Tag: sovereignty

  • A Tale of Two Wests: Bitcoin, Geopolitics, and the Theoretical Choice Between Oregon and Idaho

    It is a curious theoretical exercise to consider the choice between a place like Bend and one like Boise, not merely as a preference for a city, but as a vote for a divergent future. One looks at Boise’s enthusiastic embrace of the Bitcoin ecosystem and sees a strange paradox. Here is a political culture deeply rooted in ideals of American sovereignty and independence, yet it champions an industry whose very existence relies on a constant supply of specialized hardware forged in China. This creates a profound strategic vulnerability, a dependency that, from a certain critical perspective, borders on the treasonous. It makes one ponder the long-term political calculus of the Republican party; is this a blind spot so vast it could lead to a monumental landslide?

    In this light, Oregon’s political landscape appears as a more complex, and frankly, more reassuring ecosystem. It isn’t a monolithic bloc. You have the necessary friction of principled opposition from figures like Representative Suzanne Bonamici, a vital check against unchecked enthusiasm. Even more telling, perhaps, are those who maintain a wise and prudent silence, who refuse to be swept up in the fervor. This diversity of thought suggests a healthier, more resilient political body.

    And so, the musing turns to the very lines on the map, to concepts like ‘Greater Idaho’ and the ‘State of Jefferson.’ From this perspective, the Greater Idaho movement seems less like a liberation and more like an absorption into that very system of paradoxical dependency. But Jefferson… ah, Jefferson represents a conceptual break. It is the chance to forge a new political entity, one founded not on the uncritical adoption of flawed systems, but on a healthier skepticism and a desire for true independence that is free from the digital supply chains of a global adversary.

  • My Vision for a Stronger America, Beyond the OBBB

    Prioritize the Need for a New American Fiscal Nationalism & Continue Building a Fortress America Economy: A 15% baseline tariff and sweeping deregulation are not just good ideas; they are necessary defensive measures. While they won’t single-handedly slay the $37T debt dragon, they are the foundational armor for a “Fortress America” economy.

    The $37 Trillion Elephant: Neither party has a plan to pay the debt.

    Investigate the China-California Connection: Deep-dive into how California’s state debt and business ties with Chinese entities create a national security vulnerability.

    Illinois & New York: Blue State Debt Bombs: Unfunded liabilities and corruption in states led by figures like @GovPritzker Gov. Pritzker are a key aspect of the national crisis.

    Saudi Vision 2030: The World’s Most Expensive PR Campaign: The Public Investment Fund’s acquisition of companies like Scopely isn’t about innovation; it’s about their deliberate pursuit of user data. This positions them to monitor our movements, creating a future where digital tracking could easily enable real-world stalking.

    Understand that Political Theater is the Real Insurrection: The political theater in D.C. is the primary cancer. It’s a managed spectacle that provides cover for the real, coordinated erosion of American sovereignty.

    The @SenFettermanPA (Sen. Fetterman) @marklevinshow (Mark Levin) Doctrine: A pro-Israel, anti-Ayatollah stance is the only coherent foreign policy for national security.

    The @RepThomasMassie (Rep. Massie) @Ilhan (Rep. Omar) Red Line: Bipartisan efforts to limit executive “war” powers… are a dangerous abdication of responsibility.

    Beyond Counterfeit Cryptocurrency & The Corrupt Old Guard: The post-2008 distrust in the established financial order is justified. But cryptocurrency is not the answer; it’s a digital counterfeit designed to profit from chaos. The real path forward is outside both of these failed systems: a return to productive, asset-backed economics.

    The Hypocrisy of “Stablecoins”: We need to debunk the myth of stability and expose their role in facilitating capital flight from America.

    Critique Cryptocurrency’s Role in the National Debt: Institutional adoption of BTC/ETH/etc. creates a shadow monetary system that undermines the dollar.

    Look Into the Mechanics of Sharia-Compliant Finance: Expose how deals with nations like Qatar and Saudi Arabia introduce legal and financial systems that are antithetical to U.S. economic principles.

    Take a Stand for Authentic Discourse: Public officials should actively curate their audience to prioritize verified, real individuals.

    Deconstruct “Sound Money”: Bitcoin isn’t the new gold, but the new Confederate Dollar.

    … AND A “DREAM ON” WISH LIST:

    Look Into the Qatar Gift Horse: Analyze the “gift” of an Air Force One jet as a symbol of foreign influence at the highest levels.

    Fire Engineers: A ruthless platform approach to platform integrity (purging bots) is more important than internal harmony at a tech company.

    Truth Social’s Bot Problem: Even “alternative” platforms are failing to provide authentic spaces for discourse.

  • The TikTok Paradox: National Security, Digital Sovereignty, and the Forging of U.S. Tech Policy

    The TikTok Paradox: National Security, Digital Sovereignty, and the Forging of U.S. Tech Policy

    David’s Note: This article was substantially revised on October 10, 2025 to incorporate new research and provide a more comprehensive analysis.

    On January 17, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a landmark law that forces the sale of TikTok, a platform used by over 170 million Americans, or face a nationwide ban.1 This decision highlighted a central paradox in modern American policy. TikTok is at once a legislative target, condemned as a grave national security threat, and an indispensable campaign tool, actively leveraged by the political actors who seek to regulate it.

    This paper argues that this apparent contradiction is not a sign of policy incoherence. Instead, it reveals an evolving and deliberate strategy to confront a novel threat to the nation’s digital sovereignty. Digital sovereignty is a nation’s ability to control its own digital destiny—the data, hardware, and software it relies upon.3 In this context, it means securing the digital infrastructure and information environment within its borders from the control of a strategic adversary.4

    The core of this argument is that the threat posed by TikTok is fundamentally structural. It is rooted in the legal and operational subordination of its parent company, ByteDance, to the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). This structural risk is distinct from the commercial data practices of domestic social media companies. It has compelled the U.S. to forge a new national security doctrine for the digital age.

    To develop this thesis, this paper will proceed in four parts.

    • Section I will establish that TikTok represents a structural national security threat due to its data collection capabilities under PRC law and its potential for algorithmic manipulation.
    • Section II will trace the evolution of U.S. legal strategy, from the failure of broad executive orders to the crafting of a targeted, constitutionally-sound legislative solution.
    • Section III will systematically deconstruct the primary counterarguments against this policy, including those based on the First Amendment, economic disruption, and false equivalencies with U.S. tech firms.
    • Section IV will analyze the political realities that create the central paradox, examining how electoral pragmatism and divided public opinion coexist with the national security consensus.

    Ultimately, this analysis will demonstrate that the TikTok dilemma is a landmark case in how a liberal democracy is adapting its legal and political tools to defend its sovereignty in an era of weaponized information.

    (more…)