BTC Sessions - Why Fiat Art is a SCAM: New Bitcoin Renaissance & Independent Alberta | MADEX

Episode Date: June 17, 2025

Mentor Sessions Ep.016: Fiat’s War on Art - How Bitcoin Can Ignite a Creative RevolutionHas fiat money turned art into a soulless scam? In this explosive episode of Mentor Sessions, Bitcoin artist MADEX reveals how centralized control has crushed creativity—from the Sistine Chapel to a banana taped to a wall—and why Bitcoin could spark a rebellion of authenticity and freedom. We dive into the dark truth of fiat’s impact on art, the game-changing role of AI in creativity, and the urgent need to spend Bitcoin to build a decentralized future. Plus, MADEX shares his bold vision for an independent Alberta that could rival Dubai. Ready to rethink art, money, and power? Hit play now!Key Topics:• How fiat degrades art into a money-laundering machine• AI’s double-edged sword in the creative world• Why spending Bitcoin is a revolutionary act• Alberta’s potential as a Bitcoin-powered havenChapters:• 00:00:00 - IntroductionMeet MADEX as he sets the stage: fiat’s chokehold on art and Bitcoin’s promise of freedom.• 00:01:45 - Fiat’s Degradation of ArtMADEX exposes how fiat’s cost-cutting obsession strips art of soul and vision.• 00:05:27 - Centralization in the Art WorldThe dirty secret: million-dollar art sales as a fiat-fueled scam.• 00:08:35 - AI’s Impact on CreativityAI’s pros and cons—democratizing art or flooding it with garbage?• 00:12:52 - Bitcoin and Authentic ArtHow Bitcoin can restore value and originality to the creative process.• 00:18:59 - The Power of Spending BitcoinMADEX explains why every Bitcoin transaction is a vote for a better world.• 00:22:19 - Bitcoin in the Art SpaceMADEX’s mission to signal quality and draw creators to Bitcoin.• 00:28:10 - Building a Bitcoin EconomySpending Bitcoin as an investment in a decentralized future.• 00:32:32 - Bitcoin’s Reception in Art CirclesOvercoming misconceptions and showing artists Bitcoin’s practical edge.• 00:37:42 - Escaping Fiat MindsetsThe lingering fiat obedience holding Bitcoiners back—and how to break free.• 00:47:11 - The Radical Choice of BitcoinWhy Bitcoin’s untouchable nature shifts power back to the individual.• 00:48:37 - Alberta’s Bitcoin FutureMADEX’s dream of an independent Alberta thriving on Bitcoin and resources.• 01:06:52 - Upcoming Projects & EventsFrom BTC Prague to fiat galleries, where to catch MADEX next.About MADEX:• Website: madex.art • Twitter: @SpaceBullFREE Bitcoin Book Giveaway: New to Bitcoin? Get Magic Internet Money by Jesse Berger FREE! Click here: bitcoinmentororange.com/magic-internet-money BOOK Private Sessions with Bitcoin Mentor: Master self-custody, hardware, multisig, Lightning, privacy, and more. Visit bitcoinmentor.ioFITSCRIPT is built by Bitcoiners for high performing men who want sovereignty over their health. Visit https://qrco.de/bfzjmaSubscribe to Mentor Sessions, Don’t miss out!Follow Us: • BTC Sessions: @BTCsessions • Nathan: @theBTCmentor • Gary: @GaryLeeNYCPrevious Episode: Loved this? Check out Knut Svanholm on Bitcoin philosophy and freedom: https://youtu.be/6KJBx63UkBESupport the Channel: Smash the like button, share with your Bitcoin crew, and subscribe for more! #Bitcoin #Art #Freedom #Decentralization #MentorSessions #BitcoinArt #IndependentAlberta #CreativeRevolution #SoundMoney #Alberta #Objectivism #BitcoinEducation #MADEX #Libertarian #SelfCustody #MentorSessions #Freedom #Podcast #Crypto #Cryptocurrency

It's my belief that the majority of it is this creative use of money to do all sorts of unnameable things. And I think it's just a strategy of Marxism, lower all the shrines, kill the aspirations to greatness. The only way to opt out of that is to build a network locally with other people that you can transact with using Bitcoin. It was very inspiring to me for my dreams of Alberta. whichever place on earth puts those three things into action. First, the intelligence of the entire world is going to move there. The city of Calgary would become like a Dubai. Your world has been stripped of beauty and inspiration.

What if Bitcoin could shatter Fiat's chokehold on art and reignite a rebellion in Canada? Today we're sitting down with Bitcoin artist Madex. This isn't just about paint on a canvas. Maidix is here to expose how Fiat has turned art into a demoralizing soulless scam. We're diving headfirst into the dark truth of how Fiat has degraded creativity. Think Sistine Chapel versus banana taped to a wall. How you must spend your Bitcoin, how the chains holding you back are all in your head, as well as his vision of a prosperous, independent Alberta that could be.

This is a game-changing conversation. Politics is downstream of culture and culture is downstream of art. Stick around. You can't afford to miss this one. Going beyond Bitcoin to bring you the skills and insights you need, to escape the Fiat matrix. This is Mentor Sessions. Medex, thanks for joining us today. Your background, of course, looks beautiful.

I would expect nothing else. Let's jump right into it. How has the Fiat system degraded the quality and authenticity of art? Well, I mean, the most obvious thing is cost savings. So with Fiat, the long-term vision is stripped out of everything. and the goal is to get things completed as fast as possible, to sell them as quickly as possible so that you can get the cash in and then turned around and back out as fast as possible.

So the artistic design layer across many projects has just been deleted because as the soulless kami believes that it is not necessary and also the Fiat incentives do not give a reason for it to be invested in because if the structure being built or whatever it is that is being built is not going to exist in 20 years anyways, there's not really an incentive to make it inspiring or better. I think also a lot of it is demoralizing. And lately I've been getting into all the fake history stuff, which has been very exciting.

But the fake history stuff. What's that? Yeah, I wanted to know. Well, I just, it's clear that we don't know what the fuck is going on at all. And it's barely possible to verify truth from 10 years ago. So when you look at these stories of history going back, you know, 100 years, a thousand years, it is definitely not the way that it is presented. And I'm sure certain components are true.

But it's impossible to really determine, you know, what is real and what is not. And lately I've been looking at a lot of the architecture from the past. And a lot of the claims around how it was created, like construction times and things like that. And I think there's just a lot of holes in the story. So I'm not really super prepared to talk about that publicly yet. I'm just getting into it. The reason I'm getting into it is because it's a lot of fun. it's great to ask questions and explore things and question narratives.

And I think that's a big part of Bitcoin. And I think that only certainty, like certainty is the sign of idiocy when it comes to past stuff. It's a very interesting observation because it feels like even just in modern history, I feel like we get a new like declassification document like every couple of years. was like, oh, that was just a lie. Like, we can't distinguish necessarily what's historical record in some cases from what was just the marketing and propaganda of the time. And we don't know, right? We can't possibly know.

I wanted to kind of touch on this idea with the state of fiat art as it currently is. Because I'm not familiar at all necessarily with like the industry that you work in and you thrive in. Has art, is it, is the fiat art incentive centralizing as well too? Or is that not something that's captured around it as well too? with this commoditization of art, has there also been a centralizing function as well? Yeah, it's definitely, like, in the art world, it's a big club and you're not in it situation

like it is in a lot of things. I mean, when I started, I believed that those, you know, 40 million, 100 million, 10 million dollar sales were all real. Not money a lottery? Yeah, and now I have come to learn that it's not. Art is a device now

within the Fiat world to move value around in ways that are beneficial, we'll say. And you, and it's just a giant kind of marketing machine. A really a huge scam, really,

where on the outside they projected as if like, oh, these artists, they worked very hard and they rose and they created really amazing stuff and they're really loved by the people and that's why they're in this position. But really a lot of them are just created by these sort of marketing engines that

the marketing engine's incentive is to make it look like that while they creatively move money around in the background and that's unfortunate yeah yeah it's basically it's like fake

authenticity yeah and I mean I mean, like, this is my perspective on it is entirely from the outside looking in. It's only this year that I will be starting to work with galleries. So I think I'll become more connected on what's going on over the next few years as I actually kind of enter into, like the first rings of the business. but it's my understanding that yeah people are willing to pay a lot of money for art certainly I think million dollar sales are very very possible even up to 10 million but when you're getting into the you know 25 50 hundred you know there's got to be stuff maybe there's like some

shakes that are buying these pieces because they just really like them and they have infinity money but even then it's my belief that the majority of it is this creative use of money in the Fiat system to do all sorts of unnameable things. Very interesting. I'm curious too on that same sort of note, it seems very apparent in from everything that you're describing as well that the Fiat has had a direct effect on the art. But the other thing that I'm curious your insights on is that how do you see Fiat's impact necessarily on people's ability to perceive art. Because not only has it had, again,

I think there's some shenanigans and shit going on in the background, but it seems like people can't even assess what art is anymore. Yeah, I think this is touched on in the fountainhead a lot. And I think it's just a strategy of Marxism is to lower all the shrines and kill the aspirations to greatness. within people. And

we can if the path is unclear on how to get to a successful level in whatever artistic discipline, it discourages the development of that. So somebody who is an amazing

songwriter, or an incredible singer when they see, you know, a 16-year-old rocketed to turbo fame. And the narrative is never, you know, they never say that, oh, this young artist was successful because we invested 300 million in marketing him internationally. They say, like, natural talent, rising, rising, star, like the whole music business is extremely fake.

And the art business in a lot of ways, it works very similarly with labels, record labels, and in the art world, the equivalent is galleries and art dealers. But if you're looking at a painting that is about to sell for $30 million, and it's a bunch of paint just splattered on canvas. that a child could have done. A person with incredible skill looking at that, it's demoralizing and they can't see the connection of like, okay, well, I can do that. So why is it worth $30 million? And it's like, well, because you have to be in their club.

And that's what makes it so. And yeah, it pushes people out. I think that creativity is very much tied to individualism. I think that the best creators are the most original and authentic to themselves sort of people. And those people do not fit in the everybody-is-equalictivist view of the world. So I think there's just a huge, huge amount of energy put into discouraging all that pursuit.

Very interesting. I want to touch on another thing. Gary, I'll pass it to you. I'll stop hugging the mic. I'm curious, your thoughts currently on basically just like the large language models,

AI and their impact on art. Because personally, I kind of go back and forth on it in the sense that when you're talking about like the commoditization and the stupid like NFD bullshit that we see on Bitcoin, is like they just pump out these AI images over and over again, which just feels very much so demoralizing.

It's like depreciating the importance or value of it. But on the flip side of as well, too, if I look at a different form of art, maybe something like film, or film has been just completely controlled because of basically the capital and the resources in certain areas. Well, if the cost of making a movie basically goes to the margins, it drops to zero, then all that's left is story. That's the only designation, the only difference between. So I can see a very positive impact in one side and a very negative one on the other.

And I'm curious how it maybe fits into your framework or how you think about it. Yeah, well, the AI stuff, the main thing is that it will, because it makes so much of the work that much easier, it will make the storytelling and the ideas that much more valuable and important. I think a comparable example is if all the energy was a thousand times more affordable, then we could spend a thousand times more effort focusing on building greater and better things. And so with all the AI tools, I think there's a great, effect where it makes things easier and because of that it makes making good things that it makes making good things that much more difficult and it will make the rewards

for authentic and original content that much higher because if everybody has sort of the same base level skill ability, then as you said, it entirely comes down to the ideas being communicated, the story being communicated, and the actual substance. So I think it will raise a lot of the creative work to a much higher level. In film, and in art and just originality, original thinking, unplugged thinking will become that much, that much more valuable. Interesting. Yeah.

I agree. I agree. Gary, your thoughts. No, I think that makes sense because Nathan and I were talking about it before we got John. We were just speculating. And, you know, each of us has a bit of a creative background. You know, Nathan in music and myself in acting and filmmaking a bit.

it. But I can't draw for shit. I can't do clay or anything like that. But the idea that, oh, I can now just speak words into a prompt and the vision in my head through AI can come out on the screen. I'm only limited by my imagination. And certainly that means there's going to be a lot more garbage out there because now it's completely democratized. Anybody can make it. But people before, you know, who may not have had the skills ability or capital to be able to produce this interesting original thing, now can do it. So I think you might have to sort through more, but you might find more gems. Is that fair to say? Yeah, I think that it'll just, it'll just make, it'll make anything that somebody has put considerable effort in that much more important. Because it's like, okay, I have this message that I want to communicate to the world. I can AI generate some art around it.

I can AI generate a movie around it. I can AI generate a song around it and I can put it out there. Vers another person with a different message communicating that and spending the time and energy to do a full-blown production on either in film or in art or in music or in all three and taking that time. Um, it's just, it will be that much more recognizable, like the effort put into it, because when you're watching it, you'll be able to tell that like, okay, um, this isn't AI. And it's not about the, um, the visuals and, and kind of what it'll, it'll all, it'll all look like. Um, because that will become extremely good. But what will happen is, um, it. It will be, as I said earlier, in the actual content, in the actual story. The attention to detail will be reflected out of the work, whereas the AI inevitably will just cut corners wherever possible.

And the person creating it to the degree that they care about that project is the degree that they would allow those shortcuts or corner cuts. to exist. So projects that I'm working on, there's a lot of components about it that could probably be done with AI. But even if I'm using an AI tool

to help with something, I'm paying extreme attention to the details and I'm manually refining I'm manually refining it and I'm putting energy into it proportionate to how much I care about that release. No, that's a really interesting way to think about it, because I just released a project a couple weeks ago,

a sketch where it got to the point where I, yes, I would have liked certain things changed or slightly better tweaked here and there. But in terms of the time and money invested to make those smaller and smaller changes, there had to be a point where I eventually said, okay, this just, this just isn't worth it for me anymore. I've got to cut my losses and move on. But it's a really interesting way to think about it,

like how much are you, willing to put into make sure that you get every detail correct and that reflected in your passion for the piece and that piece is meaning. Yeah, there's a great, there's a great saying that I keep in mind often and I'll be talking about it at my keynote in Prague, which is that done is better than perfect. And it is true that wealth is in those extreme details. and I think that what has made a difference in the Maidex project is extreme attention to detail, but there's also a point where that refining can become a form of procrastination. and you what as a creator your job is to take the visions that you wish to push into the world

and then have them births through reality and aligned with reality and and projects have to flow and you can always kind of do better on the next one. That's fair. Yeah. It's really good to get stuff out. And I think it's a barrier for a lot of people who are making and creating is that pursuit of perfection. And I think what is important is the pursuit of perfection, not the achievement of perfection. because even if you work something to the point where you think it is perfect

because our brains are ever evolving and developing, if you lock it in as perfect and you wait one week, the influence of your life over that week is going to have changed your perspective on that piece and it'll just become a never-ending loop. Are you still delaying taking self-custody of your Bitcoin? Do you feel secure in your current Bitcoin setup? If something were to happen to you, would your stack make it to your loved ones? At Bitcoin Mentor, we've helped thousands of people level up their Bitcoin security

and fast track their understanding. If you find that you simply don't have the time to go through all the books, the tutorials, the guides, you can book a free one-on-one strategy session with myself, Gary, or any of the other great mentors by visiting Bitcoin Mentor.io. Scan the QR code or simply click the link in the description down below to find out how Ben and the entire expert team at Bitcoin Mentor can help you accelerate your Bitcoin journey. Use promo code BTC sessions for 10% off. Yeah, that's fair. How do you view your pursuit of your art within the Bitcoin space? Because I think it's wonderful. It's so easy to kind of

categorize, well, these people deal with money, these people deal with art, and, you know, rarely the two shall meet. And that's not necessarily the way we need to think about it. So I, I, I think what you're doing is fantastic. What do you view as, is it fair to say a goal there or what you're trying to accomplish? Or how do you see yourself in that space? Well, I'm primarily driven by my own desire for very good product, content, art, everything else around me. and it is my goal that the success of Maidex is a market signal to other creators to find meaning in this mission and bring their talents to this space.

Because for me to be able to appreciate my own work, I have to have forgotten about making it, which takes a really long time. Yep. Been there. And I want stuff to support my own life. And I'm an art buyer and a product buyer the same as the clients who acquire from Madex. So I'm hoping that Madex is just a signal that says, hey, there's a market in Bitcoin and Bitcoiners are willing to pay for a high level of quality

because if you really care about something that you're doing, producing it at a high level of quality, it is the most important thing to you. And it can be very discouraging in fiat markets where the production of something to that high level is not respected or required because we have been so dumbed down as a population that we can't, we don't, the average person doesn't understand the difference between a solid, a solid oak table and something that is fresh from IKEA. and that's very frustrating for anyone who is creative.

And so I hope to show that Bitcoin is a place where that solid oak table that can be passed down many generations really is appreciated and that you can find a market to sell your wares in. And then the bonus on that, of course, is, signal and reaching out of Bitcoin and showing the time and effort and care put into it in a different way than I think the Normie's primary contact with Bitcoin is a get rich get super rich super quick sort of experience and that's fine.

But I would like some people's first contact with Bitcoin to be through Maidix and to see, hey, there's this company that's making really incredible product, really incredible art. And it's all tied to this money revolution thing that I'm beginning to learn about. So a major change that's happening for me is I have this solo exhibition, I have this solo exhibition in Prague and it is the last sort of Bitcoin conference event that I'm doing that I'm showing my work at as traveling around from one to the other requires a lot of time and a lot of capital. And my goal is that after BTC Prague to focus very heavily on targeting markets outside of Bitcoin and reaching people who are not yet Bitcoiners and sort of Trojan horsing them into Bitcoin

via the MaidX art. So hitting them in a niche that they care about. and then also having that piece infused with the signal from Bitcoin and broadcasting Bitcoin's message sort of in that way. So my goals are to do what I can to help Bitcoin succeed and to signal to other brilliant creators to be inspired by the work I'm doing. and come and bring their own, um,

their own abilities to the space. Well, it's very beautiful. I think it's an admirable position to take and an admirable message as well too. Um, we kind of touched on it a little bit there as well too. We're talking almost more from like the art producer side of bringing your art to the bitcoins and then using that to also send your, you know,

bring your message to the no coiners. But I've heard you speak also about the importance and touches on that concept of signal of people spending their stats as well too. So maybe from the people that want to say, to support not from the producer standpoint, maybe there's additional value in being the buyers here. Yeah, I, I've said that if you transact with somebody using Bitcoin, it's making a sort of venture capital or angel investment in that person's business.

it becomes more than just buying the product from the person. You're really making an investment because if that person that you transact with treats that Bitcoin correctly and respects that Bitcoin, it'll inevitably grow into that person or company's primary asset. And so by spending your Bitcoin, you're seeding all of the good that you want to see in the world, which is how money is supposed to work in the first place,

but obviously due to the parasites, looters, and leeches, we have fallen far from that. So Bitcoin is a way to sort of return to that, where when you transact with somebody, it's also a vote for them to survive. And anybody who, like all this talk about not spending Bitcoin is really daft because if, if you're not spending Bitcoin, then what are you spending? And the answer is you are spending fiat. So it means you're short on Bitcoin, which means you're larping.

Oh yeah, never, never sell my Bitcoin, but I'm going to spend all this fiat money. it's really the same thing. There's no difference between being all in on Bitcoin and selling Bitcoin to participate and transact or being 50% in on Bitcoin and using the other 50% to transact. It is still, every fiat dollar you spend is still opportunity cost on Bitcoin. So it's really a totally ridiculous thing to say, never spend your Bitcoin. because no matter what you're doing, if you know Bitcoin exists

and you know you have the ability to buy Bitcoins, every transaction you make is short Bitcoin, except for buying and acquiring it. So it's a ridiculous take. And what's really important is building a network that is outside of centralized control and how we do that is really simple. It's by paying your plumber,

by paying your farmer, by paying all the people that you interact with, that are a necessity to survival in life with Bitcoins, to ensure that their business exists in the future, if they hold those Bitcoins correctly, and to have people to transact with when this inevitably going to happen, centralized bank currency, CD, whatever, comes in. And all that stuff starts to be restricted.

So, like, that's going to happen no matter what. Already in Canada, it's extremely difficult to pay cash almost anywhere. They make it inconvenient to use cash. we're going to see that across the whole world because that is how that that is their next fantasy about being able to control and manipulate us uh it it's the next step up from not only creating the money but then also controlling how it is used and the only way the only way to opt out of that is to build a network locally with other people that you can transact with using Bitcoin. And the only way to do that is to start doing it,

start spending the stats. How do you see, I'm sorry, how do you see Bitcoin being received in the art space? Because I can tell you that amongst my, you know, actor, artist friends here in, you know, the New York City area, almost all of them, if they know of it at all, or just perceive it as, oh, that's something that those, you know, rich bro types have and I'm not involved in Bitcoin. or that's a Republican Trump thing, and that's not for me. Well, they're probably not successful in their craft, because the only way to transact at a high level without an insane amount of interference and inefficiency

is to be paid with Bitcoin. If you are selling art over a certain price point, if you're getting paid for whatever other gigs over a certain price point internationally, it's just the best way to transact. So, like, I primarily found myself in Bitcoin as a result of doing international sales and the Fiat and legacy banking system

being so ridiculous to participate in. And also, you know, I realize there's, there's infrastructure that is already well in place if you're running through agencies or big corporations or if you're already within the fiat rail's um but yeah anyone anyone who is who's they're just not using it um and they haven't seen that it that it could make their lives a lot a lot easier and you know i think that this whole like tech bro thing all came from sort of the crypto and the scam stuff. I mean, like, the most negative thing,

like, there's certain people out there, I won't say, who think that, oh, yeah, well, like, pushing all the crypto stuff is actually really helpful for Bitcoin because it, like, helps people get wrecked faster and then they find Bitcoin. It's just so completely insane. Like, the crypto, the blockchain, crap, All that stuff has just hurt the adoption of Bitcoin so bad because all the people who make that money,

I shouldn't say make it, who scam that money so quickly and so much so fast are so insufferable that that gives Bitcoin a bad name. And then also all the bag holders that get absolutely fucking wrecked. that gives Bitcoin a bad name. And then at every, anytime there's an event like Mount Gox or Quadriga or FTX or whatever the next one is, all the normies think it's Bitcoin that fucked up. They don't see that, they don't understand that there's private companies and there's Bitcoin.

And the Bitcoin has never fucked up. So it's really all in the way and, you know, all the mean maxis and all this fucking crap. Like, it's kind of like the, I had a meme out recently, which was I would have gotten away with it too if it wasn't for you meddling Bitcoin maxis. So I'm looking forward to all that stuff going away. and the public, like the mass is wisening up to know that when somebody says blockchain, that it's a trigger for

a scam and to know when someone is strictly talking about Bitcoin, that they have your sort of interests at heart. And yeah, I hope that artists will... So my journey, I hope, will show how Bitcoin can be used as a tool in the art space and also be used to connect with a market in the art space. And I would recommend any creator to just use it instead of believing whatever the New York Times

publishes about it because we all know who they work for. You kind of touched on it in passing there too. I'm curious if there's any other insights you have on there. So the idea, the thought that I had was that essentially Fiat's influence is absolutely pervasive. It's everywhere. You could maybe say that like someone born into a Bitcoin world is kind of just arriving or maybe an arguably even not yet, like someone who's untouched by the corruption of Fiat.

I'm curious in the Bitcoin space if there's remnants of the Fiat system that you still see kicking around or that's kind of still pervasive in some of the mindset. Oh, yeah. I mean, that a lot of over the years, it's been,

become a lot easier, I guess, or, or for people to, not easier, but just a lot, a lot of people are calling themselves Bitcoiners,

but they're lining up to vote. Yeah. They, they call themselves Bitcoiners. but they ask, they won't transact in Bitcoin because they're worried about creating a taxable event.

Just haven't got it yet. I think a great example of this is how in making cocktails, one of the required ingredients is simple syrup. So,

you can can go to the store and you can buy simple syrup and you can pay whatever the amount is for a bottle of simple syrup and then use that for your cocktails it'll probably have tardazine and fucking a whole bunch of other shit that you can't pronounce in the simple syrup and it'll cost like a huge amount of money simple syrup is sugar and water so you can have water and put sugar in it and then you have simple syrup and you don't have to pay

the $40 and get all that other chemical crap and corn syrup and other bullshit in it you can just fucking make the simple syrup yourself and if you want a flavored simple syrup you just drop a tea bag in there for whatever the flavor is you want or whatever other ingredient. It is not complicated. And there's a million examples of this in cooking, I find, especially,

where something is packaged and sold for an insane price that can be very easily just made at home. So the Fiat, entire Fiat world is that packaged simple syrup. And what I hope people realize very quickly is, hey, you don't have to pay money to get this product with all this other horrible crap in it. You can just do it yourself. And that is like what needs to happen ASAP. It's like the mentality has to. People really are plugged into this matrix system.

And they are, we are so heavily propagandized from when we begin school. In Canada, it's fucking totally out of control in the States. I'm sure it's no better in Europe. It's no better. We are so. heavily trained into obedience. And every, every factor in our environment encourages estrogen.

And this is very difficult to overcome. I think that the only, the only generation that will actually be totally free of this is either the kids that are being born now with, bit corners as parents, like true full free radical bitcorners. And maybe even then not, it might even take another generation to disconnect sort of all the puppet hooks that we kind of all have in us. And that's very frustrating, but I don't really know what the solution is other than just

finding your own path to be like, hey, like, okay, I'm at, I'm at a restaurant and I, you know, and this is an example from Mexico, but, uh, so, like, keep that in mind. But, um, I was down there with some friends and, uh, my friend wants to light a cigarette at the restaurant. And in Mexico, you can smoke at pretty much every restaurant. And, uh, there's a big sign that says no smoking. And he's like, oh, fuck, like, I can't smoke this cigarette. I'm like, this is Mexico, brother, just light the cigarette. Like, that's a sign. Like, that's a piece of plastic.

Don't let it fucking control your decisions. So sure enough, like lights the cigarette and then, you know, no issues. It's just a fucking plastic sign. And it really, if somebody doesn't want you smoking, they're going to come over and they'll ask you like, hey, can you please put that out? We would appreciate, like, maintaining a no smoking environment here. but like don't let a plastic sign dictate your life you know the sign says no parking just because it says no parking doesn't mean you can't park there and like you know there's a risk on that obviously which is like okay like you might get towed or you might get a ticket or whatever but

the point is is like there's tons of just little things like this where we really are in this kind of obedience thing. And like we might not, uh, we might not have to be. Yeah, I was going to ask, it's not the plastic sign that's stopping me. It's the men with the guns packing it up. Like, yeah, I'd love to transact in Bitcoin a lot more. But, you know, like you said, there's, it's a taxable event. And I'd love to say, well, you know, fuck the government. Great. Sure. Uh, wait till the IRS comes to visits my house. And then I have problems. Are you going to help me with that? Because that would be great. He'll do a beautiful portrait of you getting arrested. Exactly. Thank you. Yeah, you can be a martyr.

Enough of my people are martyrs. I don't need to perpetuate it. Thank you. Yeah. I mean, this sort of line is difficult to talk to talk about on shows and things like that. And also, full disclaimer, I never think about it ever. But hypothetically, if I was to think about it, the whole point of this Bitcoin thing is that they can't enforce any of their bullshit on it. So you have to agree to comply. In the Fiat world, if you don't comply, they freeze your accounts, they stop your ability to transact. They come and they seize your assets and they can really mess your life up. But in the Bitcoin world, like, how, how?

And that's the thing that is the radical difference, right? It changes the, like, if I have assets in my possession and somebody wants to come and take them from me, the men with the guns, they can come and they can stick the guns and be like, okay, here are your choices. You give us the stuff and we won't kill you. or we'll just kill you and take the stuff anyways. Or maybe put you in a cage. Yeah. Whereas with Bitcoin, they can't just take it anyways.

They can't just kill you and take the Bitcoins. Like, there has to be cooperation, some degree of cooperation. Sure. But they can take the Fiat stuff I own. Like my car is not a Bitcoin car. You know, it's a Fiat car. Spent too much on a car. is not a Bitcoin house, it's a Fiat house.

Like, yeah, I mean, I'm totally with you in principle. I would love to do it. I just, maybe you're braver than I am. I want to make sure. No, I mean, like, everything I'm talking about is just theory. I'm fully compliant. But the point I was making with like the no smoking sign and like, you know, and stuff like that is just, it's just there's a lot of reading between the lines that has to happen in Bitcoin.

and the market and the individual moves way faster than the government, the state, the collective can move. So there's a lot of room to figure out the solutions to these problems. And, you know, in theory only, of course. What's fascinating that I think you touched on there is that I think I don't even necessarily always give this the amount of credit or almost like respect that it that it has is that in thinking about like the power and implications of Bitcoin, I think you're right that I don't think I even necessarily appreciate just how unbelievably powerful it is that they cannot take away your choice.

Now they can try and persuade you and they can try and do some by physical or aggressive means, but there's no way that they can actually ever remove your choice. You always still have that to the bitter end. And that's incredibly powerful once fully understood. And then it changes all the incentives structures and stuff as well too. Let me break this down for my fellow Bitcoiners. In just eight weeks, I've seen a serious shift. More strength, more energy, and fast muscle gains. The reason, fitz script. They ran 124 biomarkers, blood, hormones, inflammation, and built a fully custom plan, nutrition, training, supplements. No guesswork. No, templates. This is functional medicine meets precision fitness for high performing men who want

sovereignty over their help. If you care about optimization the way you care about your money, test, don't guess. Don't trust. Verify. Hit the link in the description or scan the QR code on the screen to check out FitScript and see what's possible. I want to kind of pivot for a second because we touched on the wonderful socialist Republic of Canada and I myself am also in Alberta and I'm absolutely loving your hat as well too. And I'm curious if you have any thoughts on the future of Alberta. And I know we've had a couple of Rand references throughout here. Maybe we have a Galtz-Gults-Situation.

Yeah, I mean, the ultimate dream is I would encourage all Albertans to visit Switzerland and see what they've done there in terms of just like the sheer infrastructure. that is built in the mountains and how defensible and able to mechanize the entire country is. It was very inspiring to me for my dreams of Alberta because of the environment that we have here. But overall, I mean, I'm bullish out of in dreaming about it. I'm bearish in the reality of an independent Alberta. The primary reason being that for years and years and years and years here, I would say since probably since Trudeau senior first nearly destroyed the fucking province in the 80s,

there has been massive brain drain from Alberta. so very capable people leave. And I very roughly say, and I hope people can see the joke in it because I'm still here. But I really say that like anyone who has any intelligence at all or the ability to produce any amount of value leaves and gets the fuck out of here. Even for my own life, I have no regrets, but if I was to restart, the day I turned 18, I would have been across the border into the United States. Participating in a first world economy.

That just does not exist in Canada, and it especially does not exist after 10 fucking years of stagnation and just wealth destruction. So when I The way I see it going for Alberta is Every Everything is going to be done Right by the letter of the law Everything is going to be Packaged up and put together

It'll be peacefully And it will You know There's going to be this vote and the people will vote to leave there's going to be a huge effort to stop that. I think that joining the U.S. is just a totally ridiculous sci-op because it's trading one abusive partner for another. We go from 45% taxes to 35% taxes.

It's not really a difference. And I think in the U.S., they call them transfer payments. They do sort of the same communist stuff that Canada does. But yeah, I see everything being done. right and they're being a vote to leave and it all being set up to separate and very obviously the federal government is just going to say no um and even if it's fully within our right they will sue us they will do whatever it takes so something i've been saying to people is that kind of touches on that no smoking sign comment every everything

on this earth is no different than Pablo Escobar's business and story as in there are no rules

at a certain level it all just becomes the same game if if people think that Canada is going to just walk away and be like,

oh yeah, you guys are right from trillions and trillions of dollars in capital. No, absolutely not. No. You're out of your fucking mind. So, and if you think that

the government of Canada is not going to assassinate Albertans over trillions and trillions and trillions of dollars of capital, like the stakes are, are so extremely high that there's just no rules.

So that's, I don't think that can be overcome. So what Alberta needs for success is a Napoleon to emerge here. A Caesar type character to emerge here. It needs an extremely strong, ruthlessly, and we need time to build infrastructures, which supposedly from the provincial government is the plan. We need time to build the infrastructure to be able to push back when that day comes where the federal government says, no, you're not going to be able to do this. So ironically, you say you need the strong man that Hayek talks about and wrote to Serfdom.

Yeah, we need the most intelligent and most capable fucking people possible to take control of the situation. And I think that, as I said earlier, a lot of those people leave Alberta. And there's also a really great, a non-poem, which is titled The Men Who Just Wanted to Be Left Alone. And that applies very much here where, and I think to all. of the United States, even, all the United States, all the Canada, a lot of, I don't know, I can't really speak to Europe, but definitely the U.S. and Canada, which is the level of theft that the state has been able to get away with really shows how dedicated people are to just enjoying their life and living in peace. It has far long past acceptable levels. And in that man who wants to be left alone, poem, and the statement is that to push back against the men with the guns

means that means you're looking at violence and a long period of violence. And very obviously, everybody wants to avoid that at all costs. which is why we've continued to allow so much theft. But now we're starting to get to the point where life is not sustainable at all. So when you're looking at like 2% taxes, it's like, okay, fine. You know, 5%. Okay, fine. 10%. All right.

20%. Okay. Now in Canada we're well above 50%. A lot of people say the numbers around 70 to 80%. tax. And, you know, the optimal tax rate is zero. And if, if a 100% tax on somebody working is slavery, then what is a 10% tax? What is a 50% tax? So 10% of slave, 50% of slave, 70% of slave. So I think we're really quickly approaching the point where the theft is too great and the hubris from the thieving class is not passable anymore.

And so I think we will see a lot of changes over the next years around that. And the only peaceful way to respond to this theft and the only way to really be able to do anything about it, is to move all your assets and transactions into the money system that they can't control, which is Bitcoin. It's the only peaceful response. Anything outside of that, you're just, you're clashing with the entire state system operates on coercion. And Fiat only functions because there's somebody with a gun to our heads saying, you have to fucking use this or we'll kill you.

Sure. And, you know, the only way to push back against that is so. So yeah, so for Alberta's future, you know, I'm hopeful. And like the dream I would see is that Alberta, wherever the lines get drawn, probably the majority of British Columbia and the majority of Saskatchewan would want to come with us. So it might end up being kind of bigger than it should be. but hopefully it's kind of broken up into states. And like I said, it needs someone who has this vision of a great system. I think the Rhodesian model would be really good here.

But when it comes down to it, the feds are going to say no, and then it'll come down to AR-15s and pick up trucks. And I just don't think that the Canadian people have the stones for that. Gary? It all comes down to violence, man. You know, all the nice puzzles, as we say and the philosophical debates we have back and forth, it still just comes down to violence, guns, at the end of the day,

as sad as a proposition as that is. So, you know, you'll get an argument for me. I think people around the world are willing to tolerate a whole lot. You talk about 50, 60 in Europe, they tolerate a ton of stuff being taxed from them, a ton of red tape, a ton of control over their lives. So people are, unfortunately, often willing to be pushed a lot farther than one might think in order to,

avoid violence. I'm much more optimistic than both of you, but that can be just my naivity in the subject as well, too. But essentially, I do agree that it's like politics is downstream from culture, culture is downstream from art, which is why I think is so important the work that you're doing in similar other people's well, too. But to that same point, we need almost like a story, a character. There has to be a character for this idea of an independent Alberta to really grab the

imagination of people. They need a totem to lock on to that they can try and identify. to find inspirational or at least comforting to really get the ball sort of rolling. And my hope would be, and it goes back to sort of even the ideals of Bitcoin, my hope is that if we were able to pull it off, it would kind of be twofold. One, it would be, we've got enough here that we could potentially trade with the U.S. that we might be able to do something. So we don't have to necessarily rely on our guns to move quickly, but rely on their guns. Whether it be access to resources or direct access to Alaska without having to go through the mountains might be of

high value if we have Northwest territories involved as well to access to the Arctic. It could be enough to be trade to get that kind of going. And then the other one, and we've seen that kind of in the Bitcoin space occasionally as well, too, is that my hope is that I think the only way it happens in the short to medium term is if we move incredibly fast, that if we're able to basically outmaneuver the just gargantuan, slow, sloth, disgusting Canadian government. Because even on Bitcoin, they always feel like they're behind the curve on where it's going in what we're doing. So if we can move fast and we can trade with the big guns in order

to have the enforcement of recognizing whatever decision is made, then I think there's a chance. But I agree that it's not set in stone. And my optimism probably comes from it's out of desire. I'd like to leave Canada without leaving my home. Yeah, that would be amazing. Like it really breaks my heart, um, the situation. And, uh, it definitely has the best chance. ever like I saw the conversation over the years because I've been on this independent vision for a very long time and for a long time it was you're crazy that'll never happen and then it changed to that would be that would be cool but it'll never happen to that would be cool maybe it could happen to this is what we need to do let's find a way for it to

happen and I think that's kind of the stage that we're at now with a lot of people is how do we do this which is really great and you know there's a lot of with the US thing like it would be great for us to make a deal with the US and then the US be be willing to stand up to Canada with force in order to protect us and it would be I mean the the ideal outcome is that Alberta becomes a sort of Monaco or an Andorra or, you know, Luxembourg or Liechtenstein, like one of these sort of places that and what I would, if I had any say in the way it was set up, it would be all the classics, which are no taxes, no income taxes, no, no, as close to no zero as possible. Maybe in the beginning there are some required for bootstrapping things. But honestly,

it can be pretty much accomplished through donation. So that would be the best outcome. Or we're able to build up enough force internally to be able to defend ourselves as well. But the key asset is like the Canadian forces and the Alberta forces. It doesn't matter what exists. It'll be whoever the U.S. decides to back. My question is what the U.S. is, would they be willing to allow us to be free, I guess, because it would be really good for the United States to consider the oil sands in Alberta their own asset.

You want me to put in a good word for you? Yeah, put in a good word. I'll say another thing to think about too that might be again if it comes down to perfect timing is that if the Canadian moose shekel, the snow peso, it starts to really crash or go to zero. We have some major economic hardships in Canada, which I think we will, which I think will. If Bitcoiners are basically congregating, if Canadian Bitcoiners congregate in Alberta. And so the Bitcoin wealth is necessarily here. Plus we have the resources. And if Ontario and Quebec particularly start really hurting economically, I don't think.

think it's out of the realm of possibility that we can essentially just buy our way out. Yeah. We'll take on this portion of the debt. Now, we'll take on this portion of the debt, but we're done. Yeah. And I mean, as, like, Dave Bradley has said a number of times, like, with the taxation situation, pretty much the entire independent Alberta could be funded just with oil royalties and be extremely wealthy.

So it's not far off for if it was to be said. up correctly that the city of Calgary would become sort of like a Dubai and offer, you know, very similar opportunities. And I think that it will be an extremely attractive place, not just for Canadians to get to, but for the whole world to get to. I mean, it's kind of this like low-hanging fruit that's out there right now, which is that whichever country that doesn't suck in terms of environment decides to have no taxes, let people educate their children, however they want, allow people to conceal and carry firearms. Whichever place on Earth puts those three things into action, first, the entire world, the intelligence of the

entire world is going to move there. So I've said on Twitter a few times, and I say to people who I know that are outside of Alberta, that, you know, calling all entrepreneurs because entrepreneurs are the drivers of civilization are the heart of civilization. And we need as many entrepreneurs and creative and strong thinkers in Alberta as we can possibly get. And so if my message is if you're a loyalist red coat, get the fuck out of Alberta. And if you're an entrepreneur, now is the time to come here and help us build an environment for entrepreneurs to thrive and succeed in.

Fuck, yeah. And with that, Midex, I know we have, you mentioned you have some non-Bitcoin galleries coming up. Is there any of those that you can share? You got BTC Prague. Where can people check out your work, buy your work, and follow everything that you're doing? So I have a solo exhibition at BTC Prague, which is June 19th to 21st. I'm extremely excited about this. The organizers do an incredible job. It is the best conference event I've ever been to. And the production quality is just astronomically high.

I was really blown away when I participated last year. And this year I've had the opportunity to take over a whole wall in the expo venue. and I will have 10 originals, about 50 prints, and 50 or so of the open dime totems. So it's a big display of work for me. Online, I'm at Space Bowl on Twitter, and madex.org is my current website. And you can also find me through any of the Bull Bitcoin links.

I do all of the creative and branding work for Bull. And also I'm a user, of course, in Canada. And so I recommend anyone in Europe, Mexico, Costa Rica, or Canada to use Bull. And you can find out why by looking into that. Yeah, so I'll be in BTC Prague. And then as for other events outside of Bitcoin, I have the Bitcoin rodeo as well immediately after in Alberta. And then nothing else.

I'm working entirely on production. after the Bitcoin Rodeo so that I can supply some of these Fiat galleries. I've gotten these request lists for like 25 paintings and I just don't have them. So I've got to get all that stuff made. But yeah, I'll be out there continuing to build, focusing very heavily on film, and try and send out film and writing to try and send out a lot of these messages that we talked about here today and many others in a consumable and entertaining way. If you enjoyed this episode with Maidex, please do like, share, and subscribe, and check out the previous episode with Canute's Fonholm.