California is arguably one of the best places in the world. The state is full of great weather, great geography, not to mention that we have some of the smartest residents living here. We are leaders in technology worldwide and through that we are changing how people live every day. But are we currently walking down the right path, or have we lost our way?
I would argue that we have lost our way.
For the past decade California has been walking down the wrong path — a path leading to more social control of the general population. The companies that reside here are turning into “the thought police,” telling the people that we love that their own opinions are wrong. While most of the developers see themselves as doing good, collectively they are ruining California.
On top of that, there seems to be a trend of the California government mismanaging their taxes and financial system as a whole. California’s Gross Domestic Product is one of the highest in the nation, yet our taxes keep going up and debt keeps expanding.**
One thing I have learned throughout my three year Bitcoin journey, is that Bitcoin and Bitcoiners love transparency. Open-source code that anyone in the world can check, and private nodes that anyone can set up and can verify all aspects of the network if they choose too are all part of Bitcoin’s ethos.
Where Should California Be Heading?
California should be working towards building an open-source world, where people can check the code for bugs and exploits, making sure that the infrastructure is secure and nothing was committed without a review process. This should be applied to all aspects of our local, state, and one day, the national government. Only through transparency can you restore the faith and trust of the people.
As for the tech companies that reside here — they should be working to enhance the personal freedoms and rights of their fellow man. Once you constrict personal freedoms, people will always fight back, or peacefully leave the state entirely.
California might be currently on a path towards destruction, but this does not need to be the fate for the Golden State. The average person living here wants to live in a better world than the one they grew up in. Californians are actively trying to make a difference for the greater good. We all have vastly different opinions on how to make this change happen. But one thing is for sure, the current trajectory will only lead to more social control and fiscal disappointment.
Replicating the open-source transparency of Bitcoin is the way forward for California, and for any state that wishes to prosper.
This is a guest post by California Hodl. Opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC, Inc. or Bitcoin Magazine.