With commentary from a Twitter space with Blammo Media CEO Boris van de Ven, who will be speaking at Bitcoin Amsterdamfrom October 18 to 20, 2022.
(Disclaimer: BTC Inc. owns both Bitcoin Amsterdam and Bitcoin Magazine.)
It is the fourth week of the Dutch farmers’ uprising in the Netherlands and there is no sign of resolution as farmers refuse to abandon their farms and the government refuses to back down on regulations force farmers to reduce their nitrogen beyond the point where they can continue to cultivate.
Inspired by the Canadian Freedom Truckers, farmers from Italy and Germany around the world are also rebelling against government excesses and supporting the Dutch populist movement to reclaim their rights.
The Dutch government released a plan in June for reductions in nitrogen emissions, largely targeting the country’s agricultural industry. saying “There is no future for all farmers.”
Calling it an “inevitable transition”, the government mandated emission reductions of up to 70% in many areas near conservation lands and up to 95% in other areas.
“This plan means concretely that, in certain areas, farmers must reduce their nitrogen emissions by 70%”, said climate researcher. “That means they just have to quit.”
Interest in Bitcoin Grows as Fear of Government Overreach Grows
What does this mean for bitcoin? According to a Dutch educator and entrepreneur, interest in bitcoin is growing and the biggest eye-catcher – what makes people’s eyes shine – is the idea that bitcoin is money beyond the reach of the government.
Despite all the rhetoric about assets versus money, speculation, inflation hedges, the one argument that resonates with farmers is that the money is theirs.
In a interview With Bitcoin Magazine on Twitter Spaces, Boris van de Ven, CEO of Blammo Media, told us that the government had confiscated land and introduced new regulations making it nearly impossible for farmers to continue farming.
De Ven said the story of the Canadian truckers has been aired before a large audience here and is causing a level of anxiety that is causing farmers to realize they need to secure their finances out of the reach of the government.
“I was surprised by the farmers I spoke to that most of them had heard of it [bitcoin] are aware of it, are very aware of the problems they face,” he said… “Farmers are financially savvy and understand the solution bitcoin provides,” de Ven added.
Link to the Tweet embedded here.
De Ven is the host of the first bitcoin podcast supported by a mainstream media company – BNR nieuwsradio.
He says he has seen a growing interest in bitcoin and a growing number of podcasts and dating in the Netherlands.
He also organizes a meeting which has “exponentially grown”.
“If the government starts freezing bank accounts,” de Ven said, “Bitcoin will be there immediately.”
CBDCs are coming
The European Central Bank (ECB) is development a CBDC for the euro claiming that a digital currency will speed up transactions, help lower interest rates and reduce the use of cash.
Calling this a potential “totalitarian nightmare”, de Ven believes the digital euro will be introduced within the next two years and notes that the ECB’s consultation process has produced mostly negative reactions from the general public.
De Ven sees this as another pressure point for farmers who increasingly understand that they may need a way to transact beyond the reach of government.
Once the regulatory trap is in place with both CBDCs and KYC regulations for exchanges, there is no turning back.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) takes control
De Ven sees a “great centralization” happening with his own government voluntarily ceding power to the EU and WEF.
“It’s so obvious, the overwhelming influence of the WEF,” said de Ven.
He noted that the Dutch royal family is involved in the WEF and that Dutch municipal governments willingly cede power to the EU and its WEF supporters.
Conclusion
Dutch farmers are being pressured on several fronts – with rising government taxes, the cost of ‘green’ technologies due and the fear of having their land confiscated.
De Ven says farmers are “tired of government control” and have been “terrorized by government regulations”.
Farmers are also faced with the introduction of CBDCs.
Farmers fully understand that the government is the enemy and they must act now to avoid complete surrender.
Dutch farmers called on blue collar workers around the world to come together for a day of international protests against radical climate policies on July 23, 2022.
Meanwhile, in Amsterdam, bitcoin businesses are thriving and bitcoin is no longer a gimmick but a medium of exchange, says de Ven.
Indeed, it is expected that he will speak during the Bitcoin Amsterdam conference from October 18-20, in hopes of furthering Bitcoin adoption in Europe.