Emerson reminds us that prosperity is hollow if it does not produce character. Seasons of abundance reveal what systems cultivate beneath the surface—dependence or dignity, consumption or stewardship. Bitcoin aligns with this deeper measure by rewarding responsibility, long-term thinking, and voluntary cooperation, anchoring wealth to human values rather than institutional metrics.
#Bitcoin #Emerson #Character #Sovereignty
Bent Measuring Stick
(If you remember when hopping on a train felt like pocket change.)
City Subway Fare (1995 → 2025)
1995 Price — A typical U.S. city subway fare was about $1.25.
2025 Price — The same ride now commonly costs $2.75–$3.25, roughly a 2–2.5× increase for traveling the same rails beneath the same streets.
Inflation has a way of slipping underground, quietly inflating the cost of movement until it feels like part of the scenery. And when the measuring stick bends, even the simple act of getting to work demands a larger share of the hours we traded to earn it.
#soundmoney #bitcoin #inflation #purchasingpower #fiat
Montesquieu’s observation is not cynical but empirical: unchecked power tends to expand until it is constrained. Bitcoin answers this centuries-old problem by removing discretion altogether—rules over rulers, limits over promises. By hard-coding restraint, bitcoin transforms suspicion of power into a system that no longer requires trust to function.
#Montesquieu #bitcoin #Power #Sovereignty
Bent Measuring Stick
(If you remember when mailing something felt almost free.)
First-Class Postage Stamp (1995 → 2025)
1995 Price — A first-class postage stamp cost $0.32.
2025 Price — The same stamp now costs $0.73, more than a 2× increase to move the same envelope the same distance.
Inflation rarely announces itself with drama; it shows up quietly in the smallest civic rituals until we stop noticing the change. And when the measuring stick bends, even simple acts of connection ask for more of the hours we traded to earn them.
#soundmoney #bitcoin #inflation #purchasingpower #fiat
Quesnay understood prosperity as something that emerges, not something that can be engineered. When authority recedes, voluntary order takes its place. Bitcoin reflects this same insight in monetary form—by minimizing discretionary interference, it allows value to arise organically through exchange, discipline, and trustless coordination rather than central design.
#Quesnay #Bitcoin #Prosperity #Freedom
Bent Measuring Stick
(If you remember buying running shoes once a year and thinking nothing of it.)
Mid-Range Running Shoes (1995 → 2025)
1995 Price — A solid pair of mid-range running shoes typically cost $50–$60.
2025 Price — A comparable pair now commonly runs $130–$160, roughly a 2.5–3× increase for the same miles logged on the same pavement.
Inflation rarely sprints; it jogs quietly alongside us, stretching costs so gradually they feel earned rather than imposed. And when the measuring stick bends, even caring for the body that carries us through life demands more of the hours we traded to earn it.
#soundmoney #bitcoin #inflation #purchasingpower #fiat
Jefferson warns how power and ideology distort perception, narrowing truth to what serves an agenda. Bitcoin resists this human flaw by replacing theory with verification—rules that apply equally, regardless of narrative or authority. Where institutions ask trust, Bitcoin demands proof, preserving clarity in a world prone to self-deception.
#Jefferson #Bitcoin #Truth #sovereignty
Hazlitt reminds us that the real costs of power are rarely paid upfront. Short-term relief often conceals long-term erosion—of savings, trust, and personal agency. Bitcoin applies this lesson mechanically: fixed supply, transparent rules, and delayed gratification force society to confront consequences rather than defer them through monetary illusion. Sound money, like sound economics, insists on seeing the whole picture.
#Hazlitt #bitcoin #Economics #Responsibility
Bent Measuring Stick
(If you remember when an oil change was something you squeezed in on a lunch break.)
Standard Car Oil Change (1995 → 2025)
1995 Price — A basic oil change typically cost $19–$25 at a local service shop.
2025 Price — The same service now commonly runs $70–$100, roughly a 3–4× increase for the same task performed beneath the same hood.
Inflation rarely announces itself in grand gestures; it accumulates quietly in routine maintenance until familiarity dulls the surprise. And when the measuring stick bends, even keeping what you already own in working order demands a larger share of the hours you’ve traded away.
#soundmoney #bitcoin #inflation #purchasingpower #fiat
Bastiat’s warning is as compact as it is unsettling: when voluntary exchange is blocked, coercion fills the gap. Trade is not merely economic—it is civilizational, a substitute for force. Bitcoin extends this logic into the digital age, enabling value to move freely across borders without intermediaries or permission, reinforcing cooperation where control so often breeds conflict.
#Bastiat #bitcoin #Trade #Freedom
Bent Measuring Stick
(If you remember when a haircut didn’t require a second thought.)
Men’s Haircut (1995 → 2025)
1995 Price — A basic men’s haircut typically cost $8–$12 at a local barbershop.
2025 Price — The same haircut now commonly runs $30–$40, roughly a 3× increase for the same chair, clippers, and mirror.
Inflation slips most easily into life through ordinary upkeep, where small increases repeat until they feel inevitable. And when the measuring stick bends, even routine maintenance of the self quietly demands more of the hours you traded to earn them.
#soundmoney #bitcoin #inflation #purchasingpower #fiat
Jefferson understood that dependence is never neutral—it reshapes character. When survival relies on permission, virtue bends toward compliance. Bitcoin counters this ancient problem at its root by reducing financial dependence, allowing individuals to preserve dignity and choice rather than drift quietly into subservience under managed systems.
#Jefferson #Independence #Bitcoin #Sovereignty
Bent Measuring Stick
(If you remember when cereal was just cereal.)
Family-Size Breakfast Cereal (1995 → 2025)
1995 Price — A family-size box of breakfast cereal typically sold for $2.50–$3.00.
2025 Price — The same box now commonly costs $6.50–$8.00, roughly a 2.5–3× increase for fewer ounces and the same cheerful mascot.
Inflation has a knack for hiding in the cupboard, quietly shrinking portions while stretching prices until the change feels normal. And when the measuring stick bends, even the simplest morning ritual asks for more of the hours you traded to earn it.
#soundmoney #bitcoin #inflation #purchasingpower #fiat
Westin defines privacy not as secrecy, but as control—the ability to decide what is shared and on whose terms. That framing aligns precisely with bitcoin’s deeper promise: not invisibility, but agency. By separating identity from transaction and restoring user choice at the protocol level, bitcoin makes privacy a feature of sovereignty rather than a privilege granted by intermediaries.
#Westin #privacy #bitcoin #Sovereignty
Bent Measuring Stick
(If you remember when flying felt routine, not strategic.)
Domestic Airline Fare (1995 → 2025)
1995 Price — A short-haul domestic round-trip often ran about $150–$200.
2025 Price — The same kind of trip commonly costs $350–$500, roughly a 2–3× increase before fees for seats, bags, or breathing room.
Inflation doesn’t need turbulence to make itself felt; it simply stretches the distance between what a dollar once covered and where it lands today. And when the measuring stick bends, even moving from one place to another quietly claims more of the hours you worked to get there.
#soundmoney #bitcoin #inflation #purchasingpower #fiat
Nock understood that freedom does not flow downward from institutions; it aggregates upward from individuals who retain control over their own lives and property. Bitcoin embodies this same architecture. By anchoring monetary authority at the individual level, it treats personal sovereignty not as a political slogan, but as the structural prerequisite for any enduring collective freedom.
#Bitcoin #Nock #Liberty #Sovereignty
Bent Measuring Stick
(If you remember when the gym was just a place to lift weights.)
Monthly Gym Membership (1995 → 2025)
1995 Price — A typical local gym membership cost around $20–$25 per month.
2025 Price — A comparable membership now runs $60–$80 per month, roughly a 3× increase for access to the same racks, machines, and mirrors.
Inflation often disguises itself as “upgrades,” quietly inflating the price of routines that once felt ordinary. And when the measuring stick bends, even the work we do to stay healthy starts demanding more of the finite hours we trade for money.
#soundmoney #bitcoin #inflation #purchasingpower #fiat
Today is our 300th daily post! A new image series will start tomorrow.
Constant draws a subtle but crucial distinction: liberty can be misused, yet authority is dangerous by default because it accumulates and hardens over time. Bitcoin reflects this insight by limiting authority at the protocol level, accepting the risks of individual freedom rather than the certainties of centralized control.
#Bitcoin #Constant #Liberty #Sovereignty
Bent Measuring Stick
(If you remember when streaming felt like a bargain.)
Netflix Monthly Subscription (2010 → 2025)
2010 Price — A Netflix streaming plan cost about $7.99 per month.
2025 Price — A comparable Netflix plan now runs $15.49–$22.99, roughly a 2–3× increase for access to a screen and a couch.
Inflation rarely shows up all at once; it creeps in through conveniences we’ve already woven into daily life. And when the measuring stick bends, even quiet evenings at home begin to demand more of the hours we traded to earn them.
#soundmoney #bitcoin #inflation #purchasingpower #fiat
A free mind is the seed; free speech is the sunlight; liberty is the harvest. Bitcoin extends that old civic geometry into money: a way to hold and transmit value without pleading for permission—so conscience, commerce, and community can all breathe.
#Bitcoin #Gordon #Freedom #speech
