'.

      1. Steve Button Silver badge

        Presumably if the question was asked differently, as in "Would you personally cut back on meat, gas and electricity" then it would be a different percentage?

        Rules for thee, but not for me.

      2. doublelayer Silver badge

        That survey has a weird definition of "elite", as well as a lot of other problems. For example, one of the strict criteria for both is that they must live in dense urban areas. If you're a rich person who has enough money to afford a large house, you'll be excluded from the elites set by definition. The entire thing is designed to give a predetermined answer. This can be demonstrated clearly with one of the summaries of the survey questions:

        About six of ten elites have a favorable opinion of the so-called talking professions—lawyers,

        lobbyists, politicians, and journalists.

        To anyone who thinks about it, it's probably pretty clear that people have a different opinion of journalists than lobbyists, and probably have a different level of regard for politicians they agree with and ones with whom they disagree. The survey, however, lumps these all together in order to misconstrue their answers. I am pretty sure the same problem will be found in many of the other questions as well. The sample size, by the way, is one thousand people chosen online between the two sets, which is ridiculously small for any survey. This survey is not a reliable source of any information about who thinks what.

        1. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells

          Journalists are worse than lobbyists. Lobbyists are at least honest in their intention - to do anything to improve conditions for their client.

          Journalists are the people we are meant to be able to trust to tell us what is happening in the world but we can't. Nobody expects to trust politicians. You should be able to trust a journalist.

          That is why journalists are universally hated. Politicians are more like a child that can't help themselves.

          1. Groo The Wanderer

            In Canada at least, I disagree with that whole heartedly. Despite the bleating from a minority about different news services here being "biased", I haven't found much "bias" in the not-quite-60 years I've been a Canadian (i.e. from birth.) People keep presuming that the rest of the world is as bad as the US and their cesspool "politics"; it's not. Some of us even have the occasional sane politician. They're never the ones that win the elections, but they do exist.

            We haven't really had too many cases of false reporting here like Faux and MSNBC south of the border have.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Fighting disinformation

              Thanks for that piece.

              This is how disinformation work:

              1/ Before settling in in your brain, disinformation needs to obliterate your rational judgement. It does that by appealing to your so-called "reptilian brain" (more primitive than our controlling "mammalian" cortex). So, you have to feel in existential danger.

              2/ It therefore needs to work on your paranoid instinct (paranoia is an overgrown case of your built-in danger detection mechanism, which is critical for survival).

              3/ To do so, it works on several axes:

              3a) you need to believe that the mainstream politicians are leading the world to it's doom. So that now you can place your faith for salvation into "non mainstream" politicians

              3b) you need to believe that the very reason why these "last-hope" politicians, defending "the oppressed", are not audible is not because they are nuts and offer fallacious "solutions", but because there is a conspiracy by "the mainstream media" to mute them.

              3c) you need to believe that "the elite" wants the demise of the "poor and honest" (like you) and that the "honest politicians" are fighting back but are unsuccessful because of "The System" fighting back, to protect itself. And that they need your help in their fight to "uphold justice".

              3d) you need to believe that they are doing this because the Earth is overpopulated and that they hatched a plot to get rid of the overweight.

              So ALL THESE PROFILES HERE IN EL REG who seize any opportunity to saw negativity are working along these lines, like Jellied Eel or elsergiovolador, and others. Consciously or not, intentionally or not.

              Of course this works very well when times are tough and competition is exacerbated. The proportion of left-behind his larger and this is a fertile ground for this disinformation.

              MAGA, AfD and others are just poor souls in tailspin victim of this phenomenon. But some people are spreading that stuff intentionally. Mainly from Moscow.

              1. Groo The Wanderer

                Re: Fighting disinformation

                Here's how you solve the problem: You go to a shrink and you that case of personal persecution paranoia cleared up...

                1. Groo The Wanderer

                  Re: Fighting disinformation

                  Everybody is thumb-downing the above post, but the simple fact of the matter is the only way to "cure" paranoid conspiracy theories and disinformation is to cure the paranoia itself.

            2. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells

              I'm talking specifically about the UK.

              All our news media ( TV, print, radio ) is left wing. Even the nominally right wing sources.

              The exceptions are the Spectator (weekly mag) and GB News (TV) and a couple of tabloids.

              GB News is a surprisingly popular right wing partisan channel that the regulator is trying to shut down for running a campaign to save cash payments, despite the BBC et al regularly campaigning

              on political issues with their intentionally slanted news coverage and regular misleading of viewers ( eg: "Despite brexit" economic news was a running joke of the BBC's coverage of not getting the economic collapse they were hoping for after leaving the EU ).

              The Spectator is in the process of possibly being sold to the UAE government, so that's presumably the end of that.

  2. A. Coatsworth Silver badge
    Big Brother

    Can't help but think that, if the WEF and the CCP agree on something, that something can't be healthy for the average joe

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      On the other hand, if there is something you would think is a bad idea, but the cameo from Home Alone2 (and very stable genius) also says it's a bad idea = a conundrum ?

      1. A. Coatsworth Silver badge

        The actor of Ghosts can't do it will bark whatever has the biggest chance of bringing people to his side at a given moment.

        What he himself thinks about it -if anything at all- is neither here nor there, so I am not bothered of having the same opinion as him on this.

      2. veti Silver badge

        The Very Stable Genius isn't always wrong. He's always evil, but that's a whole different axis.

        In this case he's grabbing headlines and votes by taking aim at a nefarious scheme that nobody is actually pushing anyway. Should be an easy victory for him. Votes for - essentially, promising to make sure the sun comes up tomorrow.

        1. Groo The Wanderer

          Bingo - I hadn't heard anything about this "scheme" until psycho-boy raised the issue.

  3. Lee D Silver badge

    Can't think why he wouldn't want to use a currency that accounted for everything he did openly and transparently and thereby prevented money laundering.

    1. codejunky Silver badge

      @Lee D

      "Can't think why he wouldn't want to use a currency that accounted for everything he did openly and transparently and thereby prevented money laundering."

      All that brings to mind is the Bidens

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: @Lee D

        It would automatically take 10% for the big guy :)

      2. MrDamage

        Re: @Lee D

        Yes, because the guy who is willing ot testify publicly has something to hide, yet the ones who demand closed door inquiries are the paragons of truth and openness.

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: @Lee D

        brexiteer doesn't understand facts. What a surprise.

      4. Casca Silver badge

        Re: @Lee D

        Good little maga drone

    2. elsergiovolador Silver badge

      openly and transparently and thereby prevented money laundering

      That would be for the pleb money. (certain) Corporations and governments would be exempt (national security, brown envelopes and whatnot).

      They wouldn't be building such system because they are good people and they want to help the country prosper. People on that level are evil in their nature and they are in those positions to enrich themselves and enslave as many people as they can because they are addicted to money and power.

      The whole WEF wank club is that.

      1. veti Silver badge

        Bullshit.

        The super-rich are not that different from the rest of us. Some of them are evil, sure, but not all by any means.

        And even those that are evil are also bright enough to know that they're not going to go on getting richer unless ordinary people have enough income to trickle some up to them. For instance, since I've been unemployed, my Starbucks (and equivalent) budget has dropped to zero - those people are no longer making anything out of me, not one cent per year. It's not in their own interests to promote that sort of thing, any more than it is in mine.

  4. Omnipresent Silver badge

    Well, there is some speculation in the medical community that he is losing his faculties, and will be diagnosed in the coming months. But, I personally believe it to be more obscurification. It's a classic russian technique used to blur, and disinform, and indoctrinate, while attempting to seize power in the chaos it creates.

    1. Steve Button Silver badge

      You've got the wrong Prez mate.

      And I'm sure Biden is going to pop up on TV any minute now... "Surprise! I was just pretending to have progressive dementia all along to double bluff them Russians"

      Trump is crass, vulgar and makes stuff up on the spot (and then claims he was only joking) but he's clearly got his marbles still.

      I'm glad I'm not American, it's a pretty poor choice to make in November either way.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        The fact it is looking like Le Grande Cheeto vs Corn Pop round two shows just how bloody awful US politics has become. The whole system needs to be shot into the sun.

        1. Steve Button Silver badge

          I've just remembered I'm British, and will probably have to make a similar choice this year.

          Now, do I go for the ideologically captured ones who don't know if a woman has a penis, or the ones who are constantly stabbing each other in the back? Or the even more ideologically captured? Or the other lot, who I can't remember what they do? Or perhaps the "right wing Nazis" who will control immigration?

          It's not much of a choice for us either. :-(

          1. Graham Dawson

            The real joke is that the omrlp think they have to run, when it's clear we're already governed by them.

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Do you chose the posh privately educated Oxford PPE graduate or the posh privately educated Oxford Law graduate ?

          3. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            > who don't know if a woman has a penis,

            Grow up.

            1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

              > who don't know if a woman has a penis,

              "Every Prime Minister needs a Willie" - I think a former Conservative PM had a collection of them

        2. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge
          Mushroom

          How about...

          Miss Piggy for POTUS with Kermit as VP

          As for Blighty, the Teletubbies would be a breath of fresh air to the current incumbants

          1. Arthur the cat Silver badge

            Re: How about...

            As for Blighty, the Teletubbies would be a breath of fresh air to the current incumbants

            "Eh oh" rather than "uh oh!". Personally I think the Flowerpot Men talked more sense than the current options.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Have you seen Trump speak lately? He's far more senile than Joe.

        Besides, he never had many marbles to lose.

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Trump is crass, vulgar and makes stuff up on the spot (and then claims he was only joking) but he's clearly got his marbles still.

        Wow, have you got that backward. The former guy has lost his last marble, with claiming he will prevent WWII and thinking he is running against Obama, and confusing his ex-ambassador Nikki Haley with Speaker emerita Nancy Pelosi. Biden has quietly gone along and erased billions in student debt, drastically lowered the price of insulin, and will you LOOK at the US economy?? Built Back Better with Biden has been boosting local infrastructure and economies across the USA. Yes, I was not thrilled with the choice last time, voted Biden as NOT BAT SPIT CRAZY, and he has impressed me. Perfect? Nope. But as he said, "don't compare me to the Almighty, compare me to the alternative."

        1. Spazturtle Silver badge

          "Biden has quietly gone along and erased billions in student debt"

          No he has added it to the pile of national debt that the working class have to pay for.

          1. veti Silver badge

            Tomato, tomato... Every government action does that. The border wall, for instance, did that on a small scale, and Operation Warp Speed did it on a larger scale.

            Of course, what did it on a truly biblical scale was Trump's "tax cuts for the rich" act.

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          "and will you LOOK at the US economy"

          Gas 50% more than when he took office, inflation still near double, banks going belly up, shops closing their doors all over the place. Just peachy!

          "drastically lowered the price of insulin"

          You do know it was Trump that did that first and then Presidente Drool Cup promptly EO'd it out of existence. Cos, you know, only dictators rule by EO according to Sleepy Joe.

          And now they are touting it as a Biden thing.

          Just like the vaccine. "I won't ever take the Trump vaccine" turned into "you should have your kids taken away and lose your job if you don't get jabbed".

          Same with Roe v Wade. "Trump overturned Roe v Wade" when in fact it happened in 2022 (18 months into Obama's 3rd term), they KNEW it was coming as someone (who still hasn't been identified) leaked it yet they did nothing and now are talking about making it law, again. Obama campaigned on making it actual law in 2008 saying he would do it was one of the first things after entering office and he did... NOTHING.

          This is the typical corrupt, uniparty politician. Knowingly let something bad happen (or even actively make it happen), blame the previous people and then run on the promise of fixing the mess they made as if it is some heroic act.

          "Built Back Better with Biden has been boosting local infrastructure and economies across the USA"

          East Palestine would like a word with you :) All build back better has done is lined the pockets of the ruling elite.

          1. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells

            Roe v Wade is a good reason to hate the press.

            The press lied to everybody and now people think that "they (?) banned abortion". That isn't what happened.

            They said that the US constitution doesn't explicitly have an opinion therefore it's up to the voters to decide this issue.

            What's the point in having press? At this point we would probably be more informed if we abolished it.

            1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

              What's the point in having press? At this point we would probably be more informed if we abolished it.

              I think that would be dangerous, but the MSM has a long way to go to restore trust. I think we need a plurality of news, along with independent journalism, but the problem is whether we can trust them, or not. Especially with all the pressure to create censorship machines in the guise of preventing unofficial misinformation. Biggest challenge I think though is we're a huge part of the problem, and critical thinking is becoming a thing of the past. People are only too willing to accept what they're told, even when it makes little sense.

            2. veti Silver badge

              "The press" never said any of that. Just... do try to keep in some kind of touch with reality.

              There's nothing wrong with reporting in most of the media. The problem is in the opinionating. Which is forced upon them because it's the only way to make money under US law (facts aren't covered by copyright, but opinion is). With the result that the media has purposely and systematically blurred the line between reporting and opinion, and by now half the population can't even see there's a difference.

              1. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells

                Often bias isn't overt. If there's a remotely complicated issue like this one, the press don't bother to explain the finer points.

                The reason they do that is because they want the public to misunderstand and be angry and therefore consume more news.

                Roe v Wade is a good example of that because the news allowed uninformed people to believe that it was the Republicans who banned abortion.

                Another example is the UK media allowing people to believe that the Conservative government and privatised water is behind the "increase" in sewerage overflows into the sea. The actual facts are that the Conservative government started mandating the recording of data that was not being recorded before they took power. The nationalised Scottish and effectively nationalised Welsh systems perform poorer on every single metric.

                The BBC and co keep that to themselves because informing the electorate would result in them knowing things that are politically inconvenient for the party that the media want to win the next election.

                The narrative is privatisation and Conservatives bad, Labour and nationalisations are good. If the facts disagree, those facts can be omitted.

                1. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells

                  ... if the public is struggling to draw the dots that the BBC wants the public to draw, you can rely on BBC panel "comedy" shows to push the left wing narrative.

            3. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells
              Facepalm

              Not that I care, but six thumbs down on this post.

              Not because I have expressed an opinion on either side of Roe or Wade, but because I pointed out that the press is lying to the public.

              Six people like being lied to.

              Bizarre.

              1. Anonymous Coward
                Anonymous Coward

                Its more a case of they only want to hear what they believe to be true. Reality is too hard to comprehend. Just look at the number of people claiming 'anxiety' as a major factor in their life.

      4. renniks

        "Trump is crass, vulgar and makes stuff up on the spot (and then claims he was only joking) but he's clearly got his marbles still."

        Eh...

        he thought he ran against Obama “with Obama, we won an election that everyone said couldn’t be won.”

        he thought Biden would lead USA into WW2 “we would be in World War II very quickly if we’re going to be relying on” Biden.

        he confused Niki Haley with Nancy Pelosi, with regard to security on Jan 6th “Nikki Haley, you know they, do you know they destroyed all of the information, all of the evidence, everything, deleted and destroyed all of it. All of it, because of lots of things like Nikki Haley is in charge of security. We offered her 10,000 people, soldiers, National Guard, whatever they want. They turned it down. They don’t want to talk about that. These are very dishonest people,”

        he thought E Jean Carrol was his dead ex-wife, when in court, he was shown a photo of him, his second wife, E Jean Carrol and her husband

        The guy is a moron

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    speculation in the medical community that he is losing his faculties,

    I'd take that with a mountain of salt.

    My MiLs behaviour was so hatstand that everyone was convinced it must be some form of demetia.

    That was 15 years ago, and she is still as batshit - but compos mentus - as ever,

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: speculation in the medical community that he is losing his faculties,

      I think the TDS sufferers get mixed up. The dementia patient is in the White House RIGHT NOW. (well, he is probably at home or on holiday or having some ice cream but you know what I mean)

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: speculation in the medical community that he is losing his faculties,

        According to some Republican candidate, the noncomp is on the campaign trail...

      2. cmdrklarg

        Re: speculation in the medical community that he is losing his faculties,

        TDS: the condition where people support the Florida Orange Man regardless of what he's done.

        The more you guys insist that Biden has "dementia" the more you underestimate the guy. Is he old? Absolutely. "Dementia"? Hardly.

        You may point to how he talks... conveniently forgetting that Biden has a speech impediment (stuttering) that he's had to deal with from when he was young. Compare that with the word salad that the Florida Orange Man puts out on a regular basis and it's no contest. If you look past the fact that Biden is an old man dealing with a stutter you can see that the wheels are still turning quite well.

        TDS indeed.

        (Oh, and I prefer my political leaders to NOT have 90+ felony indictments against him... but that's just me. Cheers!)

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: speculation in the medical community that he is losing his faculties,

          Biden can barely finish, uhh, you know, the thing and, uh, he used to drive a big rig and uh amtrack cos they had to wipe the oil off the car when everyone had cancer cos corn pop was a bad dude and his hairy legs turned blonde.

          Are you sure you're not looking at a picture of the Orange God Emperor while accidentally listening to Kamala?

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            The amount of Anonymous Trumpists in this forum...

            is depressing...

            The irony is: all these MAGA wrecks discuss, yes, you read that right, about other people's alleged dementia.

            Yet another proof that an IT occupation, or just maybe commenting on the Vulture, is no guarantee of intellectual fitness.

            For the record, money has been digital for ages. Or do you think bank vaults are full of little stacks of you money in bills and coins with a nice label with your name on it? Not even mentioning credit cards.

            All these Trumpards sink into paranoia because they understand they're losers in a world favouring people smarter and more courageous then they are. All they're doing in reality is croaking in unison like Aesop's frogs electing a heron as their king. Happy croaking losers. Even if you win, you lose. We're watching.

            1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

              Re: The amount of Anonymous Trumpists in this forum...

              All these Trumpards sink into paranoia because they understand they're losers in a world favouring people smarter and more courageous then they are.

              Bwahahahaha.. You must have missed all the attack ads telling the gullible that Trump and 'extreme MAGA Republicans' are the greatest threat to democracy ever, and should be locked up and not allowed to vote. Governments (ok, the WEF) seem hellbent on turning democracy into kakistocracy.

              Davos made this very clear. CDBCs to control people and 'nudge' them into doing the right thing by tracking their spending, and permitting or denying economic activitity based on 'rules based order'. Much sound and fury about 'misinformation', and only THEY should be allowed to misinform. The EU is busily ramming through the world's most oppressive censorship engine to promote groupthink and discourage wrongthink. If people attempt to defy this authority, CBDC will allow them to automate fines and your cash or carbon allowance will be disappeared.

              The Bbc of course loves these ideas-

              https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-68029232

              At least 50,000 people turned out in the centre of Hamburg on Friday to hear centre-left Mayor Peter Tschentscher deliver a message to the AfD: "We are united and determined not to let our country and democracy be destroyed for the second time since 1945."

              With more calls to ban opposition parties, because obviously this is the democratic thing to do. But the Bbc has been pointedly ignoring the much larger protests ongoing in Germany, because it's workers really aren't impressed by Shultz and his fellow travellers. AfD may be bonkers, but if enough people vote for them, they win. This is how democracy is meant to work. It's also interesting that the Bbc has just had its self-regulation removed and complaints can now be handled by Ofcom.

              1. Anonymous Coward
                Anonymous Coward

                Re: The amount of Anonymous Trumpists in this forum...

                "the greatest threat to democracy ever"

                Nononono! It is a threat to "Our Democracy"(tm). This is different from real democracy where you are allowed to vote for who you want. With "Our Democracy"(TM) the ruling elite get to control who wins.

                The funny thing with Germany is didn't the whole situation with the short Austrian chap start with him banning opposition political parties? Hmm, yes!

                https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_Against_the_Formation_of_Parties

                1. Anonymous Coward
                  Anonymous Coward

                  Re: The amount of Anonymous Trumpists in this forum...

                  You have to love it when people who stormed the Capitol under the influence of a sore loser, mansplain the principles of "democracy"... and then reverse the accusation. What a world of lunatic we're living in.

                  1. Anonymous Coward
                    Anonymous Coward

                    Re: The amount of Anonymous Trumpists in this forum...

                    Jan 6th was a constitutionally protected protest which was turned into a false flag by the uniparty.

                    1. Casca Silver badge

                      Re: The amount of Anonymous Trumpists in this forum...

                      LMAO, sure moron sure

                      1. Anonymous Coward
                        Anonymous Coward

                        Re: The amount of Anonymous Trumpists in this forum...

                        To quote you:

                        "Oh good. You went to attack right away as the moron you are. You spew your shit in this forum all the time. And attack everyone for being left. Maybe you should look in a mirror before you post your drivel."

                        Projection much?

                2. renniks

                  Re: The amount of Anonymous Trumpists in this forum...

                  Yeah, what is that whole 'Electoral College' thing about anyway?

              2. Anonymous Coward
                Anonymous Coward

                Re: The amount of Anonymous Trumpists in this forum...

                @Jellied Eel

                Nice piece of paranoid comment. QED. Thanks for confirming the paranoia theory so brilliantly. No prize money for hooking an eel with my OP. Oh, and Evil BBC is part of the conspiracy against "Free speech" again. How evil from them. lol.

                Speaking of democracy, any news from your friend and idol Vlad, the guardian of Демократия? Did AfD ask him for more funding to "defend" it?

                I hope there is still a bit of "support" for Mike Johnson - the guy who, precisely, does not have a bank account (and therefore can neither be tracked, nor, more to the point, caught "red-handed").

                1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

                  Re: The amount of Anonymous Trumpists in this forum...

                  Oh, and Evil BBC is part of the conspiracy against "Free speech" again. How evil from them. lol.

                  Yep, they are. But at least I don't have to support their fascism. Even when they send me a letter every month telling me they've opened yet another investigation, and I'll be fined £1,000 (plus costs) for accessing information without a permit. The Bbc is, of course the original Minitruth. And of course it's the organisation that supports and encourages massive criminal activity by refusing to call 'asylum seekers' illegal immigrants, who are de facto criminals. And it does much the same with it's criticisms of AfD. Mass deportations! Oh Noes! Yet Germany has a lot of illegal immigrants causing a lot of problems. Deportation is an obvious legal remedy.. even though the practicalities are a wicked problem.

                  But it also has some amusing consequences, eg by insisting that all migrants are asylum seekers, then those migrants entering the UK are obviously seeking asylum from the EU. Can't blame them for that really.

                  Speaking of democracy, any news from your friend and idol Vlad, the guardian of Демократия? Did AfD ask him for more funding to "defend" it?

                  'More funding'? I wasn't aware there was any funding. But there has been news from Davos. Zelensky's banned all his opposition parties and media, and is, of course demanding more funding from.. well, everyone. The EU of course has come up with a cunning plan. They haven't yet found a legal way to steal the money that's been stolen from Russia, so are proposing a.. novel form of securitisation. Theft Futures! So convert the $300bn+ in seized money into securities that can be redeemed if and when Ukraine wins. Nobody in their right mind would buy these, but the EU and it's loyal member's banks can. With our money. So it doesn't really matter if they're never repaid.

                  (I'm also somewhat suprised Ukraine hasn't got in on the game and issued it's own War Bonds. Primary schools could buy them, and then know that the artillery rounds Ukraine fired on it's own people in a Donetsk market were paid for by them!)

                  I hope there is still a bit of "support" for Mike Johnson - the guy who, precisely, does not have a bank account

                  Erm.. huh? As paranoid conspiracy theories go, I'm afraid you've lost me on that one. I'm assuming you mean Speaker Johnson? If so, I'd be very suprised if he doesn't have a bank account, or at least acccess to one. I mean just look at how many Biden has access to.

                  1. Anonymous Coward
                    Anonymous Coward

                    Re: The amount of Anonymous Trumpists in this forum...

                    "Reporters are combing through his past and finding weird stuff — his curious arrangement with his son to monitor each others’ digital devices for porn, for instance.

                    One less salacious but perhaps more consequential discovery involves his finances. In his most recent annual financial disclosures, released last year, Johnson (R-La.) reports no assets at all.

                    Zero.

                    There are no retirement accounts, no money-market funds, no stocks, no crypto, not even a basic checking or savings account. Even more peculiar, his disclosures have never listed any checking or savings accounts on any of the forms he has filed going back to 2016, the year he was elected to Congress.

                    Source: wapo: What’s up with Speaker Johnson not reporting a bank account?. You're not following the team, JE.

                    1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

                      Re: The amount of Anonymous Trumpists in this forum...

                      "Reporters are combing through his past and finding weird stuff — his curious arrangement with his son to monitor each others’ digital devices for porn, for instance.

                      Why would that be curious? Apparently Johnson's very religious and a Covenanter. People might find their views strange, but I'd say this was a sign of trust, ie both father and son having access to each other's devices. Which I guess could get interesting given some of the stuff on Johnson's devices is probably classified.

                      Source: wapo: What’s up with Speaker Johnson not reporting a bank account?. You're not following the team, JE.

                      I'm not a team player, nor do I find the need to be one. Nor do I find the need to automatically trust partisan sources like WaPo. Weren't they one of the ones that heavily promoted the Biden laptop, and '51 intelligence experts' meme? And got that very wrong. But I CBA to read the WaPo story. Did they find any joint bank accounts, or investment accounts? How many people have those I wonder?

                  2. Casca Silver badge

                    Re: The amount of Anonymous Trumpists in this forum...

                    You now Ukraine is in a war right? You moronic vatnik

              3. veti Silver badge

                Re: The amount of Anonymous Trumpists in this forum...

                You must have missed all the attack ads telling the gullible that Trump and 'extreme MAGA Republicans' are the greatest threat to democracy ever, and should be locked up and not allowed to vote
                Yep, I've missed those. Show me one? Surely YouTube has them by now.

                I mean, I believe you on the "greatest threat to [our - you seem to have elided the pronoun for some reason] democracy" bit, but I specifically want to see an ad saying that MAGA Republicans "should be locked up and not allowed to vote".

                Davos made this very clear.
                Some people make "Davos" sound like some sort of world conspiracy. It's just a meeting where a lot of powerful people get together and talk over lots of ideas. Some of them like some of those ideas, and go away and try to do something with them; others don't like the same ideas and may even work against them.. There's no centralised decision making going on there.
                The Bbc of course loves these ideas
                - he says, with a link to a reasonably balanced article about a proposal in Germany to ban a political party - something that all countries in the world have always done. (Try raising money for the Communist Party in America in the 1960s, or Islamic State today, see how far you get.) You can find such proposals in various countries at any given time. The BBC article you link to shows no signs of "loving" the idea.
                the Bbc has been pointedly ignoring the much larger protests ongoing in Germany
                So are you, apparently. Link to a report by some news source you do believe about these much larger protests, so we can see what you're talking about? (I mean, there must be such a source, or how would you even know about them?)

                1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

                  Re: The amount of Anonymous Trumpists in this forum...

                  Yep, I've missed those. Show me one? Surely YouTube has them by now.

                  Here's the far-right media talking about several Democrat ads, and how they're helping the Republicans-

                  https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/07/democrats-boosted-extremists-republican-primaries-was-that-wise

                  That was from 2022, so before the election season got into full swing. I could also link the 'Darth Brandon' speech, but I'm sure you've seen that. Here's a more recent story from another right-wing rag-

                  https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meetthepressblog/democrats-launch-jan-6-newspaper-ad-campaign-iowa-trump-visits-rcna132627

                  but I specifically want to see an ad saying that MAGA Republicans "should be locked up and not allowed to vote".

                  Why? The Dems have already locked up over 1,000 politicial prisoners. Didn't you know this already? And by framing 'extreme MAGA Republicans' that way, they're framing them as domestic extremists and terrorists who should be locked up. And AFAIK, prisoners can't vote anway.

                  There's no centralised decision making going on there.

                  Uhuh. So a bunch of influencers just happen to pop over to Davos on their private jets to chew the crickets and people like Ursula von de Liar don't wax lyrical about the EU's plans for mass censorship. Then people think CBDCs are also a conspiracy theory, when they're just a consipiracy. Here's a link-

                  https://www.ecb.europa.eu/home/search/html/central_bank_digital_currencies_cbdc.en.html

                  That includes gems like this-

                  https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2023/html/ecb.pr231018~111a014ae7.en.html

                  Governing Council to start digital euro preparation phase following conclusion of two-year investigation phase on design and distribution of a digital euro.

                  Preparation phase will lay foundations for a potential digital euro, with work to include finalising rulebook and selecting providers to develop platform and infrastructure

                  (Try raising money for the Communist Party in America in the 1960s, or Islamic State today, see how far you get.)

                  You can do it today though. During the 'fiery but peaceful protests' that demanded the removal of Trump, and attacked federal buildings and police officers, there were plenty of communist party flags and slogans alongside the Antifa brownshirts. Islamic State also seems to end up with plenty of US supplied weapons when they're fighting against the Syrian government. Azov were a proscribed organisation, but also seem to have plenty of US donated stuff.

                  So are you, apparently. Link to a report by some news source you do believe about these much larger protests, so we can see what you're talking about? (I mean, there must be such a source, or how would you even know about them?

                  No problem-

                  https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/01/15/germany-farmers-protests-berlin/

                  BERLIN — Thousands of demonstrators descended on the German capital Monday as a week-long protest over subsidy cuts in the agriculture sector reached a climax at the city’s famed Brandenburg Gate. Behind the crowd, tractors, which last week blocked highways across the country, lined the avenue cutting through Berlin’s Tiergarten park.

                  The Bbc has actually sorta reported on these, although with their usual spin-

                  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-67976889

                  Far-right groups have discussed toppling the German government as they seek to harness the anger of ongoing farmer protests over subsidy cuts.

                  A protest took place in Berlin on Monday amid fears extremists are infiltrating the agricultural movement.

                  Our team Germany has been working with BBC Verify to build up a picture both online and on the ground.

                  If AfD win an election, that isn't "toppling the German government", it's just democracy. To do this, they just need more votes than the Christian Dumbshits Union to break up the 'traffic light government'. Polling data suggests AfD might be on track to do this, so now the long knives are out again. Especially as the AfD have also announced they'll seek EU reforms, and if neccessary, hold a referendum for Germany to leave the EU. Which would be both entertaining, and of course democratic, but the Bbc is very much anti-democracy as people can see by all the anti-Brexit garbage they run. I suspect it's unlikely that Germans would vote to leave, but who knows. You can be sure the EU will now step up the pressure to make sure Germans can't vote for that party though.

                  1. veti Silver badge

                    Re: The amount of Anonymous Trumpists in this forum...

                    Here's the far-right media talking about several Democrat ads, and how they're helping the Republicans-

                    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/07/democrats-boosted-extremists-republican-primaries-was-that-wise

                    Yeah, that's the monolithic left-wing MSM pointing out the moral bankruptcy of the Democratic leadership. Doesn't actually touch on the argument you were making before or answer my request, but well done anyway.

                    https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meetthepressblog/democrats-launch-jan-6-newspaper-ad-campaign-iowa-trump-visits-rcna132627
                    Another perfectly reasonable story, not related in any way to what you were arguing before.
                    Why? The Dems have already locked up over 1,000 politicial prisoners. Didn't you know this already?
                    Well, "why?" is because that's what you said was happening, and I'm asking you to provide some kind of evidence.

                    And "the Dems", which is an odd way of framing the US Justice Department by the way, have locked people up for committing crimes. Actual, violent crimes. Are you saying they shouldn't do that? Show me the reports of people being locked up for holding any political opinion that doesn't involve violent action. (Hint: the answer to this is a few lines down this very post, but it doesn't support your claim that the Democrats are abusing the power of the federal gov't against Republicans.)

                    Then people think CBDCs are also a conspiracy theory, when they're just a consipiracy.
                    Err, no. CBDCs are real enough. You linked to the European Central Bank making plans to introduce one. In doing so - as your link illustrates - it is very publicly going through the full democratic decision making processes, such as they are, of the EU, answering entirely to the EU's political leadership. Where's the "conspiracy" there?

                    In the USA, meanwhile, nobody has even talked about introducing one. There's just no drive for it. That's what I mean by "no centralised decision making". Just a lot of people doing their own thing. Is that bad?

                    You can do it today though.
                    I'll just leave these here then:

                    https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/judge-sentences-florida-man-18-years-prison-attempting-provide-material-support-isis

                    https://apnews.com/article/islamic-state-terrorism-minnesota-0e4a09840bed202cac17e18e3dfd87d5

                    The Bbc has actually sorta reported on these, although with their usual spin-
                    Uh huh. And here's another example of the BBC "pointedly ignoring" these protests: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-67911739

                    Just because you're not paying attention, that doesn't prove the BBC aren't doing their job.

                    If AfD win an election, that isn't "toppling the German government", it's just democracy.
                    That depends what you mean by "win an election". Of course, you could argue that any time an opposition party wins an election the existing government is "toppled". But that's not what anyone means here. Germany has a cultural memory of the Nazis, who proved that you can "win" an election by processes and means that have nothing to do with democracy, and if you think there's nobody in the AfD and its allies today who sees that as a template worth trying, I have an Internet to sell you. I'm not saying it's likely, I'm not even saying that the leadership is planning any such thing, but I'll bet someone is thinking on those lines, and it's not unreasonable to keep a close eye on those people.

                    1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

                      Re: The amount of Anonymous Trumpists in this forum...

                      In the USA, meanwhile, nobody has even talked about introducing one. There's just no drive for it. That's what I mean by "no centralised decision making". Just a lot of people doing their own thing. Is that bad?

                      The problem with absolutes like "Nobody" is they're very easily disproven. Here's a bunch of nobodies talking about CBDCs-

                      https://www.federalreserve.gov/central-bank-digital-currency.htm

                      Like existing forms of money, a CBDC would enable the general public to make digital payments. As a liability of the Federal Reserve, however, a CBDC would be the safest digital asset available to the general public, with no associated credit or liquidity risk.

                      The Federal Reserve Board has issued a discussion paper that examines the pros and cons of a potential U.S. CBDC. As part of this process, we sought public feedback on a range of topics related to CBDC. The Federal Reserve is committed to hearing a wide range of voices on these topics.

                      And "the Dems", which is an odd way of framing the US Justice Department by the way, have locked people up for committing crimes. Actual, violent crimes. Are you saying they shouldn't do that? Show me the reports of people being locked up for holding any political opinion that doesn't involve violent action

                      Poster boy of the Jan 6th 'insurrection' was the good'ol Buffalo Soldier-

                      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Chansley

                      After being photographed taking part in the January 6 storming of the Capitol, Chansley was arrested on January 9 on federal charges of "knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, and with violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds". He pleaded guilty to a single charge in September, and was sentenced to 41 months (3.4 yr) in prison in November 2021

                      41 months in jail for what was basically trespass, political protest and sitting in Pelosi's chair seems a bit harsh. Especially compared to the sentences Democrat DAs handed out during the rather more violent 'fiery but mostly peaceful protests' against Trump. Most of the other political prisoners were similarly jailed after being photographed for just being there. The media, of course leaned hard into the 'violent entry and disorderly conduct' aspects, until video showed Chansley ambling around with a police escort. Oops. And of course subsequently, the Jan 6th witch hunt somehow managed to destroy most of the evidence they collected. Accidents happened. They must have used Clinton's IT firm.

                      Germany has a cultural memory of the Nazis, who proved that you can "win" an election by processes and means that have nothing to do with democracy, and if you think there's nobody in the AfD and its allies today who sees that as a template worth trying, I have an Internet to sell you.

                      My point entirely. The Nazis 'won' their elections by locking up their political opponents and banning opposition parties. The CDU and it's fellow socialists are talking about doing the same thing. The Nazis were National Socialists, so perhaps it's not suprising they share much of the same ideology. Hell, Hitler pioneered and inspired much of the Green movement. But democracy is all about the will of the people. If more people vote for AfD than CDU, AfD wins. Banning your main political rival isn't democracy, it's dictatorship, and Germany's been there before. AfD's been gaining support because it's populist and playing on the nationalist card. Globalists of course hate the idea of nations acting in their own interests, rather than the interests of the EU. The US has been doing much the same thing with demonising the idea of 'Making America Great Again'. What a horrible notion.

                      I'm not a fan of nationalism at all, because it can be a very dangerous ideology. But democracy usually means we elect leaders to represent our national interests. If they don't do this and instead act directly agains those interests, it's hardly suprising that people will want to remove them.

                      1. codejunky Silver badge

                        Re: The amount of Anonymous Trumpists in this forum...

                        @Jellied Eel

                        One thing often forgot about the J6 bull is the magic bombs that were promptly forgotten when they found they could stitch people up for walking around the grounds.

                        1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

                          Re: The amount of Anonymous Trumpists in this forum...

                          One thing often forgot about the J6 bull is the magic bombs that were promptly forgotten when they found they could stitch people up for walking around the grounds.

                          Yep, that's been getting stranger. So new evidence showing police not taking things very seriously, and the devices apparently only having a 1hr kitchen timer, despite having been planted hours before. That could be because the bomber intended them to go off not long after planting them and they failed to detonate. Either way, one of the only real acts of terrorism that happened, but went very quiet.

                          1. Anonymous Coward
                            Anonymous Coward

                            Re: The amount of Anonymous Trumpists in this forum...

                            I did see an interesting story about how the secret service sat in their van some 20ft away from the 'bomb' at the DNC and finished eating before they actually did anything. If this was an actual threat they would not have sat there after being told about it.

                            Fishy doesn't even come close to describing what has been going on and now we have this 'fake' Biden robocall where he tells Dem voters not to vote in the GOP NH primary.

                          2. Casca Silver badge

                            Re: The amount of Anonymous Trumpists in this forum...

                            You and Codejunky really should stop using Fox news as a real news outlet...

                        2. Anonymous Coward
                          Anonymous Coward

                          Re: The amount of Anonymous Trumpists in this forum...

                          "J6 bull"

                          MAGA/QAnon-supporter writes off attempt to overturn an election as bull? Why do they do that? It's all been recorded and documented. Along with the fake claims of widespread centralized election tampering?

                          No crime is too great for the MAGANons to try and brush off.

              4. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

                Re: The amount of Anonymous Trumpists in this forum...

                "The Bbc of course loves these ideas-

                https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-68029232"

                I'd already read that, but in preparation for this reply, I just read it again. All that did was confirm what I originally read. A report on the facts of what is going on Germany, what people said and did, and multiple references in the story of how banning a political party wouold be a bad thing for democracy, both from the people involved and outside experts.

                It really, really does not support you argument in any way.

                I see from a later post of yours that what your real beef with the BBC is.

      3. Casca Silver badge

        Re: speculation in the medical community that he is losing his faculties,

        Good little maga

  6. codejunky Silver badge

    Hmm

    "The comments undoubtedly have pleased the likes of many conspiracy theorists, libertarians and crypto enthusiasts."

    Or any sane and rational human with any experience of government? You dont have to be any of the above groups to know giving the gov that level of control over your wealth is insanity.

    1. Steve Button Silver badge

      Re: Hmm

      It looks like The Register is suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome.

      Or perhaps they could put something in the article to spell out WHY I would ever want CBDCs. Particularly after what happened to truckers in Canada. If it can happen over there, it could happen here in the UK or over there in the USA. They could declare some kind of emergency, and then limit your transactions, or freeze your account completely. Just for protesting about the wrong thing, and being a nuisance. A bit like they can now, but even worse.

      Seriously, no thanks.

      1. elsergiovolador Silver badge

        Re: Hmm

        Or imagine they gave the contract to Fushitesu.

        You would never know how much money you have or how much debt.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Hmm

        I would never want CBDCs either, for the same reasons you cite.

        However, maybe in your alternate universe, the article you just read is completely different from the one I read. Either that or you are the one who is deranged with Trump, getting your snowflake knickers in a knot just because someone say something against your god and saviour.

        Try reading the article without your face up donny's ass.

        1. ChoHag Silver badge

          Re: Hmm

          To be fair, it's kind of impressive. Or at least revealing. After three short paragraphs the expected (this is a newspaper for god's sake) politico-bashing ends and we read "He's not entirely wrong" so the reader's (can I use that word?) attention didn't even last that far.

          1. codejunky Silver badge

            Re: Hmm

            @ChoHag

            "After three short paragraphs the expected (this is a newspaper for god's sake) politico-bashing ends"

            You even point out it takes 3 paragraphs of bashing before pointing out he is actually right... so how is Steve Button wrong to point out the anti-Trump twitch in the article? It doesnt look like a problem with Steve Button's attention span but it is revealing how you dont pick up on your own observation.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: Hmm

              There's an Anti-Trump Twitch? What's the Twitch-URL?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Hmm

      .It has certainly had an enthusiastic response from those groups. That is a fact.

      Only a paranoid agenda-fuelled simpleton would take that comment as implying that there is actually no legitimate worry.

      Hell, even the article said that the guy had a valid point, but typically, you ignore the facts, and only pick out the small bits to try and win your argument. You are the same with brexit, and Trump.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Conspiracy Cognitive Dissonance

    On one hand the nutjobs chant the mantra, "Cash Is King!" and urge their acolytes to avoid the cashless society. And on the other hand they push crypto based scams such as the one linked to spooge from unvaccinated adherents.

  8. Natalie Gritpants Jr

    "giving the feds the ability to confiscate your wealth and violate your privacy on demand"

    quite - that's the job of the crypto bros

  9. elsergiovolador Silver badge

    Conspiracy

    Why would you call something governments are actually working on a conspiracy?

    Central Bank Digital Currencies Explained

    As Post Office scandal shown large scale cover ups are possible and normalised.

    1. Steve Button Silver badge

      Re: Conspiracy

      Because it literally is a conspiracy. They are planning this and they are quite open about it. "Governments and central banks are working together".

      They talk about "Energy efficiency" as if that's a great benefit!? Who knew that traditional banking uses so much energy? Surely "Crypto" uses loads more, which is what CBDCs will be based on. So, solving a problem that we don't currently have.

      In that video Rishi does look like a hostage reading a pre-prepared script.

      I think the whole reason for pushing CBDCs is to provide an alternative to cryptocurrencies, because crypto can be fairly untraceable and probably a good way to launder money. Which is a difficult one, as you should not be hiding your money from the government to avoid tax or to do illegal things, but you *might* want to keep your money away from the government so they can't freeze your bank account.

      Trudeau really dropped a bollock, because a lot of people like me no longer trust Western governments will mostly "do the right thing". I could easily imagine Starmer declaring an emergency, because some climate sceptics* who think Net Zero has got out of hand need to be stopped.

      *Not deniers, just sceptics.

      1. elsergiovolador Silver badge

        Re: Conspiracy

        I think you need to Bing the meaning of the word "conspiracy".

        I think the whole reason for pushing CBDCs is to provide an alternative to cryptocurrencies, because crypto can be fairly untraceable and probably a good way to launder money.

        Government doesn't want to remove the ability to launder money or send "donations".

        I could easily imagine Starmer declaring an emergency, because some climate sceptics* who think Net Zero has got out of hand need to be stopped.

        *Not deniers, just sceptics.

        Thirst for power does not have political leaning. Leaning is just a way to get platform. If certain views are more popular than the others, then you'll have evil doer jump on it, tell people what they want to hear and behind the closed door do their own thing to feed the urges to control people, to enrich oneself.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Conspiracy

        "because crypto can be fairly untraceable"

        Pretty much all crypto is traceable because the ledgers are decentralised, everyone and anyone can read a crypto ledger if they wish...I think you're confusing psuedo-anonymity with traceability.

        Cash:

        Untraceable. You can know who has it, but it's difficult to know where it has gone to or come from.

        Crypto:

        Traceable. You know exactly where it came from and where it has gone to. You just don't know who has it.

        The latter is far scarier to "old money" than the former...because business is war and in war you have to "know thy enemy".

  10. aerogems Silver badge
    Facepalm

    I know expecting logic and reason from these sorts is asking a lot, but... do they not realize who prints/mints all the paper/metal currency they are currently using? Do they not realize that it's not all that difficult for the government to confiscate physical currency? Or if they have money in a bank, the future they're so worried about is already here. The government can tell the bank to freeze your assets. It's been that way for decades. The big banking crisis of the closing years of the 2000s showed that banks have been gambling with the money in your checking and savings accounts. All because of legislative policies championed by these self-same idiots.

    1. Steve Button Silver badge

      "Do they not realize that it's not all that difficult for the government to confiscate physical currency?"

      It actually IS quite difficult. You'd need to get a police warrant, find the person and then physically take the cash money away from them. And they could have money stashed all over the place.

      With programmable currency, you could tell the central bank that this list of people have been on an "illegal protest" (or have just donated money to help the protest) and then shut them down from buying fuel or travelling on public transport. That would stem the protests. Do this enough times, and people will loose faith in the banking system, and the whole thing would come crashing down. It almost happened in 2008, but that was cockup not conspiracy.

      This sort of thing gives FAR too much power to a government. Now imaging the very worst politician you can think of, and imagine what they would potentially do with that kind of power if they got into government. I imagine someone like Nicola Sturgeon would happily have used this to shut down anti-lockdown protests, and she's not even close to the worst politician I can imagine.

      1. doublelayer Silver badge

        That's true of physical cash, but not so much of existing banks. If the government wants to freeze your account, the banks can do it for them. There are some legal impediments to doing it, as I'm sure there would be for a CBDC-based system, but I wouldn't expect them to be that much different between the two systems. A CBDC system that retained physical cash would probably be no easier to dismantle than the current one with private banks.

        1. Steve Button Silver badge

          Straw man fallacy.

          I was talking about physical cash.

          1. doublelayer Silver badge

            The conversation included discussions of physical cash and of banking systems. I agreed with you that physical cash is relatively difficult to confiscate and stated that money in banks is no harder to confiscate than a CBDC would be. I think my use of the terms made it clear which one each statement was about.

            For the average person, the distinction is important. Most of my money is in a bank. Most of my payments either access the bank directly or through a credit account. Thus, my money is available to be confiscated by the government. I don't store much money in cash form, nor can my important bills be paid, either easily or at all, in that form. Most of my bills don't have a facility to take payment in the form of cash, nor does my employer offer me the ability to be paid in it. Thus, should my government decide to attack my assets, I would be vulnerable to that attempt, CBDC or not. Of course, I could withdraw my money for physical cash to get around some of that, but it would not work forever due to the previously mentioned reasons.

            You also appear to be misinterpreting what a straw man is. I did not argue that physical cash is vulnerable because banks are, in fact I specifically stated otherwise. The discussion as a whole, however, is about CBDCs which replace banking systems and possibly, but not certainly, physical cash. Thus, discussing the privacy differences between private banks and a CBDC is relevant.

      2. aerogems Silver badge

        You're assuming a country where things like due process exist. What about all the countries where things are either run by some local warlord, or countries like China where those notions don't exist? In large swathes of the world, a corrupt police officer could just waltz into your house, steal whatever they want, and then you either let them take it or they could arrest you on some bullshit charges. You should also check into civil forfeiture laws. Not sure if they exist in Blighty, though I assume they do, but they get incredibly misused by police departments on this side of the Atlantic. John Oliver did a good piece on this a few years ago. It's very easy for police to claim your house, or car, or something else, was being used as part of some crime and then almost impossible for you to do anything about it.

        Besides, it's not like crypto is really all that safe. The US government had no particular difficulties seizing all the bitcoin from the Silk Road site when they took it down. They then sold it off as I recall. There is no monetary system that is completely safe from any sort of government intervention. Even if you had a system where it was based on your personal reputation, and people would do you a favor in exchange for favors you may have done for them in the past, what's stopping a corrupt politician from claiming you're a liar, thief, and worse in an effort to ruin your reputation? We've already seen a certain Florida man politician do this during an epic hissy fit when they lost an election.

        John Oliver Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kEpZWGgJks

        1. doublelayer Silver badge

          In their defense, there are significant differences between the options which make one harder to take than the other. If you are concerned that someone will use legal authority to take your money, some systems would be preferable to others. I am not concerned about my government doing that, so it's more academic to me, but the differences aren't minimal. My reasons for opposing CBDCs are more related to privacy and security than to fears of confiscation.

          For example, if we assume the willingness to use violence to get your money, then any system can allow it to happen, but systems that require individual attention on you would add some difficulty, and systems that make it feasible to hide some value make it more likely that you can avoid giving all of your money to the attacker. Cash and non-centralized cryptocurrency have those abilities. A CBDC probably doesn't, depending how it's implemented. Modern banking systems do not have it very much.

          1. aerogems Silver badge

            What I don't really get is the whole privacy aspect of crypto. As I understand it, every single transaction is recorded in the public ledger, and that ledger is supposed to be immutable once an entry is made. Which seems about as private as apps like Venmo to me, where they seem to think that people want to share their purchase history with the world. Because the world needs to know how often you go to Starbucks!

            The other issue with crypto is that, unless someone else takes crypto, you can't really use it for much. If you need to pay your rent/mortgage, you need to convert it back into dollars/pounds/euros/whatever, so you've just added an extra layer of unnecessary complexity to the whole process. That's even before we get into how every single major crypto exchange site has gone under either due to fraud, mismanagement, theft, or some combination thereof. Seems like every time some new site pops up to take the place of the last one, it buckles under the weight. Best case scenario, they don't have enough assets on hand to be able to cover everything. I say best case because it means that they weren't trying to do anything nefarious, they're just incompetent. Government regulated banks are required to hold certain amounts of reserve funds at all times, and in the US all accounts are automatically insured up to like $250K by the government, so if I have $1m in my account and the bank goes bust, I'm out $750K vs $1m if it were all in crypto and the exchange goes under. At the end of the day 25% is better than nothing.

            Then we have the fact that crypto exists basically as a file on your computer. Delete that file, or put it on a flash drive and lose it... there's basically no getting that "money" back. Which, is basically the same as if I'm walking down the street and a $100 bill falls out of my pocket. It's possible I could find the flash drive, just like the $100 bill, but the odds get significantly worse the longer it takes me to notice it's missing.

            There are a number of practical issues with crypto that just make me sit and scratch my head. Like, how the amount of electricity needed to "mine" it basically negates most of the profits you'd make, if not putting you in the hole. You can buy specialized mining machines, but they're not cheap, and ironically, and it usually takes a good long time before you even break even on paper. The only time crypto really works for you is if you get in at the very beginning, mine a whole bunch of whatever it is, and then hope it takes off in value. Sort of like buying the first edition of a new comic book and hoping it becomes the next Superman or Batman. Except if the new hero ends up landing with all the grace of a drunk falling off a table, the comic book has value as reading material, and other uses like emergency toilet paper, something to help start a fire for heat, lining a bird cage...

            1. doublelayer Silver badge

              You may have misinterpreted my comment. I did not say whether I think cryptocurrency is a good currency. For many of the reasons you stated, I think it is a bad one. However, I wasn't rating the four options (cash, banks, CBDCs, other cryptocurrencies) as best currencies, but only on the "how easy is it to take from you by force if you assume that the force concerned has complete legal authority" index. I don't think that's a very important index, but it was the point others brought up, so I was using that metric.

              I don't have or want any cryptocurrency, but some of your criticism isn't global to the concept. For example, the energy requirements and privacy problems are both entirely accurate descriptions of Bitcoin and many ones like it, and both are big problems to making them useful for anything. However, they do not cover all currencies. There are privacy-focused ones like Monero which don't make it easy to track transactions the way that Bitcoin does. Monero is also easier to mine on commodity hardware, which is usually considered a bad thing because it's what cryptomining malware tends to be mining. I'm not sure how well Monero scales because, since I have no interest in owning any, I haven't bothered to learn all the details. It's possible that it would also fail badly if it became more popular. However, it's useful to keep in mind whether the complaints you have are intrinsic to the concept of cryptocurrency or not.

              For example, the dodgy exchanges are a big problem, but that's a legal thing. If some government chose to regulate them like banks, including mandatory insurance programs like the FDIC does, they could have similar security to banks. The exchanges don't want it because they want to get as much money as fast as possible, but they could be required to take those steps. Whether the companies handling the commodity are trustworthy isn't related to what they're storing, but the oversight of their operations, regulations they must follow, and their accountability for failure to follow them.

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        "It actually IS quite difficult. You'd need to get a police warrant"

        You need to do more "of your own research", mate.

        Look up civil forfeiture and how widespread its use is.

  11. Marty McFly Silver badge
    Flame

    He is not exactly correct, but he is not wrong

    Don't worry, you can trust the government. They will NOT take your CBDC. It is your "money", it is protected, they cannot take it. However, they WILL keep you from spending it. Did 2020/2021 and the restrictions teach us nothing?

    "For public safety, only people who have voluntarily taken the shot are permitted to spend money at this grocery store. And, since all CBDC transactions are monitored by the government, you won't be able to use it for any sort of person-to-person transactions either. This is to protect other people from you."

    Don't think the government won't do it if they have the opportunity. CBDC is all about control of our personal finances, who we can and cannot do business with.

    1. elsergiovolador Silver badge

      Re: He is not exactly correct, but he is not wrong

      Take note that there will be different levels of traceability and control.

      There were already ideas floating around to let employers decide what employees can spend "their" wages on. For instance, if employee seems overweight, the employer could restrict their wage so they cannot by products containing excessive amount of sugar or saturated fat.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: He is not exactly correct, but he is not wrong

        I'd eat the boss's dog.

        1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

          Re: He is not exactly correct, but he is not wrong

          I'd eat the boss's dog.

          Eat the rich!

          But it's an old idea. Company towns used to exist, workers were payed in company scrip that could be exchanged in the company store. Outlawed in 1938, but making a comeback-

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Company_scrip#Modern_practice

          On May 21, 2019, The Washington Post published an article highlighting Amazon's new system of "gamification", which rewards employees who complete high numbers of orders with Swag Bucks in a game-like system, which can then be used to buy Amazon-themed merchandise

          Amazon. Who could have suspected they'd do something like this?

    2. aerogems Silver badge

      Re: He is not exactly correct, but he is not wrong

      Like every US Republican candidate these days, every accusation is actually a confession. Trump and his cronies spent four years lining their pockets with everything that wasn't nailed down, so of course the government can defraud the people it's supposed to serve, and of course it will if the current GOP is ever put into power. They went from the party that ended slavery to the champions of Jim Crow, white nationalism, and unchecked greed. Most of that decline has been within living memory. The Greatest Generation raised the greatest bunch of narcissistic assholes the world has ever seen.

      1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

        Re: He is not exactly correct, but he is not wrong

        They went from the party that ended slavery to the champions of Jim Crow, white nationalism, and unchecked greed. Most of that decline has been within living memory. The Greatest Generation raised the greatest bunch of narcissistic assholes the world has ever seen.

        Errm.. You really need to read the despicable history of the Southern Democrats, which gave the US pro-democracy groups like the KKK, Night Riders etc etc. Or perhaps look at one of Biden's mentors, and someone Biden gave an eulogy for, a leading Democrat by the name of Robert Byrd.

        1. aerogems Silver badge
          FAIL

          Re: He is not exactly correct, but he is not wrong

          Errr... You really need to read the despicable history of the "moral majority" which switched their party allegiance from Democrat to Republican over segregation. That's when the two parties flipped roles and the GOP went from the liberal/progressive party to the conservative one that has been steadily destroying the US for decades.

          1. Casca Silver badge

            Re: He is not exactly correct, but he is not wrong

            No, no. Thats reality. Thats not something he recognize...

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Find a new joke

    The whole "Florida man" / "Wrestlemania Star" was mildly amusing the first time around. Now it's just dull...

    1. Ken Hagan Gold badge

      Re: Find a new joke

      This! is! The! Register!

      We! still! talk! about! mobes! here!

      1. Graham Dawson

        Re: Find a new joke

        Take me back to my cell. I'm surrounded by Yahoo!s

    2. Pete Sdev

      Re: Find a new joke

      Perhaps it should be "Florida rapist & fraudster".

      1. aerogems Silver badge

        Re: Find a new joke

        Technically he was only found to have sexually assaulted Ms. Carrol. Though, as the judge said, by any non-legal definition it was rape.

        1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

          Re: Find a new joke

          Technically he was only found to have sexually assaulted Ms. Carrol. Though, as the judge said, by any non-legal definition it was rape.

          Technically, people accused of crimes have the right of appeal. But being Trump, this does not apply. So the strange situation where his accuser is demanding millions in damages already, and the judge isn't permitting the defence to point out the charge is being appealed. The rights to a fair trial can be abrogated in modern America.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Find a new joke

            Remember this is a civil trial and NOT a criminal trial. She is claiming monetary compensation to rebuild her reputation but her reach and influence is now higher than it has ever been in the past. She was basically an agony aunt and now she is a TV star.

            Also if this was a proper trial it would have been thrown out ages ago as she has admitted deleting all the physical evidence of the things she is claiming.

            1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

              Re: Find a new joke

              Also if this was a proper trial it would have been thrown out ages ago as she has admitted deleting all the physical evidence of the things she is claiming

              Well, it is an NY trial. But I do think it's problematic. So there was much ado about a well preserved dress and possible DNA. That seemed odd for a number of reasons, like why save it? Or why raise it, then withdraw it? If Trump's DNA was on the dress, it might support her accusation. If it's not, rape still might have occurred. It's one of the problems with this kind of accusation given it's something that often happens behind closed doors, without witnesses and the evidence doesn't always support the charge. That was an aspect of the case that caught my attention because I've abused an M&S changing room in much the same way. My partner fully consented, but what if she changed her mind?

              If she was raped, then Trump deserves to be punished, but the case does seem rather odd, and has of course become very politicised. The TBD sufferers are convinced Trump must be guilty of all charges, even though the Constitution says everyone's entitled to a fair trial. Plus there's the Executive Privilege aspect, ie if all Presdential speech should be protected. The alleged incident happened before Trump became President, but once in that post, shouldn't a person be able to defend themselves against what might be false accusations? Plus the politicisation of the DoJ, ie they deciding it's a Federal matter and deciding to appoint counsel. Shouldn't a person be free to appoint their own counsel, even if they happen to be President?

              1. Anonymous Coward
                Anonymous Coward

                Re: Find a new joke

                "but the case does seem rather odd, and has of course become very politicised"

                Understatement of the millennium!

                This has been done for two basic reasons, to make a crazy old lady who lives in a fantasy world a lot of money and to give the Dems another way to attack Trump.

                The fact that this is being bankrolled by a major DNC donor should be all you need to know.

                The accusations against Creepy Joe were just swept under the rug.

                Same with the fraud trial. There was no victim, the bank at the centre of the issue pretty much doesn't care and the people going after Trump campaigned on the promise of 'getting him'.

                All they do is make him more popular with the normal people.

                1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

                  Re: Find a new joke

                  You forgot to also blame George Soros 3/10 C-

                2. Boris the Cockroach Silver badge
                  Facepalm

                  Re: Find a new joke

                  Quote

                  "Same with the fraud trial. There was no victim, the bank at the centre of the issue pretty much doesn't care and the people going after Trump campaigned on the promise of 'getting him'."

                  The victim was the bank, because if they knew how much the property was valued at vs how much Truump said it was worth, they would have charged him a higher fee/interest rate on the loan, the fact he paid off the loan and the bank made some money does'nt matter.

                  Trump falsely stated how much his property was worth with the intent of gaining financial advantage... thats fraud. its not 'good business' , its not 'people out to get him' oh and he complained about how unfair it was that its not a jury trial.... when he turned down the offer of a jury trial in the first place......

                  Still .... provides us on this side of the pond with much entertainment

                  1. Anonymous Coward
                    Anonymous Coward

                    Re: Find a new joke

                    "The victim was the bank"

                    No. The bankers testified in Trump's support. Do you seriously think a bank isn't going to do some due diligence?

                    https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/29/nyregion/trump-fraud-trial-deutsche-bank.html

                    "The attorney general has said that the bankers’ having done their own due diligence is not a defense"

                    "they were not required to show that the fraud had harmed the banks"

                    For all the lefty talk of 'victimless crime' when someone steals from a big shop 'cos the shop has insurance' they are really twisting themselves in knots to try this crap.

                  2. renniks

                    Re: Find a new joke

                    " he complained about how unfair it was that its not a jury trial.... when he turned down the offer of a jury trial in the first place......"

                    He didn't turn down the option of trial by jury, his stupid lawyers (you get the lawyers you deserve?) forgot to tick the 'trial by jury' box

          2. aerogems Silver badge
            Thumb Down

            Re: Find a new joke

            Technically, unless and/or until that verdict is overturned on appeal and a new trial finds him not liable, he is effectively a convicted rapist. He was found liable by a jury of his peers, and he has the resources to retain top notch legal counsel -- of course he's already burned pretty much every bridge there is in the legal world and now is stuck scraping the bottom of the barrel, but that's his own damn fault for a lifetime of acting like a mob boss and being a vexatious litigant -- so he can't claim he wasn't given a fair hearing.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: Find a new joke

              Nope. He was not 'convicted' as that can only happen in a criminal trial. He was found liable for damages.

            2. Jellied Eel Silver badge

              Re: Find a new joke

              Technically, unless and/or until that verdict is overturned on appeal and a new trial finds him not liable, he is effectively a convicted rapist.

              Err, no-

              https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._Jean_Carroll_v._Donald_J._Trump#Verdict_and_aftermath_(May_2023%E2%80%93present)

              The jury reached a unanimous decision on May 9, after deliberating for less than three hours. Considering the preponderance of the evidence, the jury delivered a verdict that first stated that Carroll had not proven that Trump raped her, and next stated that Carroll did prove that Trump had sexually abused her,

              Which is one of those sad things given rape cases can be very difficult to prove. Even in a civil trial where the standards of evidence are lower than in criminal trials. So one thing Trump isn't (yet) is a convicted rapist. The jury found him not guilty of that charge. Despite this, Carroll still claims she was raped, and Trump can't claim defamation because NY law. Trump probably could sue anyone who claims he is a convicted rapist however because that claim is demonstrably false.

              So it's all very strange. Especially as the dress has been a big feature in the trial, and last night I read that it wasn't actually produced and on sale until years after she claimed to have been wearing it. Perhaps Hoffman leaned too hard into Presidents and LBDs when bankrolling Carroll. But then he's funded a lot of Democrat's dirty tricks.

          3. Casca Silver badge

            Re: Find a new joke

            Yea, keep defending the rapist...

            1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

              Re: Find a new joke

              Yea, keep defending the rapist...

              TDS in full effect, but based on your prior posting history I'm not suprised because you'll believe anything. But a quaint old fashioned part of the justice system, human rights and even the US Constitution is a presumption of innocence and the right to a fair trial. Trump has been accused of rape, a jury found him not guilty. Despite being a civil trial, not a criminal one. Even a hand-picked NY jury failed to find guilt. The media hasn't bothered with that, hence you think Trump is a rapist. Now, despite being cleared of rape, Carroll is suing Trump again for saying he didn't rape her, which is what the jury found. And it's also a little strange that she's bankrolled by Hoffman, one of the Democrat's hatchet men and she's become far more famous now than she ever was. Maybe it'll be one of those cases where the defamation award is for 1c because her career earnings have rocketed since making the claim.

  13. Graham Dawson

    It's interesting to see who falls on which side of this whole CDBC insanity, based purely on the fact that the bad orange man said something about it. People who have previously advocated against it have suddenly flipped to support it, purely because El Naranja said it's a bad thing. Seems to be reaching the point that he could express a stance on the morality of murder and half the planet would suddenly advocate for the right to slaughter the innocent on a whim, with the only determiner being their opinion of his bronze skin and tiny hands.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      We got there in 2016. If Trump has an opinion on <subject> then everyone else suddenly has the inverse opinion. US politics is bloody hilarious in this regard and the UK is going that way pretty quickly.

      Just look at the reaction after the Oct 7th. The usual crowd who scream about how the 'far right' are antisemitic are now the ones waving Palestinian flags and dawbing swastikas on Jewish owned businesses.

      1. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells

        To be fair, the left wing antisemites were left wing antisemites before the 7th of Oct.

        What is terrifying is how many thousands of Muslims think it's acceptable to protest in London and chant "gas the jews". And what's even more terrifying is that they weren't arrested and interred en masse.

        1. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells

          Plus the number of leftists willing to chant calls to genocide, without even knowing that between the River Jordan and the Med was where they were asking for the genocide to take place.

  14. DS999 Silver badge

    Hilarious

    Other than his rants about how the entire world is conspiring against him, he's just a parrot reading what his speechwriters wrote for him without any understanding of the subject at all. Used to be Steve Bannon, but these days I believe it is Steven Miller who is the Goebbels pulling his puppet strings behind the podium.

    1. W.S.Gosset Silver badge

      Re: Hilarious

      TDS999

      1. aerogems Silver badge
        Trollface

        Re: Hilarious

        Tell me you just repeat things you hear without bothering to understand them without saying it.

    2. aerogems Silver badge

      Re: Hilarious

      That's cute. You assume he can read words with more than 2 syllables. He's likely got an earpiece and someone's reading it to him and he just repeats it. It's also sad to see a Jew whose family barely escaped the Holocaust become a literal Nazi.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Hilarious

        It's not Nazi if you are against Gays, Communists and Muslims

        As the philosopher Meatloaf said, 2 out of 3 'aint bad

        1. aerogems Silver badge

          Re: Hilarious

          Nazis were against gays and Communists, and if history had played out differently, it would have only been a matter of time before they set their sights on Muslims. Anyone who wasn't the Aryan ideal was an enemy of the state according to Nazi ideology.

          Plus, Miller is one of the architects behind the concentration camps at the southern border, and having children separated from their parents. Both ideas are straight from the Nazi handbook. Granted they may have stolen the ideas from someone who came before them, but that doesn't really make it any less reviling.

          1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

            Re: Hilarious

            >Anyone who wasn't the Aryan ideal was an enemy of the state according to Nazi ideology.

            Always wondered how they squared that with having Japanese allies?

            Nazi1: These Japanese are small weak inferior asiatics

            Nazi2: Yes but they are viscous little racist bastards as well

            Nazi1: Ok we can be friends

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    >> Who knows? Maybe they won’t let you purchase a firearm,"

    The difference between UK and US politicians. In the UK they'd instead say "they'll stop paedos buying sweeties for kids"

    1. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells

      It's not even that anymore. Now they'll use their excessive powers to "fight climate change". It's for your own good.

      And the "free press" will lap it up.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        It was funny watching the legacy media whine at Davos about how they no-longer get to write the news.

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Unhappy

    Sigh

    I never post here, but I've been a long time lurker. No more. It's obvious the idiots and asshats have flooded this zone with the same unhinged horseshit they dump everywhere. It's a shame, as I've stumbled upon more than a few useful links in the comments here, but it's clear to me the fascists and lunatics are holding court / ruling the roost / flinging their shart to the point this site is just covered with it and stinks. Kudos to the few brave souls attempting to point out the 'such nonsense it's infuriatingly sad' garbage the eels and other icky creatures are spitting out, but living in the US I've long since been done wasting time with cultist scum. A shame.. I'll just stick to the articles from now on. Go ahead and and respond with your usual lie drenched walls of "repartee" to your dark heart's content, don't care as obviously I won't be reading it, anywhere. To borrow a closing, two words and one is 'off' asshats.

    1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

      Re: Sigh

      I never post here, but I've been a long time lurker. No more. It's obvious the idiots and asshats have flooded this zone with the same unhinged horseshit they dump everywhere

      Indeed. So in true passive-aggressive libtard fashion, you create an account today just to signal your virtue. You could, of course have chosen to simply carry on lurking but instead demonstrate your misunderstanding of the Paradox of Tolerance. And also why stuff like CBDC and mass censorship is the way you and your fellow travellers are sleep walking us into fascism. You don't like what I'm saying, so I shouldn't be allowed to say it. You can't construct any reasoned debate, so instead hurl insults and flounce off.

      Strange thing is that I believe you are entitled to your opinions, even though I may disagree with them..

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Sigh

      > I never post here, but I've been a long time lurker. No more. It's obvious the idiots and asshats have flooded this zone with the same unhinged horseshit they dump everywhere.

      You don't believe that Jellied Eel only posts under his own pseudo and never ticks the "Post anonymously" checkbox!? Do you?

      1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

        Re: Sigh

        You don't believe that Jellied Eel only posts under his own pseudo and never ticks the "Post anonymously" checkbox!? Do you?

        And yet you believe that I do? Where is your evidence? Oh, I forget.. Libtards don't need evidence, only 'feelings'..

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Sigh

          Ever been told that AI can do pattern recognition?

          And it's not like we're lacking data to train the model. Thanks for all these dozens of posts daily (not "working" on Sundays btw?)

          1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

            Re: Sigh

            Ever been told that AI can do pattern recognition?

            Humans can generally do it better. Sure, it's easy to do lexical or semantics with a computer. But I'm conscious that I often make spelling or grammatical errors.. Which is a way to determine who the author of a text actually might be. Which means you should be able to find evidence to support your conspiracy theory easily enough, if true. Unless of course I alter my style depending on which alt I'm using..

            (admittedly I have done this a few times in the past simply to test reactions to poster vs message. I'm easily amused.)

    3. Pete Sdev
      Windows

      Re: Sigh

      I hold the move from .co.uk to .com at least partially responsible for attracting more of these failures of humanity.

      I'm sure in the past the most we had to worry about was A Man from Mars' "interesting posts", and they're quite harmless.

      Grumble, grumble.

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: Sigh

        I think we need a CAPTAHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Americans and Humans Apart)

        Click on all the boxes that contain a pudding

        I just spent a meal trying to define what a "pudding" was to a French colleague = a Yorkshire pudding is a pudding, and a blood sausage is a pudding and a chocolate cake is a pudding?

        1. renniks

          Re: Sigh

          "I just spent a meal trying to define what a "pudding" was to a French colleague = a Yorkshire pudding is a pudding, and a blood sausage is a pudding and a chocolate cake is a pudding?"

          Blood sausage is pudding

          Chocolate cake is a cake, or dessert

          I realise that in the UK, 'pudding' is the term for 'dessert'...

          1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

            Re: Sigh

            I realise that in the UK, 'pudding' is the term for 'dessert'..

            Look on the bright side. At least both the UK and US confuse other nations with the meaning of pie.

            1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

              Re: Sigh

              Pie = Stuff on top of pastry

              If the pie only has pastry on top then you are in some pretentious gastropub that can't do proper pies.

              1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

                Re: Sigh

                If the pie only has pastry on top then you are in some pretentious gastropub that can't do proper pies.

                Personally, I believe a true pie should have a top and bottom. Therefore pizza 'pies' are something that should only be served in topless bars.

              2. Pete Sdev
                Headmaster

                Re: Sigh

                Shepards' pie / cottage pie.

                No base, and the topping isn't even pastry.

                Steak and kidney pies in some versions come only with pastry on top (often of the puff pastry type), and they've existed longer than gastropubs have.

                1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

                  Re: Sigh

                  No base, and the topping isn't even pastry.

                  This is one of the reasons why I'm glad I'm a native English speaker. Our 'rules' aren't exactly consistent, so I'm glad I don't have to try and train either an AI or a mini-me regarding the difference between pie, flan, tart, quiche or whether mashed potato counts as a topping or not. Especially when one could make a pastry crust out of potato flour as well!

              3. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells

                Re: Sigh

                My grandma makes a very nice pie in a pie bowl with only a layer of pastry across the top.

                She isn't a pretentious gastropub.

      2. Casca Silver badge

        Re: Sigh

        A Man from Mars' "interesting posts" is at least entertaining. The libtards shouting morons is just tedious.

        1. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells
          Facepalm

          Re: Sigh

          All but one of the uses of "moron" in this forum have been by you ( plus somebody reply-quoting you, which I'm not counting ).

          The only other post that said "moron" was attacking "MAGA".

          Whatever causes leftism really does correlate with falsely accusing people of doing exactly what you are doing, does it?

    4. Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells

      Re: Sigh

      I've been here long enough to remember a time before the libtards took over. January 2017 wasn't that long ago.

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