Posted March 05, 2022
By Sean Ring
The Horror of Central Bank Digital Currencies
- Imagine not being able to buy a drink, even if you had the purchasing power to do so.
- What if the government wouldnt let you eat ice cream because youve put on weight?
- What if they prohibited you from eating meat because were all going vegan now.
After a Long Day Driving a Rig
Lets do a thought experiment together.Theres this man, named John Ring, whos a philosopher-truck driver.John works his ass off for his family.He wakes up at 5 am every day, rain or shine, snow or sleet, to get to this terminal.There, his owner-operated truck rests idly, waiting for the ignition of a new day.The little people dont know it, but their toothpaste, cereal, or chocolate bars dont just magically manifest themselves on the shelves.Theres this thing called the supply chain, and truckers are paramount to its smooth operation.Before John became a local, he drove all over America, delivering goods long haul with his 18-wheeler. But since hes started a family, he suffers the roads and drivers of the New York metropolitan area all day, every day.When John gets home after his deliveries are done, he smells of grease.(To this day, the smell of grease makes me think Ah, thats a job well done.)His wife makes him take a shower as soon as he takes off his shoes.If it were the summer, John would take a dip in the pool.But since its only early March, he jumps in a hot shower to wash off that hard days work.In the old days, dinner would be a London Broil a la Trump -thats with ketchup - and a can of Budweiser.But these days are different.The Regulation of Choice
These days, Johns dinner consists of Beyond Meats plant-based Frankenfood.It looks like a steak, smells like a steak, and tastes like dung.But he must eat it.His drink is an ODouls, the non-alcoholic beer for ghouls.At least the UKs Brewdog had the good sense to call their non-alcoholic brew Nanny State.
Anheuser-Busch thought creating a non-alcoholic beer was a good idea back in the day.But now most folks are prohibited from buying real beer with real alcohol.No one really knows who can, because you dont need an ID anymore.But mostly, its government workers. Well, thats the rumor anyway.The reason no one gets carded anymore is that you dont have to.When you go to pay, the government either lets you buy stuff or it doesnt.Todays 50 Cent Word is Programmable
The Sheeple didnt see it coming.They never do.But an article written in the UKs Daily Telegraph gave the game away.One question was asked. It was the one question every politician in the world wanted to hear.Would you like our new digital currency to be programmable?It was the question to end all questions.Because now the government, and not the people, for they were not one and the same, could make buying decisions on behalf of the constituents.The answer to the question was a full-throated Yes!And so it began.In the name of social justice, universal healthcare, and this new thing called equity, the government could prohibit you from buying the goods and services of your choice.Never mind that seemingly insignificant kerfuffle with GoFundMe.That was just charity given to terrorists.Or that banks the world over prohibited innocent Russians from transacting.After all, that was an invasion, for crissakes!But this, this really hit where it hurts.John cant go to the store to buy red meat anymore.His doctor said hes got an arrhythmia and slightly elevated blood pressure.So whenever John tries to buy steak, the armed cashier - they have those because so many people try to do a runner with contraband goods - shakes his head and puts the steak back in the meat section.Despondent, John sees that same cashier restock his favorite Budweiser for a six-pack of ODouls.John cant even get a little buzzed because the government was concerned about Johns slightly fatty liver.Johns not even a heavy drinker.In fact, he really only drinks a couple of cans of Bud on Friday night.Phyllis, his loving wife, is very concerned with Johns health.Even though John is following the Surgeon Generals directives to the letter - willingly or not - he seems awfully lethargic.She doesnt know what to do. The frankenfood, though she never calls it that, seems to taste fine to her.Their son, Sean, eats anything but never seems to gain weight.Hey! This is my thought experiment! ;)But Phyllis keeps on keeping on. Whats she going to do anyway?The only people who seem to be sprightly are government officials and the oligarchs.Well, oligarch is a Russian word.So in America, which is a free country, of course, we call them plutocrats.Thats much better than oligarch.One day, Sean might be a plutocrat if he works hard enough.She prays for that.In the meantime, John just keeps his head down and works hard for his little family.After all, theyre depending on him.Perhaps the government will let him buy a beer again one day.After all, they did let everyone out of their houses once the Wu Flu passed.Sure, there was a war on.And it was everyones patriotic duty to get back to work.But they got back outside, thanks to the government.As John thought this, he cocked an eyebrow.Deep down - maybe not so deep down - John knew better.And so he ate his frankensteak and drank his frankenbeer.After all, what else was he supposed to do?Wrap Up
In the name of God, St. Michael, and St; George, I give you the power to go out, eat, drink, and be merry.This weekend, seize your freedom, drink your red wine, eat your red meat, and dance drunkenly to your hearts content.Theyre coming for you, but not yet.In the meantime, the best thing you can do is thumb your nose at them.Your non-compliance is their undoing.Have a great weekend!All the best,Sean
The Bypass Bullseye
Posted September 11, 2026
By Sean Ring
Saudi Arabia built the East-West Pipeline to escape the Strait of Hormuz. But once Hormuz closed, the bypass became indispensable. And anything indispensable eventually becomes a target.
Marked to Market, Marked to Myth
Posted September 10, 2026
By Sean Ring
Pete Hegseth and Scott Bessent are both fighting battles that are going badly. But only one man has the luxury of arguing about the score. The Pentagon runs on politics and narrative. The Treasury runs on prices. And prices are becoming very inconvenient for Bessent.
The Blue Collar Bull
Posted September 09, 2026
By Sean Ring
For decades, the surest trade in the labor market was long college degrees and short manual work. That trade is reversing. And like most crowded trades, the people caught on the wrong side are discovering that yesterday’s prestige offers no protection.
The Sea Keeps Honest Books
Posted September 08, 2026
By Byron King
The media saw bad meals aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. The sea saw something else entirely: too many missions, too few ships, and 35 years of neglected American naval power.
The Book Guillotine
Posted September 07, 2026
By Sean Ring
Jeff Bezos built Amazon by selling books. Thirty-two years later, his company is buying old ones by the thousand, chopping off their spines, scanning their pages, and throwing what remains in the trash.
The Palace of Fiscal Dominance
Posted September 04, 2026
By Sean Ring
I went to Avignon expecting medieval architecture. Instead, I found one of the clearest explanations of fiscal dominance ever built.