‘No Cash’ Signs Everywhere Has Sweden Worried It's Gone Too Far”
“No cash accepted” signs are becoming an increasingly common sight in shops and eateries across Sweden as payments go digital and mobile. Sweden is widely regarded as the most cashless society on the planet, but it this a good thing? If we disregard the excuses that cash is being used by terrorist and money launderers (not because they’re not true, but because they’re meaningless in the overall picture), the thought that appears is this: a society without cash is a society without freedom. It’s the ultimate form of slavery, and the fact that many don’t see it that way doesn’t make it right. Obviously the good people in Sweden, and likely in some other places in the world, don’t. So the question is “why?” And the answer is not difficult to figure out – convenience. That’s what drives it. This remains me of a talk I listened to by an Ivy League university professor in economics, and he talked about a question he asked his students. It was about jobs after graduation. “How many f you would work for USD 40K a year”, he asked. A few hands went up, not many. “For 80K?” Response was better, but not overwhelming. “How about 500K with options that add to it and may amount to 1M in a good year.” All the school athletes in the back of the room raised their hands. And you know what - they’ll probably do it. So the professor asked – “how come you all have a price? This would be unheard of only a short time ago.” It’s your life, don’t do it for money. Do it for the fun of doing it, for what you hold dear in your mind – money is just for keeping score. That’s all it is for. And don’t give up your freedom for the convenience of not carrying change in your pocket. When you use plastic for payments, all your life’s pattern’s are visible if someone wants to check on you. Respect your freedom, don’t be a cog in the machine. Freedom tastes good.
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AuthorTom Kubiak is the author of The Traveler Archives
February 2021
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