{"id":274465,"date":"2023-10-14T05:46:25","date_gmt":"2023-10-14T05:46:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=274465"},"modified":"2023-10-15T07:25:30","modified_gmt":"2023-10-15T07:25:30","slug":"is-putin-in-cahoots-with-the-globalists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=274465","title":{"rendered":"Is Putin in Cahoots with the Globalists?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mike Whitney \u2013 The Unz Review Oct 12, 2023<\/strong><\/h1>\n
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Question 1\u2014<\/strong> In many parts of the world, Vladimir Putin is admired for his outspoken defense of national sovereignty. But on the domestic front, many of Putin\u2019s policies seem to align with those of the Western globalists<\/strong>. As you note in a recent post at Substack<\/a> Putin just \u201csigned a decree on the creation of a \u2018digital\u2019 domestic passport,\u201d which many people think will pave the way to technocratic tyranny.<\/strong> Am I exaggerating the risks of digital ID here, or is this development pose a serious threat to personal freedom?<\/p>\n

Riley Waggaman\u2014 <\/strong>Imagine if the United States started issuing digital driver\u2019s licenses that could be used as an official form of ID. What would the reaction be? I suspect a lot of Americans would feel \u201cworried\u201d, for lack of a better term. And not without good reason.<\/p>\n

The digital passport system being implemented in Russia is deserving of the same skepticism.<\/p>\n

First some context: Russia has a \u201cdomestic passport\u201d that basically functions as a national ID. You use your domestic passport to open up a bank account, when you have to interact with the local bureaucracy, etc. etc. It\u2019s an important document that you need to do ordinary, everyday things.<\/p>\n

The digital passport has been billed as an electronic copy of the domestic passport, accessible via smartphone (via the State Services portal, Gosuslugi). The government is still deciding in what situations\/scenarios the digital passport will be accepted as a valid form of ID.<\/p>\n

Proponents of this digital document say it\u2019s more convenient than a paper ID, and perhaps they\u2019re right. The problem of course is that modern conveniences can lead to all sorts of unpleasantness, and with time these unpleasant things can even become \u201cnormal\u201d.<\/p>\n

The fact that this ID will be linked to the State Services portal (Gosuslugi) is certainly cause for concern and it\u2019s easy to imagine how digital passports could be used (and abused) by the Russian government\u2014or any government, for that matter. <\/strong>All in the name of convenience.<\/p>\n

Of course, the authorities promise that digital IDs will never be made mandatory. Well, I\u2019m old enough to remember when the Russian government promised that Covid vaccination would be 100% voluntary\u2026<\/p>\n

Question 2\u2014<\/strong> Russia appears to be spearheading the transition to Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) with its creation of the \u201cdigital ruble\u201d. In your opinion, what are the potential pitfalls of such a plan?<\/p>\n

Riley Waggaman\u2014<\/strong> Excluding the possibility of imposing a full-spectrum digital gulag, the digital ruble has no obvious benefits.<\/strong> I would say the same of all CBDCs, of course.<\/p>\n

Some claim that the digital ruble is a very necessary, prudent, and brilliant way to bypass Western sanctions. This is untrue. The Bank of Russia has a fully functional Financial Messaging System (SPFS) that operates independently from SWIFT. Here are a few RT.com headlines for your consideration:<\/p>\n