The citizens of Kazakhstan were hit with hard knocks in the midst of civil unrest in the country.
Dissatisfied with the way the country is being run, the people protested against the current government and that led to some major changes in power but the exiting politicians left them with a little something to think about.
In my 29 years of living, I've never heard of a government shutting down the internet because they were stepping down. Alas, this was the case for the Kazaks.
I've never liked career politicians for many reasons, the top of the list being that they prioritise their image over the general well-being. During campaigns, they'll lie, kill, cheat and do just about anything for power.
Power is all politicians want, not leadership. In Kazakhstan, they literally and figuratively took power away from the people by shutting off the internet.
State funded internet
I didn't know that government actually provides internet for people in other countries. I think for me, this was the major news.
In Nigeria, the entire internet infrastructure is 100% in the hands of private entities. The government meddles from time to time like when Twitter was banned but overall, internet provision is a business.
Thanks to this and the fact that there are competing entities in the space, the internet is highly unlikely to get shut down in Nigeria. However, that's just me talking, in reality, politicians can do and undo anything.
In any case of civil unrest, I instantly take the side of the people protesting against the government. Politicians over the years, spread across different countries have proven to be assholes, so it's an easy choice.
Anyway, my guess is that the major reason for shutting off the internet in Kazakhstan was to prevent information about the governmen and their policies that led to the dramatic hike in fuel prices from going out.
Thanks to that decision, other countries, and social media couldn't get enough information about the things happening in the country.
It's the ultimate gag on the mouth of the citizens. Isn't it crazy that this kind of act is perpetrated by people that claim to defend your right?
Bitcoin in the mud
The biggest and most obvious reason why the story went out is that Bitcoin miners in the country were also put out of business.
This is a big deal because Kazakhstan has the second-largest Bitcoin mining operation in the world. I don't know how this will affect the general market characteristics of Bitcoin.
Prior to this unrest, there had already been companies complaining about electricity shortages in the country. As recently as November of last year, one Bitcoin mining agency that relocated from China cited issues with the national grid as a big problem.
The main reason why Bitcoin mining operation really took off in Kazakhstan was because of the relatively cheap electricity and internet cost in the country.
Back in the day, the country welcomed mining firms and looked at Bitcoin as a potential source of government revenue. As things stand now, that source has been cut off.
Privatisation and crypto could fix this
Everybody deserves to have access to the internet. It is a global village where people share information and there are also a lot of opportunities.
Government-funded internet is nice and all but I think the biggest mistake/eye-opener for the Kazaks is that it shouldn't be only in the hands of the government.
The solution is to have private companies get involved in internet service provision.
Other than private companies, I believe that as the crypto industry continues to evolve, we'll create global tools that provide internet resources for people.
I don't know how that will work out because it is a very complicated thing but I feel like that's the only way.
For one, Elon Musk has been working on Starlinks or something like that to provide internet service for people anywhere in the world. With a tool like that and the opening to maybe pay for a subscription with crypto, free speech will have a new champion.
Even in Nigeria where the internet is provided by private companies, there have been rumours and subtle allusions that the internet could be turned off. This was particularly louder during our own civil unrest that happened in 2020.
It didn't get cut off but who knows what the next president could do? The world needs a global solution for this potential issue and the only way to fix it is through crypto because it is the only trusted borderless service we can rely on.
For now, all we can do is pray for the brave men and women of Kazakhstan protesting against injustice. The recent information is that peacekeeping troops from Soviet states have come into the picture to quell the situation.
I really hope things don't get out of hand. Stay safe out there.
Contact & Support
- Discord: belemo#9593
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/belemo__
- Hive.vote page
