Our Hungarian correspondent László takes a skeptical look at his government’s new policy about ATMs in the light of the trend towards a cashless society.
Totalitarian Tiptoeing Around the Money Machine
by László
“The reason any kind of totalitarianism is able to be implemented with the population’s consent is due to the slow nature of its rollout. This totalitarian tiptoe is a concept I have become aware of and witnessed play out over the past two and a half years, even though it has been a go-to playbook to implement tyranny for centuries.” — Evan McDermod
Some informed Hungarians are puzzled that the Hungarian National Bank has stipulated the minimal number of ATMs that dispense cash (see the article below), in order to make cash more available in the country — while the National Bank is in on the CBDC project and the elimination of cash, as much as any other central bank. How can this apparent contradiction be resolved?
Well, it is possible that confidence in commercial banks — and of course the amount of money kept there by the populace — is being protected by the same Hungarian central bank that is otherwise committed to the introduction of CBDC (digital leash and muzzle).
After all, if those backward Huns keep storing their money in their pillowcases en masse, or even angrily close their bank accounts because there is not enough cash in the ATMs or enough cash machines (as has often been the case recently), the hoi polloi will not be ready to be suddenly ordered to “hand over that bag of bills, peasant, it’s ours now, and from now on there’s only digital central bank money and we’re gonna tell you how you spend your own money, or else.” In other words the transfer to the New System (the latest euphemism for the great fascist reset) must be controlled. Not necessarily smooth, but controlled.
And the less money in the banks, the less leverage for blackmail. Your money has to be in the possession of the parasitic overclass first, so that they can steal it later with the CBDC scam.
The Hungarian National Bank has its specific plans for the introduction of the CBDC. So, the Powers That Be may have miscalculated the pace of the introduction: they started doing away with the cash machines too early, in their eager effort to herd the sheeple towards the ‘digital money’ barn. But, unfortunately, the elderly are not changing their habits (or are not dying off) here at the rate the Schwabians may have expected, so many Hungarians are still reluctant to give up using paper money.
Imagine the horror, for a moment, when the banknote-loving retrograde Magyars one day face empty cash machines and a spontaneous bank run spiralled out of control, and thus those Eastern Eurabian bumpkins lose their confidence in the entire banking system too soon! They would never trust the banks ever again and the beautiful Davos plans for their enslavement through the magical CBDC would be significantly delayed, or even worse (God forbid)!
Therefore the Powers had to take a step back, and so they must keep on tiptoeing around the ATMs, to prevent their sweet tyranny-money plans from getting derailed.
The half-century Soviet occupation had taken its toll on the technological progress and habits of the population in Hungary. (Many of us prefer using cash. The gossip goes that many pensioners insist on getting their pensions in cash, or others run to the bank every month to take it all out once it has arrived in their accounts.) That backlog of technological modernity might even have some advantages when it comes to escaping the coming global tech-gulag. However, as hopeful as that may sound, the geographically uneven rollout of the CBDC around the world might be part of the plans as well, as a form of totalitarian tiptoeing strategy.
The translated article from HVG.hu:
The National Bank Has Stipulated the Mandatory Number of ATMs
Banks will be obliged to install new cash dispensers (ATMs) under a tight deadline if they do not reach the number of machines required by the new legislation. They must do this even if they close a cash machine somewhere [else].
A decree issued by the president of the National Bank of Hungary (MNB) on Tuesday night sets out the exact number of ATMs a bank must operate in a district of the capital, a county and the towns and cities within them, depending on the number of debit and credit cards it has issued. For the largest financial institutions, which have issued more than 2.4 million credit cards, this means 1,686 ATMs in the whole country, and they have to operate machines in 80% of the towns outside the capital cities of the [respective] counties. Only banks that do not keep retail accounts or own less than 1% of the [Hungarian] credit card market are exempt.
The regulation stipulates that the number of machines required must be met within nine months, eighteen months or two years, depending on the volume, and that the situation must be re-assessed every three years. If the average cash-dispensing or deposit turnover of the machines exceeds the value set by the MNB, new machines must be installed. If a cash dispenser is closed down, which can only be done if there is a steady decrease in turnover, the bank is obliged to install two new ATMs, one of which must be installed near a doctor’s office, shops, post offices, i.e. in places frequently visited by the public. Banks must assess customers’ cash withdrawal habits at least once a year and, on this basis, design the choice of HUF banknote denomination for the equipment to meet customer needs. If a bank has more ATMs than presently required, it may reduce the number of ATMs in a given category by up to 25%.
[And here comes the twist, folks — the emphasis is mine:]
The president [of the central bank] also stipulated that “a credit institution operating cashless branches in at least 30% of its branch network — on 1 January, 25 December and 26 December — must provide a direct customer support service for the use of cash dispensers, accessible by telephone or video chat, at least between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. every calendar day” and that, in the case of [manned] cash desks, “customers wishing to make cash payments at cash desks [in the bank building] must not be disadvantaged, and the quality of service and waiting time at cash desks must not be less favourable than for customers wishing to use other financial and ancillary financial services”.
This [above new regulation] applies from 1 February.
For previous essays by László, see the László Archives.
Australia it is disappearing fast as young people never use cash. ATM’s are disappearing. In Hungary I was surprised to see free standing ATM’s around Lake Balaton a few years ago. This would be impossible in Australia as they reverse a vehicle up to them, rope them and drag them out of the wall/ ground so it is very difficult here to provide ATM’s. Everyone here drives a SUV/V6/4 litre engine so they have the grunt to pull out ATM’s.
I have a theory that the “Great Reset Gang” – a.k.a “The International Banking Cartel” – is planning to use Eastern Europe as a sort of intermediate auxiliary branch between the old and the new.
I don’t even know if this scenario is true or not, but let’s consider for a moment that the International Moneychangers get rid of the US Dollar and the Euro, leaving the Americans and the Western Europeans dead in the water.
Where will they get the tug boats to bring the dead financial vessel of Western Europe and the USA back to the harbour?
My very wild guess is – in Eastern EU: Namely those countries that do not have Euro: That is – Norway, Sweden, Danmark, The Czech Republic, Hungary, and – of course – Switzerland.
The International Money Changing scheme might be demolished by a “cyber attack”, but make no mistake about it: The Money Changers know that Cash is King!
If you want to perform a “reset”, you have to have a chair to sit in, a place from where you can 6uild 6ack 6etter.
+ The Ukraine. A wast “free space”, right next to “us”.
(free – after Zelensky et.al clear the area of all Ukrainians, because that’s what I see them doing when they chase all those poor souls to die under Russian Artillery fire)
Barn swallow ,
Well said, cash in Africa, south America will always be king . My Dad died in Hungary as a duel citizen. The Hungarians confiscated 5000. Social security payment and exchanged it to forint. The money is sitting in the bank not earning interest when his estate was settled the bank did not contact my family.
I was told by my Hungarian relatives to hire a lawyer. We will have to travel to Hungary for the cash. Dad had 2 bank accounts one was a German bank and they closed the account and paid in dollars as it was deposited but not the national bank .
Transfer it to a small bank in Switzerland and change it to Swiss Francs.
When they outlaw printed money people will use something else instead.
After WWII the Reichsmark was worth nothing, so they used cigarettes as currency.
And they used barter.
I am reminded of a quote either a japanese (Musashi?) or written in a japanese book (The book of 5 rings?):
Whatever has been thought by men can be beaten by men. (I know this is not the real words but thats how I remember it.)
Meaning: They may think they have found a way of being unbeatable, but sooner or later there will be one man who outthinks them and beats their way.