🎙️ My guest today is Roger Huang, an author, journalist on Forbes, Bitcoin Magazine and more, and a Bitcoin advocate, whose work bridges the intersection of Bitcoin, geopolitics, economics, and history. Roger is the author of “Would Mao Hold Bitcoin?”, an exploration of Bitcoin’s potential within China’s political and monetary landscape. From the impact of inflation on historical events like Tiananmen Square to the implications of digital surveillance and central bank digital currencies, Roger provides a comprehensive analysis of how Bitcoin can challenge state control and empower individuals. In this episode, we explore Roger’s journey from his roots in China to his upbringing in Canada, and how his disillusionment with the traditional financial system inspired him to advocate for Bitcoin as a tool for freedom and decentralization. Roger shares powerful stories about the Chinese surveillance state, the role of inflation in shaping politics, and the growing global influence of China’s economic strategies, including the Belt and Road Initiative and CBDC development.
This episode is also on Twitter, Spotify, Fountain, Rumble and more.
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We talked about:
00:00 Coming Up…
01:01 Introduction to Roger Huang and His Work
03:00 Roger's Background and Early Interest in Bitcoin & Writing
08:38 Mao's Economic Policies and Their Consequences
13:18 Inflation and Political Unrest in China’s History, and Tiananmen Square Protests
18:07 Human Rights Violations & Digital Surveillance in China
22:44 Social Credit Score System in China and the Rest Of the World
28:58 Censorship: The Dangers of “Everything Apps” like WeChat
35:44 What “Cashless Society” Looks Like in China
38:03 The Rise of CBDC’s in China
49:54 China's Belt & Road Initiative - Acquiring Geopolitical Power
53:51 Roger's Personal Passion for Bitcoin
57:55 Conclusion and Where to Follow Roger
My takeaways:
Roger’s work explores the intersection of human rights, freedom tech & Bitcoin and geopolitics.
Inflation has been a persistent issue in Chinese history.
Mao's policies were heavily influenced by the need to control inflation.
The Tiananmen Square protests were fueled by economic discontent.
China's surveillance state is one of the most advanced in the world.
The social credit system is used to punish dissent in China.
There are parallels between China's surveillance practices and those in the West.
Digital payments in China can lead to immediate penalties for behavior.
Censorship is a growing concern with government influence on social media.
Decentralization is crucial to avoid reliance on single entities, protocols like
Bitcoin and Nostr offer alternatives to centralized platforms.
Bitcoin serves as a hedge against government control and financial instability.
China's central bank digital currency initiatives are closely monitored by other nations.
CBDC’s can track consumption habits, expiry dates and more
The integration of CBDCs with existing payment systems is a strategic move.
China's approach to cashless transactions is not as coercive as perceived.
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Thank you!
Good afternoon, I live in Europe, specifically in Brittany. As the deeply uncomfortable push by "governments and the new desire for a crypto currency in the country with "50" states" on the other side of the pond....how well do you consider the survival of Bitcoin will be? The Bitcoin system declares itself as honest-transparent. However others not so honest-transparent are pushing their presence in to Bitcoin. And the question of digital id' being thrust upon us....how can one continue to use their Bitcoin wallets on an internet system that possibility will be held to ransom if one does not comply to creatures of greed. I really want to hear your take on these questions as I respect your insights and knowledge of the subject "Bitcoin." Thank you in advance for your time.
Dear Chris, that’s an excellent question which I’d love to touch on, in our next live video session for subscribers. Would you mind copy-pasting your question to this post: https://www.efrat.blog/p/subscribers-q-and-a-leading-up-to
And I’ll add it to the list.
Thanks!
Yes, I will. Am looking forward to your reply.
THANK YOU!
I must admit, I was not familiar with Roger prior to your podcast, but really enjoyed this episode. Right off the bat his comment that "studying economics teaches you how to be precisely wrong" made me chuckle and set the tone for the entire interview. I found his thoughts and experience with Chinese CBDCs, state control and social credit scores fascinating. I found his story about someone being suspended from WeChat for posting about Bitcoin startling, which even more amazingly disabled them from making payments as well since it's the same app. A really memorable statement that stuck with me was that if digital payment mechanisms are not done openly, then you create a system where your behaviors can be penalized immediately. And really enjoyed your interactive discussion about the need for open protocols like Bitcoin and Nostr (rather than platforms). Learned a lot and enjoyed this episode (as always). Keep up the good work!
I LOVE it so much that you listened so attentively and took so much from it! Thank you Larry, you're the best. and yes, Roger is wonderful!