Bank Secrecy Act (worse threat that FISA)

[pmbug]

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The BSA is an even bigger threat to the Fourth Amendment. Americans do not have to communicate with a foreign person or suspected terrorist to be wrapped up in BSA surveillance. People get wrapped up in BSA surveillance for simply spending their own money.
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... Few realize it, but Fourth Amendment protection against warrantless searches no longer applies to Americans’ financial records.

It’s true. The BSA and the massive federal anti-money laundering framework that it spawned gives the government warrantless access to the financial records of any American with a bank account. (Actually, it’s not just banks—the rule applies to transactions with all “financial institutions,” broadly defined as companies ranging from jewelers to casinos.) And financial firms have been commandeered as an extended arm of law enforcement—they now report millions of customers’ transactions to the federal government every year.
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More:

The Bank Secrecy Act Is A Bigger Threat Than FISA

It turns out the federal government has conducted tons of these warrantless searches—more than 200,000 in 2022 alone—of Americans’ phone calls, emails, and texts.

www.forbes.com

TPTB have gotten a taste of the power that a CBDC will yield. The war on cash will continue to herd people into using easily monitored digital money unless people start demanding real money.

 

[chieftain]

unless people start demanding real money.

And to whom would these demands be made?

 

[pmbug]

And to whom would these demands be made?

Every swamp creature that represents you. Every media outlet that lets you speak. Every community event where it's appropriate to discuss such matters.

There was a UFC contestant trying to educate MMA fans about Austrian economics recently. Beat the drums wherever people will listen.

 

[chieftain]

Every swamp creature that represents you. Every media outlet that lets you speak. Every community event where it's appropriate to discuss such matters.

I was being somewhat tongue in cheek when I posed the question, knowing full well the people you mentioned were the answer. In a roundabout way, I was also asking would there be anyone willing to offer real money should people ask for it? The Fed takes a dim view of such shenanigans and the arse holes would fight tooth and nail to keep real money out of circulation.

 

[pmbug]

... In a roundabout way, I was also asking would there be anyone willing to offer real money should people ask for it? ...

The Tea Party movement showed that it is possible IMO.

 

[chieftain]

The Tea Party movement showed that it is possible IMO.

The historical Tea Party movement or the modern iteration:

Tea Party movement - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

?

 

[pmbug]

The modern interation. It's of course been co-opted and neutered since it was born, but it demonstrated that a grassroots movement could grow into a force strong enough to effect change and end political careers of incumbents.

It might be different in your neck of the woods (Australia), but I do believe that if people are of one mind on sound money and demonstrate that in a groundswell of support, critters in DC will take notice. The State level initiatives for sound money are a strong foundation to build on. $.02

 

[chieftain]

Australia is further away from a critical mass of people able to trigger a grass roots movement and make something happen than the US is right now.

 

[pmbug]

* bump *

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Congress held another hearing nearly two years later with the newly hired FinCEN Director Andrea Gacki. Again, Representative McHenry asked if FinCEN was collecting statistics on the effectiveness of this surveillance regime. When Gacki said the agency had started to collect data, McHenry responded, saying, “You’ve been collecting [reports for several decades], yet we don’t know how law enforcement uses them. … You should have data to back it up. The agency should be better. … This is about Americans’ protection, it is about Americans’ civil liberties, and it is a high obligation.”

It seems McHenry’s warning went unheard. At the latest hearing in this saga, Representative Zachary Nunn (R‑IA) asked Gacki how many of the 27.5 million reports filed under the Bank Secrecy Act last year resulted in an arrest. She initially avoided the question for a full sixty seconds before Representative Nunn interrupted to say, “Just give me a number.” Gacki said that she did not have the number.

This response is unacceptable. People have been asking for answers for years. Worse yet, Congress passed legislation in 2020 that specifically required these answers to be provided. Yet, the American people have been left in the dark.

Congress has been beyond patient with FinCEN. It’s time to move forward and reform the Bank Secrecy Act regime.
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More:

https://www.cato.org/blog/how-many-arrests-were-made-fincen-director-doesnt-know