For sure, even if it's not perfect. Ready-to-use without electricity or internet, no payment processor shenanigans, and not nearly as comprehensive a system of tracking even if you account for serial numbers.

Cash is not 100% anonymous though. Vendors see you, cameras record you, you may even have to sign and present id for some transactions.

US recently introduced the bright idea of banknote serial numbers blacklists. Great incentive to hold greenbacks!

Cash is king. Always use cash when possible. I do, and I love it...

They want to keep track of everything so people pay their taxes…I mean a certain portion of the population that is.

Why is this a question?

"Should people be allowed to keep their rights?" -- this is usually intended to spark discussion, but discussing from this pov helps those who want bad things more than those who dont.

The only private alternative to cash that im aware of is monero. Nothing else is as private as cash.

I'm happy with the opinions and reasons for it here.
Unfortunately IRL people and especially the youth who have grown up with it are totally pro-digital.
They look at you as if you're a flat earther when you mention the possible consequences.

Yes. Once cash is gone a huge aspect of privacy goes with it.

I am afraid it will happen in my lifetime.

I don't see the benefit for the average person to get rid of cash. If it's digital it's trackable, can be hacked and more easily controlled by other parties. Also it allows for banks to charge more service fees.

Cash in the United States is not as private as it seems. Eventually the bills will be scanned at various points through the financial system and the serial numbers are logged by these authorities. It may take some time to collect the data versus being able to view a blockchain, but cash isn't as anonymous as it appears. And with a vastly decreasing amount of cash in circulation, it makes it a lot easier for the Govt to track its usage. It's still the best option even considering cryptocurrencies.

Another reason for the decline in cash is that as the U.S. debt increases, the economy will have to inflate along with it, and it's much easier to manage increasing inflation in an economy without physical currency. If things get really bad and conditions exist that would cause a bank run, well, good luck doing that if you can't have cash. Run off with a copy of the database or something.

It is not the anonymity that is important.

It is not having to ask someone permission to spend money like with a debit card, credit card, and even fucking crypto need institutional permission to have access to your power to spend yo money.

anonymity ain't shit.

Even with cash we're at the mercy of a country, if they fuck up their economy and hyperinflate it, money is gone anyway.

The only way forward is to carry around stuff that has intrinsic universal value. The currency of the future is potatoes, start stocking up.

Definitely, cash is critical

Monero XMR is the last bastion of "anonymous" transactions. The issue is actually obtaining it privately.

They're going to tax/fine you however they want. This is already reality. Its no different from having a bank account or making transfers via Paypal or Zelle. Our currency is already heavily digitized and centralized by governments. Transitioning to CBDCs would just be making the back-end more robust, which I'm personally in favor for. The technology for this has been worked on for about a decade now.

In the event of a disaster where the power grid and/or data communication goes down, how the fuck you gonna buy groceries, or anything else for that matter? 🤔