Seattle’s Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, known colloquially by the acronym CHAZ, has captured the attention of a nation that is outraged over instances of police brutality and violence.
The Zone is a police-free area in Capitol HIll. One of the city’s police precincts is located within the boundaries and the annexation is meant to be a living example of moving towards a community-led justice system. According to Wikipedia, the demands of the Zone include “rent control, the reversal of gentrification, the abolition or defunding of police, funding of community health, and the dropping of charges against those arrested for involvement in the protests.”
While it will take time to see how this localized movement develops and changes real policy in Seattle, it is clear that it has already made an impact when it comes to increasing conversation and awareness around social justice issues.
Considering that the CHAZ is looking at a comprehensive overhaul of the way that society is structured, there is also an opportunity for them to push for improvements by embracing alternative monetary policy.
Below we’ll look at 5 reasons why the CHAZ should consider adopting a pro-Bitcoin stance:
Bitcoin & Black America
Any discussion of the CHAZ must first-and-foremost pay head to the social justice foundation of the community and, specifically, the situation of Black Americans which inspired it. With this in mind, a clear connection on how Bitcoin can help address these systemic problems is made in the book Bitcoin & Black America by Isaiah Jackson.
It is essential reading for a proper understanding of the potential for cryptocurrency to positively impact black communities. It explores “the synergy between black economics, Bitcoin and blockchain technology” and argues that Bitcoin is essential to creating “separation from the racist banking system”. Based on this analysis, CHAZ adopting Bitcoin can help them develop a more comprehensive platform in addressing systemic injustice.
The US Dollar Is Based On Violence
CHAZ is a fundamentally anti-violent movement and the reality is that the U.S. dollar cannot exist without violence. When you take a step back and think about how the dollar keeps its value, you realize that anyone in the United States is essentially forced to use and value the dollar. This is because takes must be paid in USD, and if taxes are not paid, the state will enact violence against you as punishment (put you in a prison). While some people do use USD entirely voluntarily, the reality is that the system needs the ever-present threat of violence to maintain complete cooperation from the populace.
By adopting Bitcoin, CHAZ can revolt from this standard. As a system based 100% on voluntary use, Bitcoin stands in stark contrast to the violent nature of the dollar.
The US Dollar Is The Source Of Government Power
Beyond the violent nature of the dollar, it’s also important to note that it is the source of a huge amount of State power. The dollar has been used to create and maintain a military industrial complex that continues to influence police department standards in the United States. The militarization of the police is not hard to see, and it has only contributed to problems with police brutality.
As long as the dollar has its place as the world’s reserve currency, United States politicians will continue to pay lip service to the demands of their constituents as they realize they can simply print and pay for violent new methods of keeping citizens “in check”. The symbolic adoption of Bitcoin by the CHAZ community would allow them to highlight how the dollar is being used to prop up government abuses and make it clear that they denounce using a corrupt system of value.
Sanitary & Private Funding For The Movement
At the end of the day, there’s no forgetting the fact that the current protest movement is happening during a global pandemic. Actions are being taken within the CHAZ to prevent the spread of the disease like the encouragement of wearing masks and the installation of hand sanitizer stations. But a means of electronic payment is still needed within the autonomous zone to help prevent the spread of germs via cash. A mobile wallet using a Trezor for signing transactions is infinitely more sanitary in a closed environment with many people milling around in close quarters than passing dollar bills back and forth.
And why is Bitcoin better than, say, utilizing Venmo or PayPal to reduce virus transmission via fiat payments? The sad reality is that the US Government has a history of tracking the actions of anyone who may be deemed “anti-government”. And any traditional electronic payment provider will be heavily regulated and forced to share user data that places them at protests. The Bitcoin blockchain, however, can be used anonymously to ensure that payment activity is only known to the two parties making a transaction. Cryptocurrency can allow for value transfer within the Zone that is both private and safe.
Moving Forward
The CHAZ is an exciting new development in community-run governance. Hopefully, they will realize the symbiotic benefits that the world’s best community-run monetary system, Bitcoin, can bring to their movement.
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