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Can Bitcoin Circumvent Economic Tyranny – Interview with Catherine Austin Fitts and Aleks Svetski & Dr. Mercola
Can Bitcoin Circumvent Economic Tyranny – Interview with Catherine Austin Fitts and Aleks Svetski & Dr. Mercola

Dr. Mercola interviews Catherine Austin Fitts, and Aleks Svetski, editor of The Bitcoin Times magazine and host of “The Wake Up Podcast.”

Related reading:

Mercola.com blog

Justice Department Says It Seized $3.6 Billion Worth of Bitcoin Stolen in 2016 Hack

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68 Comments

  1. Hi Catherine – been a fan for YEARS.. at least 12 +. I joined your website just to comment on this. BTC maximalists are not adhering to the peer to peer exchange. Please talk to someone in the BCH podcast-Jeremy. I watched all your videos that were free.. used to watch Titus for free till you got him.. which is great.. Big supporter of Corbett report.. he can vouch for me. Just saying.. There are cryptos that are working and getting better.. BTC has been taken by Big Banks already, with their lightning network and their small blocks.. it is still usable, but the price will now be controlled by the ETF market. There are a ton of other things that I would like to add .. but for a guy watching BTC since 2010, you are not on the right group. just saying.. I love all your efforts.. videos.

    In the meantime, now I can go watch some of the Titus vids.. now that I paid.. but I am adding my hat to the ring and would love it if you would talk to the freedom seekers in crypto.. like BCH (none of our crowd got the shots).. and others.. (which I may add -it really is the original BTC.. but that would take more than a comment). Keep up the great work!!

      1. Wow! got through! I think the best bet is to get the BCH guys to get ready for you and have a discussion..Why BCH.?.. You already have your concerns and I agree, which are everyone’s. I just think that, from what I have seen, is that you have a slight misunderstanding on the crypto history (but not by much and for good reason). I think the best bet would be to get the BCH community to invite you to a talk with the bitcoincash pod cast (they don’t know you but should-I think). It’s a crowd that has survived the onslaught of the big banks and are slightly scattered and tough.. My best advise, to learn->https://bitcoincashpodcast.com/-just get the basics(they currently agree – they need more marketing). Roger Ver is coming out with a book to explain BTC and the issues with it and some inside history that is important to know.. so.. I guess I don’t have to explain it here if you get a copy. I am not a “shit coiner” statesman, but I did notice that after Segwit – banks owned BTC, and a lot of other coins came out of thin air…
        I will see what I can do to get them(Jeremy-BCH Podcast-https://bitcoincashpodcast.com/) to know you. They (the community) are making good headway in making BCH usable by all and unstoppable. These guys are BCH only. I think they need a little of what you are saying to help, but they have communities world wide. Australia, America, Argentina, Brazil, England, eastern Europe.. that is where the conference is this year.
        https://www.bliss.cash/ – all the best will be there.
        .. but I can’t go.. but next time they do it in St Kitts.. I will!!
        Thanks so much for all you do!!
        Me- I am just a mechanical engineer trying to help.

  2. Presuming Bitcoin can be a force for good and combat Mr Global, the questions I have are:

    1) Can Mr Global suppress Bitcoin enough to put it under effective lockdown (via mind-control, electricity shutoff, physical force, etc) thereby successfully carrying out his plans to completion?

    2) Or would Bitcoin keep bouncing back, and that perseverance provide humanity with enough wherewithal to defeat Mr Global?

    3) And if there’s a chance of the latter, what can we do (while using Bitcoin) to protect people and encourage their prosperity, especially through potentially dark times?

  3. BIS Media Briefing 7 mos ago: State the plan to roll out CBDCs, backed by Bitcoin . . . Points out the success of Brazil during pandemic getting 2/3’s of population to go along with their cbdc called the Pix system. Says India is about to roll out similar cbdc.
    That’s my take on it. BIS says it will take 2-3 yrs to accomplish. Sugar-coats is all, of course.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obhognXTW34

  4. I can’t listen to this. It’s painful to hear Aleks stubbornly refuse any attempts to reframe the conversation by Catherine. And continue his monologue…
    Not a polite way to conduct a conversation.

    1. I suspect he spends a lot of time on line and has ingested an enormous amount of online entrainment.

      1. I tapped out of that conversation early as well. His arrogance was very hard to tolerate. Online entrainment indeed

      2. Catherine, is there a part II coming up? I would like to watch it. I think Aleks is sincere. I watched much of this again, and would like to see the conversation come to some final resolution, whether or not there is agreement. The first time I watched, I was somewhat put off by Aleks’ personality, I guess, but now I feel differently.

    2. I completely agree with the comments here. I had to stop listening several times because I could not stand to hear Aleks’ refusal to concede any challenges with Bitcoin. Catherine showed much more tolerance than I could have managed. After 3 attempts, I finally got through it all. My conclusion was that Bitcoin is Aleks’ religion – it solves everything and you just need to really, really believe. My core belief is that if something cannot be questioned, then there is something hugely suspicious with it. For me, Aleks only makes Bitcoin much less attractive. This conversation was very enlightening but not in the way that Aleks and Bitcoin would want.

  5. cryptocurrencies have a whale problem. the big holders can wipe out the price for short periods of time, which hedge funds probably exploit. I suspect diversification is one of the only protections against this.

  6. No true scottsman fallacy from mr bitcoin: “those bitcoiners who had a bad experience aren’t true bitcoiners therefore their complaints are invalid.”
    It amazes me how much just never admitting one is wrong gets mistaken for credibility in the tech industry.

  7. His optimism is the optimism seen in anarchists. He completely ignores the power of the gun that Mr global wields through the brainwashed masses. The openness of bitcoin in an adversarial environment is suicide. Not fungible. Seriously, look into monero.

  8. I wouldn’t trust any tech person that condescends instead of explains. I as a tech person view the male in this talk as taking advantage of boomer insecurities to protect his own ignorance.

  9. It is an interesting point that mr(s) global behaves the way he/she behaves not because they are evil, but because of the risks they are managing. I tend to model the world as a hierarchy of people in something like a nash equilibrium. How this translates into mr global is I assume mr global’s biggest risks are other mr(s) globals at his/her level of power. Then essentially we all play a game of attempt to gain more power from those above, compete with those adjacent, and not get overthrown by those below. This is taken to an extreme at their level after their compounding lies. The only way to stave off the slave rebellion at this point is complete control. Who cares if they are evil, the system needs to burn down in the form of a jubilee.

  10. I’m definitely not orange pilled. I think the best currency a few years ago at least for decentralization was monero. bitcoin ledger isn’t anonymous. I am not keeping up with it though.

  11. Dear Catherine, hats off to you. Your ability to hang in the conversation with this obnoxious, arrogant, rude individual is admirable.

    1. I believe that Aleks and many young men like him have been taken for a ride. Take a look at the Bitcoin chart in the SPACs wrap up – the PDF should be out this month. While a whole generation of young Alpha males were distracted by the Bitcoin pump, their families and communities were being poisoned. They were distracted and entrained by an on line pump and dump. Alas, it worked brilliantly. Likely will again.

  13. If bitcoin is so free from government interference why now does PayPal and other institutions of the system offer it so readily? It is being integrated and there will be found a way to control or interfere with it.

  14. Bitcoin is an open record for anyone to see. Your IP addresses leads right to your desktop. There is no anonymity as their is with cash.

    Monero XMR and Pirate Chain’s ARRR coin provide complex software for anonymous transactions and truly private exchanges.

    I prefer silver coins, instead of the worthless coat checks called frn’s.

  15. I have to say I find Aleks difficult to listen to. I couldn’t get through the whole video because of that. And I am very interested in Bitcoin.

  16. I have to say this was difficult to watch. It was difficult because Aleks Svetski’s almost fanatical religious perspective on Bitcoin. I could not take him seriously because of his immature stance and unwillingness to see the other side. He spent the entire interview trying to “change” Catherine’s mind on Bitcoin instead of genuinely wanting to learn and engage. He also interrupted her way to many times. I realise we all need to do this together but I would NOT engage with someone like Aleks because of how he behaved in this interview. Catherine you were gracious and kind and super patient. I won’t be tuning in to part two and I am more put off Bitcoin now than before I watched this.

    1. I totally agree, Aleks came across as conceited, and there to teach us, as well as Catherine which he is certainly not in a position to do.

    2. Agreed. He came off as very cold with a disdain for people. Not a likable person , not someone I could trust.

  18. Interesting conversation. I would be keen to see Catherine and one of her technical experts (who is well informed about the possible attack vectors) debate with someone like Robert Breedlove (who is very well versed and passionate about BTC, but knows better than to patronize someone of Catherine’s experience). This interview gives a pretty good scope of Robert’s understanding and style.

    YT Vid: Bitcoin’s ‘black swan’ event that would wipe the crypto out:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqO1RswCuro

  19. What comes to mind when I think of “crypto” is,
    The king has no clothes.
    It is not appealing at all to me.

      1. This is a much clearer perspective – people-focused listen to the questions you may have regarding the boundless power of bitcoin and what it can do to establish a new sovereign world through the sovereign individual: https://youtu.be/q0VBC6T62_4?t=135

        A biblical perspective as well.

  22. I’ll just set out a few random thought/facts/comments
    1. If Mr Global wanted, rounding up and disappearing 5 million bitcoiners would not be that difficult.
    2. The Bill of Rights is the block to that, and this was omitted from the discussion. does anyone else think that medical mandates are a cruel and unusual punishment?
    3. bitcoin needs to be spent into existence. HODLing bitcoin detracts from its value.
    4. If bitcoin ever reaches $2M per coin it will be the de facto world reserve currency. IMHO this will not happen.
    5. Energy consumption is not necessarily a problem. If, however, zero energy was expended in mining the remaining bitcoin, it would imply that the value of bitcoin was zero. That is not to say that improvements in technology could not deliver equivalent outcomes, or that a new coin could better meet society’s needs, it may simply be that society’s needs have changed.
    6. Taxation is a problem that was not discussed.
    7. I suggest that Old Money plans for two percent annual return on wealth. That is sufficient to capture the excess production.
    8. I suggest that New money tries for a return on wealth in the high single figure percentages per annum. That results in a seneca curve every century or so. I’ll defer to Martin Armstong or the Fourth Turning for the nuances of the dynamics.
    Specifically, government deficit spending and debt accumulation are major drivers of these outcomes.
    9. A 90% loss is what happens when an 80% crash then halves in value.
    10. The main driver for centralised control is deficit government spending, though this is inseparable from lack of oversight of intelligence agencies and banks.
    11. How to get people to see the control grid? begin with 2. above.
    12. In 2003 mortgage fraud was endemic. Almost everyone was happy with that. Even the Churches.

    1. Richard:

      Excellent insights. LOL
      Good idea to bring up the Bill of Rights. Going to get my copy out now.

      1. Thanks Catherine.
        At the back of my mind, there is something about a unified currency in the Lisbon Treaty clauses set to happen by 2025, maybe in a progress report that said progress was slow. I will have a look.

          1. from Wikipedia (apologies for that but getting to the timetable is difficult)
            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_and_Monetary_Union_of_the_European_Union#Second_EMU_reform_plan_(2015–25):_The_Five_Presidents’_Report
            /quote
            Completing and fully exploiting the Single Market by creating an Energy Union and Digital Market Union.
            /unquote
            The EU want competing internal currencies gone by 2025. (my summary). I’ll keep searching for “Digital Market Union.”

  23. Fantastic discussion. Truly enjoyed it. Think most of us are so naive that we don’t recognize how deep and heartless the corruption and control is and goes. Think very few can handle the actual truth. Lord, hear our prayers. Thy will be down.

  24. I don’t think that this guy is qualified for this kind of discussion. Discussing the pros and cons of Bitcoin with someone like Max Keiser would be better. He has done it before with Peter Schiff, but in that case Schiff was not really qualified (lots of gaps in his knowledge of what is going on).

  25. Catherine, you are a gem. Alex failed to (clearly) articulate Bitcoin’s integral value—is its global integrity – contrary to alternate instruments—(BTC’s value proposition increases as humanitarian-trust is hegemonicaly devalued via alternate instruments).

  26. I listened to all 3 hrs. Alex was so irritating because his goal was to convince Catherine that Bitcoin is the answer. I wanted to hear more from Catherine but he was incapable of listening. I thought it was good that Catherine was trying to show him that he was inside a trap and the doors are about to slam shut.
    Alex truly believed that no matter what, the government could never get his Bitcoin. That’s sheer ignorance as the feds recently seized a Bitcoin account a week after this interview!

    Dr Mercola wanted to do a part 2 with Catherine and she was smart enough to deflect since Alex has no intention of learning anything contradictory.

  28. Wow. I listened to the entire thing mainly because I wanted to learn more from Catherine about the control grid. I only have what I’ve pieced together from Money and Markets over the past year. Sure, Aleks is passionate and arrogant like many BTC acolytes but hearing the discourse reminded me what our society needs more of…open dialogue in the marketplace of ideas to allow the people to decide. Kudos to you Catherine for sticking this one out — I learned so much from your candor. Absolute respect to you.

  29. I found this guy a bit irritating to listen to. It felt like he was trying to ‘school’ Catherine with what you learn in the first year of an Economics Undergraduate program. I interpreted it as he is used to speaking to people with not much knowledge of the topic who he can dazzle with some historic facts, interesting economic theory and a “told you bro” attitude. Basically the approach of most Bitcoin sales men. I wasn’t sold.

  30. I did not complete the the first hour before my tolerance of Aleks Svetski comments hit the ” I am and done here ” moment ! He reminds me of someone that I know and avoid , you can’t win a debate with a narrcists ! They have all the answers and will never relent , his entire agenda was to undermine Catherine’s viewpoint , why? Because he is 1000 steps ahead of her in his mind and this Old fuddy-duddy just doesn’t get it that “Bitcoin ” solves all of Man’s problems , period ! 2 electrons circling each other at the speed of light will not solve Man’s problems but only enslave it in a digital matrix !

    1. Yes, I understand how frustrating it is but there are numerous issues that need to be sorted out. This did a handful- have to start somewhere. More to do.

  31. Bitcoin is one “particle” of the community… Catherine continues to remind us of our power to create – The encoded law in Humanity is our creativity (Beauty) Ars Longa! Perhaps another piece to this is understanding that all of the universe is a result of relationships – no scale is isolated. Isolated systems do not exist. This conversation was about “conscious energy” exchange, know that humanity has always had access to FREE sources of energy through geometry, spin, toretic vortexes and wormholes. Let’s recognize that the universe is rotating from subatomic particles, to planets, galaxies and even beyond…Bitcoin is yet a particle that can contribute to this form of freedom. Lets unify in creativity!

  32. You were wonderful Catherine! A couple things, not really money/bitcoin related… First of all, as an adjunct faculty instructor for the past 20yrs, I have seen the confusion, lack of basic skills & self-reliance issues in young people grow worse thru the years. When Harry Potter arrived on the scene I watched as that book created a divide between instructors/parents (muggles) vs the kids/young adults (wizards). It wasn’t the same as when I was growing up (born in ‘71), hard to explain but now that I am reading about mind control, the Harry Potter effect is a strong force. During the talk, I felt bad for Aleks, similar to when I watch a talent show & someone is so off key but they keep on singing, I just want to hide behind a chair for them. I thought his boastful comments & inability to stop from swearing in the presence of a lady and in front of an audience made me cringe. I know, everyone swears-I have a terrible potty mouth from growing up in show biz on sets & hanging out w/my Grandpa after school for years lol, but I do know when to use it-like busting out an F bomb about Fauci. ; ) Besides that, I think I recognized some Bitcoin entrainment/brain washing because the comments about it were almost word for word what others around me say when I bring up my reasons for not wanting to gamble with it. I also noticed a “we are wizards with magic coins and she is a muggle with $hitty paper & gold” attitude that was off-putting. Although, I do value Dr Mercola’s health information, I feel like he has been brain washed to think he is a magic invisible wizard as well about bitcoin/crypto. But what do I know. I pray that both of these men have local currency besides the magic coins in wizard land when or if (trying to think positive for them) Voldemort shuts it all down & makes them muggles again. Just my two cents. Thank you Catherine!

    1. Yes, the Harry Potter programming has been very effective. It is the slow steady way of teeing up a major genocide and descent into slavery. Reverse engineer the Scottish enlightenment. How do I help others understand control. Will keep trying! I have lived through lots of bubbles. The profits from a speculative bubble always make you feel like a genius and very powerful. Seen it many many times.

      Can you imagine if the mothers and fathers of this world decided investing in people was stupid and instead used the time to trade speculative bubbles instead?

  33. Greetings Catherine

    IMO any currency that relies on electricity is not a secured currency.
    Why?
    Well, what about another Carrington Event that took place in Sept 1859 where a solar storm fried telegraph lines.
    Can bitcoin be protected from anything government regulators could do? Maybe we should ask the Hunt Brothers when they were driving up the silver market as regulators can always change the rules of the game overnight.

    As the young man said “bitcoin is a tool”. However tools are temporary and can be “detool” at any time. Whatever form of currency a society uses it is always about people. People always come first to have a productive society.

    You may want to email Aleks for a comment about the Justice Department announcing capturing bitcoin worth 3.6 billion that was stolen in a crypto hack.

    To me it is about people and the sooner people embrace they are sovereign and reclaim their birthright we don’t need a bitcoin to protect ourselves from a corrupt financial system as the people will demand a change to a cleaner society.

    OK I got to ask. “Racing cars as a teenager”. What are you speaking about Catherine? Racing cars in the back roads of Bucks County? On dirt tracks? Langhorne Speedway? Sprint cars? Stock cars? Doing a “chickie” run like in “Rebel Without A Cause”?

    1. If DOJ conducts this seizure like some of the others, they will keep the BTC. Victims still out of luck. Lets see what happens.

      Switzerland just put out a warning about potential significant cuts in electricity available based on German cut backs. So how crypto and electric cars are going to work….has me scratching my head.

      Bitcoin and crypto worked brilliantly for the central banks and their bubble creations during the current phase. Once they know where they want to go with CBDCs, not sure how much liquidity will be left. Depends on many other factors…how much in bubbles they want or need. And whether we can bust/stop the control gird .

      1. And what if utility -energy- was the asset backing the crypto / bitcoin?
        Just thinking out loud.

  35. Very interesting. The zeal and fierce focus of this young man reminded me of cult entrainment. Aleks has a singular view that Bitcoin is the only answer and contains no risk. It shows a lack of emotional maturity to see the larger more complex picture and the intersection of financial tools/money, human freedom and culture. I suspect the more important aspect of the interview was to ensure that Dr. Mercola is not “hood-winked” into a position that would compromise his ability to fight Mr. Global. I would hope that Aleks could be enlightened and apply his intellect to solving the larger problems we face. Thank you Catherine.

    1. I got the same impression of that young man. Also I noticed that he contradicts himself at moments. Definitely he didn’t convince me to buy bitcoin.

  36. The BitCoin Millennial was anoying & completely self centered. I couldn’t bear to listen to him. CAF was spot on.

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