1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,920 Bitcoin breaks down the barriers of exclusivity and privilege that characterize the interplay 2 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:09,200 between political and financial power in America. 3 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:16,080 To be against Bitcoin is to be against freedom, fairness, non-violence, and voluntary choice. 4 00:00:16,080 --> 00:00:20,540 A crusade against Bitcoin is a crusade against truth. 5 00:00:20,540 --> 00:00:25,640 You have an opportunity to be truthful, to be open, to be welcoming of this monetary 6 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:30,920 technology which is diametrically opposed to the closed-door dealings and revolving 7 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:34,240 door access between Washington and Wall Street. 8 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:49,480 Greetings and salutations, my fellow pubs. 9 00:00:49,480 --> 00:00:52,400 My name is Walker and this is the Bitcoin Podcast. 10 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:59,600 The Bitcoin Block Height is 822-011 and the value of one Bitcoin is still one Bitcoin. 11 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:04,200 Today's episode is Bitcoin Out Loud and I'm going to read you something I just wrote today 12 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,280 and published on btctimes.com. 13 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:13,360 It's a response to several of Elizabeth Warren's recent actions and statements and her comments 14 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:16,880 about the revolving door in Washington. 15 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:22,320 Warren clearly has it out for Bitcoin users, Bitcoin node runners, and Bitcoin miners and 16 00:01:22,320 --> 00:01:27,360 I'm sure she's going to continue trying to strip away basic freedoms from Americans, 17 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:33,200 culminating with a push to make self-custody itself illegal because she's clearly feeling 18 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:35,920 the totalitarian temptation. 19 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:43,240 So now's a good time to go to bitbox.swiss.walker and use the promo code walker for 5% off the 20 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:46,400 Bitcoin only BitBoxO2 hardware wallet. 21 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:51,240 Again, it's Bitcoin only, it's fully open source, just go to their github and verify 22 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:53,680 it for yourself, no need to trust me. 23 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:57,840 It's super easy to set up, so easy that Elizabeth Warren could do it. 24 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:02,000 And it's a great tool for seasoned psychopaths and new bit coiners alike. 25 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:08,040 So go to bitbox.swiss.walker and use promo code walker for 5% off. 26 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:13,000 Then get your Bitcoin off the exchanges and into your own self-custody so you can tell 27 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:14,720 Warren to come and take it. 28 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:19,080 As always, you can watch the video version of this episode on Rumble, YouTuber X, by 29 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:24,480 searching at Walker America, or listen on fountain.fm or wherever you get your podcasts, 30 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:27,240 by searching for the Bitcoin podcast. 31 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:31,480 If you listen to the Bitcoin podcast on fountain, consider giving the show a boost or creating 32 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:33,720 a clip of something you've found interesting. 33 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:38,080 If you haven't checked out fountain yet and you're a bit coiner, I highly recommend it. 34 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:42,320 You can send bitcoin your favorite podcasters and earn bitcoin just for listening to the 35 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:43,440 show. 36 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:48,400 And if you are a bitcoin only company interested in sponsoring another fucking Bitcoin podcast, 37 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:52,320 hit me up on social media or go to bitcoinpodcast.net. 38 00:02:52,320 --> 00:03:04,880 Without further ado, let's get into this Bitcoin out loud read. 39 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:10,280 Washington's Revolving Door Elizabeth Warren's Totalitarian Crusade Against 40 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:15,920 Bitcoin and What It Reveals About the Hypocrisy of Washington, by Walker. 41 00:03:15,920 --> 00:03:21,680 On December 18, Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote a letter to Kristen Smith, the CEO of the 42 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:28,600 Blockchain Association, chastising her and her organization for flexing a not-so-secret 43 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:35,000 weapon, a small army of former defense, national security, and law enforcement officials to 44 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:41,120 work on your behalf to undermine pipe partisan efforts in Congress and the Biden administration 45 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:48,320 to address the role of cryptocurrency in financing Hamas and other terrorist organizations. 46 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:51,520 Just what is Senator Warren referring to? 47 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:56,840 On November 15, a coalition of digital asset industry companies and entrepreneurs with 48 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:03,040 U.S. military and national security backgrounds sent a letter to members of Congress to address 49 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:08,520 and clarify misperceptions about illicit finance and money laundering. 50 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:11,080 Here's one key paragraph. 51 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:15,920 We are concerned that recent reporting on Hamas's use of cryptocurrency, which has 52 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:23,520 been grossly overstated, debunked by its source, and partially corrected by its editors, continues 53 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:29,280 to be used to push legislation that would be counterproductive to U.S. national security 54 00:04:29,280 --> 00:04:30,560 interests. 55 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:36,720 The authors of the November 15 letter to Congress endeavored to open a dialogue with Washington, 56 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:43,360 eager to engage on policy issues and correct misconceptions clearly held by some misinformed 57 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:45,440 members of Congress. 58 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:50,840 Smith even invited Senator Warren to their annual policy summit in D.C., just one mile 59 00:04:50,840 --> 00:04:56,400 from Warren's office, a genuine invitation to speak with our industry directly. 60 00:04:56,400 --> 00:05:04,120 Sadly, Senator Warren's response was entirely predictable and exceedingly disappointing. 61 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:09,840 Senator Warren ends her letter with an ultimatum, asking Kristen Smith to provide answers to 62 00:05:09,840 --> 00:05:15,480 the following questions no later than January 14, 2024. 63 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:17,080 1. 64 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:22,240 How many former military, civilian, government officials or members of Congress are currently 65 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:25,760 employed by or on behalf of your association? 66 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:29,320 Please provide a full list of all such officials and their former roles in government. 67 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:32,200 How much are they compensated on an annual basis? 68 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:33,640 2. 69 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:39,240 For all officials listed in response to question 1, please provide a summary of their responsibilities. 70 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:43,840 Are they registered lobbyists or do they work as advisors, counselors, or in other roles? 71 00:05:43,840 --> 00:05:48,480 A list of all legislation or regulatory activities where they have been involved with in Congress 72 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:50,040 or the administration. 73 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:54,600 A list of all Biden administration officials they have met with in relation to these activities. 74 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:58,240 A list of any other activities meeting with federal government officials, any federal 75 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:01,280 experience with cryptocurrency or terrorist financing. 76 00:06:01,280 --> 00:06:06,200 Specifically, were there any individuals who signed the November 15, 2023 letter sent by 77 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:10,840 your organization employed by or compensated by any other crypto firms or crypto industry 78 00:06:10,840 --> 00:06:11,840 associations? 79 00:06:11,840 --> 00:06:14,040 If so, list these individuals. 80 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:15,040 3. 81 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:20,200 With regard to the individuals listed in response to question 1, was your association in contact 82 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:24,000 with any of them about employment while they were still employed by the government? 83 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:27,680 If so, please list all individuals and the nature of the contacts. 84 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:28,680 4. 85 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:32,640 Does your association have a code of ethics that restricts contacts with active government 86 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:37,320 officials about future employment or restricts the activities of former government employees 87 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:40,720 that are now working for your association or on its behalf? 88 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:43,920 If so, please provide a copy of the code of ethics. 89 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:46,640 Here's another excerpt from the Warren letter. 90 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:52,320 This abuse of the revolving door is appalling, revealing that the crypto industry is spending 91 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:57,600 millions to give itself a veneer of legitimacy while fighting tooth and nail to stonewall 92 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:02,920 common sense rules designed to restrict the use of crypto for terror financing, rules that 93 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:05,200 could cut into crypto company profits. 94 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:08,920 It also reveals significant gaps in the nation's ethics laws. 95 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:13,600 These gaps allow former government officials, including former national security officials, 96 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:18,080 to leave their positions in the public trust and almost immediately cash in and go to work 97 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:22,760 as lobbyists or advisors for private sector industries with a keen interest in federal 98 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:23,920 policy. 99 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:25,840 This is wrong. 100 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:29,240 Americans should be confident that government officials are working on their behalf rather 101 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:33,840 than auditioning for high paid lobbying jobs or abusing the connections that they have 102 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:38,200 made in government service to influence members of Congress and regulators after they have 103 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:41,080 made a trip through the revolving door. 104 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:46,720 I for one agree with Senator Warren about the abuse of the revolving door. 105 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:51,760 Washington elites capitalize on their insider connections to make a killing in the private 106 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:55,800 sector, but I am skeptical of Warren's motivations. 107 00:07:55,800 --> 00:08:00,360 After all, if she really cared about abuse of the revolving door, then you'd think she 108 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:05,400 would be focusing her efforts on the insiders and abusers that are far more blatant and 109 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:06,640 longstanding. 110 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:11,280 Going through all the abuses of Washington's revolving door would take many books. 111 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:16,680 So for today, let's take a look at a few high profile examples of abuses and hypocrisy 112 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:22,640 policies, as they relate to Washington insiders, big banks, and the political elite. 113 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:25,720 Janet Yellen Before becoming the Treasury Secretary in 114 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:30,800 2021 under President Joe Biden, Janet Yellen earned millions in speaking fees from Wall 115 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:36,040 Street and large corporations in the few short years after leaving the Federal Reserve in 116 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:37,040 2018. 117 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:40,840 Janet Yellen has an illustrious career as a Washington insider. 118 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:46,760 She is the former Chair of the Federal Reserve, 2014-2018, Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve, 119 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:52,320 2010-2014, Member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, 2010-2018, President of the 120 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:58,400 Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, 2004-2010, and Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers 121 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:00,080 under President Clinton. 122 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:04,680 Directly after she finished her tenure as the Chair of the Federal Reserve, Yellen 123 00:09:04,680 --> 00:09:09,800 raked in more than $7.2 million in speaking fees from Wall Street and large corporations, 124 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:16,560 including City, Goldman Sachs, Google, City National Bank, UBS, Citadel LLC, Barclays, 125 00:09:16,560 --> 00:09:19,080 Credit Suisse, Salesforce, and more. 126 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:23,680 Now, after taking millions from Wall Street, Yellen walked back through the revolving 127 00:09:23,680 --> 00:09:28,640 door and into her current seat as the Secretary of the Treasury, from the Federal Reserve 128 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:31,840 to Wall Street and straight back to the Treasury. 129 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:32,840 What a journey. 130 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:36,440 The Federal Reserve literally controls the creation of our money in the United States 131 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:39,960 and the Treasury Department controls how the government spends that money. 132 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:44,760 For the last 20-plus years, Yellen has been in the innermost circle of string-pullers 133 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:48,360 who control the monetary and fiscal path of our nation. 134 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:51,480 But the question is, who controls Janet Yellen? 135 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:52,720 The Clintons. 136 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:57,560 Hillary Clinton, along with Bill Clinton, has received truly absurd speaking fees from 137 00:09:57,560 --> 00:09:59,120 Wall Street entities. 138 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:05,560 Between 2001 and 2016, they received approximately $153 million in speaking fees, including 139 00:10:05,560 --> 00:10:10,440 at least eight speeches given by Hillary to big banks totaling $1.8 million. 140 00:10:10,440 --> 00:10:17,200 She demanded a minimum fee of $225,000 per speech, paid three times by Goldman Sachs, 141 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:21,800 and happily paid by a number of other Wall Street firms, including Morgan Stanley, Deutsche 142 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:25,560 Bank, Fidelity Investments, UBS, and Bank of America. 143 00:10:25,560 --> 00:10:30,240 Hedge funds and private equity firms also got in on the action, like Apollo Management 144 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:32,920 and Colberg, Kravitz, Roberts. 145 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:37,920 Over the years, major banks like Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, and Morgan Stanley 146 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:42,280 have significantly contributed to Hillary Clinton's political campaigns and her charity, 147 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:46,200 The Clinton Foundation, donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to Clinton over her 148 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:47,200 career. 149 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:50,800 The Clinton Foundation has also received $1 million to $5 million from entities such 150 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:56,960 as Goldman Sachs, Barclays, and The City Foundation, and $500,000 to $1 million from the Bank of 151 00:10:56,960 --> 00:11:02,800 America Foundation, Citigroup, HSBC, and UBS, alongside hundreds of thousands from other 152 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:03,800 large banks. 153 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:09,120 Again, this is only the data up to 2016, because apparently the legacy media stopped caring 154 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:13,680 about Hillary Clinton's abuse of the revolving door after her failed presidential campaign. 155 00:11:13,680 --> 00:11:19,960 Thanks to inflation, I'm sure Hillary commands a much higher speaking fee these days. 156 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:24,400 The best part about Washington is you don't even have to have a job in politics to take 157 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:27,160 advantage of political clout for personal gain. 158 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:30,880 As long as your family is well connected, you're set for life. 159 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:32,320 Just look at Hunter Biden. 160 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:36,360 Thanks to being the son of former Vice President and current President Joe Biden, Hunter was 161 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:41,680 able to land impressively lucrative deals with Chinese and Ukrainian firms, raking 162 00:11:41,680 --> 00:11:43,040 in millions. 163 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:47,720 But Hunter's most impressive accomplishments came when he stopped advising foreign companies 164 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:50,160 and started painting instead. 165 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:54,560 Most artists worked their whole lives to refine their art, often never achieving any sort 166 00:11:54,560 --> 00:11:58,280 of professional success even when they possess immense talent. 167 00:11:58,280 --> 00:11:59,520 But not Hunter. 168 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:01,160 He was a natural. 169 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:07,120 Just one year after beginning his career as an artist, Hunter had already sold $1.3 million 170 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:08,120 worth of his art. 171 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:14,400 A single unknown buyer spent $875,000 on 11 Biden artworks. 172 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:20,480 But Hunter's paltry $1.3 million pales in comparison to the $15 million his parents, 173 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:25,000 Joe and Joe Biden, received in the two years after they left the White House, where Joe 174 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:28,400 served as President Obama's VP. 175 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:32,280 The Obamas During his presidency, Barack Obama's administration 176 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:35,640 hired over 70 previously registered lobbyists. 177 00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:39,880 Despite his promises to tackle the revolving door culture in Washington, many officials 178 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:45,440 from his administration transitioned through this door into lobbying or Wall Street positions, 179 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:47,840 and many started on Wall Street to begin with. 180 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:53,040 For instance, former Attorney General Eric Holder returned to Wall Street law firm Covington 181 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:58,240 and Burling after his tenure, a firm where several former Obama officials had already 182 00:12:58,240 --> 00:12:59,240 landed. 183 00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:02,840 Obama also commands a hefty sum for speaking engagements. 184 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:08,880 In just one of many examples, Obama received $400,000 for a speech paid for by Wall Street 185 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:13,640 Bank Cantor Fitzgerald, but former First Lady Michelle Obama does even better. 186 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:19,880 She was reportedly paid $750,000 after giving a one-hour speech on diversity and inclusion 187 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:22,520 in Germany. 188 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:23,520 Zooming Out 189 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:28,320 Perhaps it seems I am cherry picking instances of Washington's revolving door benefiting 190 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:33,240 the political elite, but these are simply some of the most blatant and obvious examples. 191 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:37,960 There's one larger example that provides additional context, the Obama administration's 192 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:44,440 prosecution of the architects of the 2008 financial crisis, or rather, the lack thereof. 193 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:49,640 There was not a single arrest or prosecution of any senior Wall Street banker for the systemic 194 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:52,960 fraud that precipitated the 2008 financial crisis. 195 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:57,860 In a 2013 article for The Guardian, Glenn Greenwald noted, as Kaufman and his staffers 196 00:13:57,860 --> 00:14:03,200 make clear, Obama officials were plainly uninterested in pursuing criminal accountability for Wall 197 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:04,200 Street. 198 00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:09,480 One former staffer to both Biden and Kaufman, Jeff Conotten, wrote a book in 2011, The Pay 199 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:15,640 Off, Why Wall Street Always Wins, devoted to alerting the nation that the Obama DOJ 200 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:19,000 refused to even try to find criminal culprits on Wall Street. 201 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:24,560 In the book, this career democratic aid turned whistleblower details how the levers of Washington 202 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:31,120 power are used to shield and protect high-level Wall Street executives, many of whom have 203 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:36,840 close ties to the leaders of both parties and themselves are former high-level government 204 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:37,940 officials. 205 00:14:37,940 --> 00:14:44,040 This is a system he makes clear that is constituted to ensure that those executives never face 206 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:49,080 real accountability even for their most egregious and destructive crimes. 207 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:51,400 Greenwald concludes the article by stating, 208 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:56,520 Americans continue to be plagued by massive unemployment, foreclosures, the threat of austerity 209 00:14:56,520 --> 00:15:01,880 and economic insecurity, while those who cause those problems have more power and profit 210 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:07,400 than ever, and they watch millions of their fellow citizens be put in cages for relatively 211 00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:12,960 minor offenses, while the most powerful are free to commit far more serious crimes with 212 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:15,240 complete impunity. 213 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:20,960 Far less injustice than this has spurred serious unrest in other societies. 214 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:24,840 Why is this recent history so relevant to our topic today? 215 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:29,760 Because Senator Elizabeth Warren is in bed with the same too big to fail banks that President 216 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:34,200 Obama refused to prosecute, the same banks who have paid untold billions of dollars to 217 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:39,760 numerous Washington insiders on both sides of the aisle, the same banks who are the true 218 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:44,840 facilitators of money laundering, the same banks who handled Jeffrey Epstein's money. 219 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:49,760 Elizabeth Warren is actively trying to ban Bitcoin, expand the surveillance state, and 220 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:54,160 strip away Americans' basic right to privacy and the freedom to transact. 221 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:59,800 She is siding with big banks over her own constituents, whom she is supposed to serve. 222 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:04,880 She refuses to meet with Bitcoin and crypto organizations, and instead sends threatening 223 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:09,960 letters demanding a level of accountability that she has never required of her fellow 224 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:11,480 Washington insiders. 225 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:16,480 Senator Warren refuses to acknowledge the fact that she has, on multiple occasions, 226 00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:22,000 used incorrect data or outright lies to advance her anti-Bitcoin agenda. 227 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:27,680 So, Senator Warren, let me be clear, I agree with you that Washington's revolving door 228 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:31,760 is a problem, and one which we must address. 229 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:36,040 But I do not believe that you are actually interested in solving this problem. 230 00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:42,520 You are only interested in so far as it relates to your totalitarian anti-Bitcoin crusade. 231 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:47,360 Perhaps I am wrong, I would love to be, so I will give you a chance to prove it. 232 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:53,680 As a show of good faith, I ask that you publicly commit to never taking speaking fees or provide 233 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:59,280 paid advisory services to any business or consultancy firms after your tenure in the 234 00:16:59,280 --> 00:17:05,760 Senate is complete, and commit to never joining any lobbying group, NGO, or PAC that attempts 235 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:07,760 to influence politics. 236 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:12,600 After all, this would be a clear abuse of the revolving door, right? 237 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:17,280 I further ask that you commit to investigating the big banks and their lobbyists, applying 238 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:21,160 the same framework of questions that you requested of Kristen Smith. 239 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:22,680 Will you commit, Senator? 240 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:27,160 Or will you continue masquerading as a liberal while championing the same policies advanced 241 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:29,160 by totalitarian governments? 242 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:34,760 You have often claimed to be fighting for the little guy, but your recent actions suggest 243 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:36,720 exactly the opposite. 244 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:42,760 Bitcoin is an open, decentralized, transparent, and fair monetary protocol. 245 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:47,680 It stands as a stark contrast to the revolving door benefiting Washington and Wall Street 246 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:48,680 elites. 247 00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:54,600 It is decentralized, with people from across the world voluntarily opting in, and it operates 248 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:59,140 independently of traditional financial systems and political influence, challenging the 249 00:17:59,140 --> 00:18:05,560 opaque and self-serving dynamics of the elite power networks you purport to champion against. 250 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:11,680 In Washington and on Wall Street, we know there is no equal treatment under the law. 251 00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:18,440 But under Bitcoin, everyone is truly equal, because everyone must play by the same rules, 252 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:22,320 regardless of their political power and influence. 253 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:27,800 Bitcoin breaks down the barriers of exclusivity and privilege that characterize the interplay 254 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:31,080 between political and financial power in America. 255 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:37,960 To be against Bitcoin is to be against freedom, fairness, non-violence, and voluntary choice. 256 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:42,440 A crusade against Bitcoin is a crusade against truth. 257 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:48,800 You have an opportunity to be truthful, to be open, to be welcoming of this monetary technology, 258 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:54,440 which is diametrically opposed to the closed-door dealings and revolving door access between 259 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:56,440 Washington and Wall Street. 260 00:18:56,440 --> 00:19:02,480 You have an opportunity to make new allies, who truly want to give power back to the people, 261 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:08,720 and who are willing to fight for it in a non-violent revolt against would-be totalitarians who side 262 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:13,000 with the power elite to trample the rights of the average citizen. 263 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,360 All you have to do is open your mind and listen. 264 00:19:16,360 --> 00:19:21,480 You have a decision to make, Senator, and history will remember you for it one way or the other. 265 00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:31,800 I hope you choose wisely. 266 00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:37,320 And that's a wrap on this Bitcoin Out Loud episode of The Bitcoin Podcast. 267 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:42,640 If you are a Bitcoin-only company interested in sponsoring another fucking Bitcoin podcast, 268 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:44,800 head to bitcoinpodcast.net. 269 00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:49,180 You can find me on Noster by going to primal.net slash walker. 270 00:19:49,180 --> 00:19:54,320 If you want to follow The Bitcoin Podcast on Twitter, go to at titcoinpodcast and at 271 00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:55,880 walkeramerica. 272 00:19:55,880 --> 00:20:00,920 You can also find the video version of this podcast at youtube.com slash outwalkeramerica 273 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:04,120 and outwalkeramerica on rumble. 274 00:20:04,120 --> 00:20:05,120 Bitcoin is scarce. 275 00:20:05,120 --> 00:20:08,240 There will only ever be 21 million. 276 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:11,040 But Bitcoin podcasts are abundant. 277 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:17,200 So thank you for spending your scarce time to listen to another fucking Bitcoin podcast. 278 00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:19,240 Until next time, stay free.