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Comment by nephihaha | Hacker News Reader

Quote from article: 'It all changed when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. Realising that reliance on an electronic payment system left Sweden vulnerable to blackouts or sabotage, the Riksbank – Sweden's central bank – urged civilians to keep 1,000 Swedish kronor (£80) per adult at home. The government issued a brochure entitled "If Crisis or War Comes" to every household, advising Swedes to use cash regularly to "strengthen preparedness".'

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You should have cash in a drawer somewhere just in case you lose your card / wallet / phone. A lot of people talk about totalitarian societies and being cut off from payment at a click of a switch, but the reality is more mundane.

Cash is a good backup and is easy to give to someone else e.g. I recently moved house and my brother was driving my car (while I drove the moving van). I left £60 in cash in the cubby box, so he could refill. No need to mess around with apps/bank transfers, just leave the notes/coins in the compartment.

Being cut off from payment at a click of a switch is already happening. I can name at least 3 people off the top of my head that have been de-banked in western countries (USA, UK, Italy) simply for speaking out in favour of the "wrong" cause.

Democratic states need to constitutionally enshrine the right to banking, if they insist on being called democratic.

The Payment Accounts Directive already mostly does that in the EU (as does the UK's Payment Accounts Regulations).

It's not truly universal, as people who are money laundering or financing terrorism can still be excluded, but it does allow those who've been "debanked" based on other risk metrics (such as financial vulnerability or political exposure) to have basic payment accounts.

Those complaining in the media about being debanked are generally talking about not being able access credit, do large international bank transfers, or use sophisticated banking products. Normal day-to-day spending is not affected.

Often they are lying about why anyway. Almost every political commentator, influencer or edgy personality (right or left) have been exposed as lying or defrauding to their audience.

I used to pay attention to politics and freedom of speech issues etc. While there is a problem with democratic societies (any government really) curtailing freedom of speech. That often isn't what is happened when these people are de-banked.

Often banks have to apply different rules/laws to people that are politically exposed and/or these people are doing something shady etc.

I wouldn't believe any of the political grifters (left/right/whatever) online when they said they are de-banked/cancelled unless they show definitive proof.

there's a level of "naiveté" that's borderline criminal to have been moving on with the previous plan without considering a war could be possible

We haven't really had war in Europe for eighty years. You can always change policy if it seems to be happening like now, if in a low key way.

Depends where you are. Off the top of my head:

* the Balkan Wars (Yugoslavia, Bosnia, Kosovo)

* various parts of the former Soviet Union (several in the Caucasus, Ukraine)

* the Troubles in Northern Ireland (which came close to being a civil war)

* the Basque Insurgency

* Cyprus

* Greek troubles

* Mafia wars in southern Italy. Trouble in Sardinia and Corsica next door too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yugoslav_Wars

wars exist. if you are a politician it's literally your job to take that into account

For the curious, you can download the English version here: https://www.mcf.se/sv/publikationer/om-krisen-eller-kriget-k...

Denmark has the same suggestion from the Government, although I can't remember if the amount is the same or less (also considering exchange rate)

Netherlands recommends 70 euro per adult and 30 euro per child. There's probably some coordination going on between countries that they all land on roughly the same ammount of money.

They co-ordinate most things now, rightly or wrongly.

Either way these are small change, and thanks to the slow but persistent reduction, many places refuse to accept cash and/or don't even have the facilities to deal with it!

A blessing in disguise.

Very melodramatic.

2 questions:

1. What could a nation state with $1b to spare achieve if they paid marginalised people $10k a piece to carry out '''random acts'''?

2. Do any nations have the means, motive and opportunity to do this?

The answers isn't necessary yes or no, but more of a percentage chance. That percentage chance needs to be baked into systems as insurance and mitigation. However, the West seems to see this risk as free wealth to be extracted rather than a real threat.

Nope, just a smart move from the government to have some preparedness in case of a crisis.

Sweden hasn't seen war in more than two hundred years, it's good to be reminded what to do just in case.

It seems melodramatic right until Russia blows up your bank's data center, and their digital payment system goes down for days or weeks just as you're out buying groceries.

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