Editor’s Brief Commentary: There are those who might yawn at what they perceive to be a natural progression into a fully digitized world when they read this headline. But the implications here are extreme, not just because of the technology itself but because of WHO is engaged in it.
Yum Brands in general and Taco Bell in particular represent a pathway to normalization. It will not be the powers-that-be who are forcing people to embrace these draconian measures. It will be the growing number of “cashless normies” who will demand such measures be embraced by businesses and their peers alike. Keep that in mind as you read this story from Reclaim The Net…
Taco Bell’s recent announcement of transitioning to a cashless business model raises alarming concerns about privacy and civil liberties. While the company proudly touts its endeavor to become a fully digital establishment in the near future, it obscures the deeper implications for consumers.
The company’s aim to capitalize on impulse digital transactions over traditional cash exchanges might sound like a novel approach to modernize sales techniques. However, behind this façade lies a concerning benefit: to heavily surveil and monetize consumers’ preferences. Taco Bell’s new data platform, designed to analyze consumer behavior meticulously, embodies a step towards an invasive corporate oversight into what people eat, when, and how often.
Chris Turner, CFO of Yum! Brands, Taco Bell’s parent company, might express enthusiasm about the potential of this platform for “personalized marketing, joint branding, and future automation.”
Yet, such initiatives might just be a veneer for a more troubling reality – the erosion of consumers’ privacy.
Even more disconcerting is the potential societal exclusion this move could propagate. A cashless model marginalizes groups who predominantly rely on cash and prefer privacy.
Moreover, individuals in service industries, who primarily depend on cash tips, stand to lose the immediacy of their hard-earned income in a cashless landscape. Digital payments, while convenient for some, can become an impediment for others.
While Taco Bell seems eager to replace human interaction with cold, impersonal touchscreens across its franchises, the real cost of this move extends beyond just a changed payment method. It’s a dangerous precedent, risking the erosion of privacy and inclusivity in the relentless pursuit of digital dominance. As Taco Bell strives to redefine the fast-food industry with its digital-first approach, it’s essential to question: at what cost to individual freedom?
Independent Journalism Is Dying
Ever since President Trump’s miraculous victory, we’ve heard an incessant drumbeat about how legacy media is dying. This is true. The people have awakened to the reality that they’re being lied to by the self-proclaimed “Arbiters of Truth” for the sake of political expediency, corporate self-protection, and globalist ambitions.
But even as independent journalism rises to fill the void left by legacy media, there is still a huge challenge. Those at the top of independent media like Joe Rogan, Dan Bongino, and Tucker Carlson are thriving and rightly so. They have earned their audience and the financial rewards that come from it. They’ve taken risks and worked hard to get to where they are.
For “the rest of us,” legacy media and their proxies are making it exceptionally difficult to survive, let alone thrive. They still have a stranglehold over the “fact checkers” who have a dramatic impact on readership and viewership. YouTube, Facebook, and Google still stifle us. The freer speech platforms like Rumble and 𝕏 can only reward so many of their popular content creators. For independent journalists on the outside looking in, our only recourse is to rely on affiliates and sponsors.
But even as it seems nearly impossible to make a living, there are blessings that should not be disregarded. By highlighting strong sponsors who share our America First worldview, we have been able to make lifelong connections and even a bit of revenue to help us along. This is why we enjoy symbiotic relationships with companies like MyPillow, Jase Medical, and Promised Grounds. We help them with our recommendations and they reward us with money when our audience buys from them.
The same can be said about our preparedness sponsor, Prepper All-Naturals. Their long-term storage beef has a 25-year shelf life and is made with one ingredient: All-American Beef.
Even our faith-driven precious metals sponsor helps us tremendously while also helping Americans protect their life’s savings. We are blessed to work with them.
Independent media is the future. In many ways, that future is already here. While the phrase, “the more the merrier,” does not apply to this business because there are still some bad actors in the independent media field, there are many great ones that do not get nearly enough attention. We hope to change that one content creator at a time.
Thank you and God Bless,
JD Rucker
