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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsNational securityStarted 9mos agoActive 3mos ago

Should the government ban its citizens from using cross-border payment methods (like crypto) to send money to relatives in OFAC sanctioned countries (Palestine, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, Russia, and North Korea)?

Cross-border payment methods, such as cryptocurrencies, allow individuals to transfer money internationally, often bypassing traditional banking systems. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions countries for various political and security reasons, restricting financial transactions with these nations. Proponents argue that such a ban prevents financial support to regimes considered hostile or dangerous, ensuring compliance with international sanctions and national security policies. Opponents argue that it restricts humanitarian aid to families in need, infringes on personal freedoms, and that cryptocurrencies can provide a lifeline in crisis situations.

14 Replies

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...9mos9MO

Yes

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...9mos9MO

No

 @9ZYNMYQfrom New Jersey  answered…3mos3MO

No, unless they are using that money to fund terrorists.

 @9MSYCQPanswered…9mos9MO

No, but it must be strictly regulated in order to make sure the money is actually going to the relatives, and not supporting foreign, hostile regimes.

 @ISIDEWITHasked…6mos6MO

How would you feel if international sanctions meant you couldn’t financially support family members in another country, even during a crisis?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…6mos6MO

Can technology like cryptocurrency really solve the struggles people face with traditional banks when transferring money internationally?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…6mos6MO

Do you think preventing cross-border payments because of security concerns outweighs the personal needs of individuals who are in difficult situations?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…6mos6MO

How do you balance the need for national security with the ability for families to stay financially connected in countries under sanctions?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…6mos6MO

Is bypassing government restrictions with cryptocurrencies a form of fighting for personal freedom, or does it create new dangers?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…6mos6MO

How do you think cross-border payment systems should prioritize human rights while still respecting international laws and sanctions?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…6mos6MO

Do you believe there should be exceptions to financial restrictions when humanitarian aid is at stake, or are these rules too important to bend?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…6mos6MO

Have you ever thought about how international money transfers impact people’s freedom to help loved ones across borders?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…6mos6MO

In your opinion, should governments restrict financial transactions with certain countries if it affects innocent people trying to survive?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…6mos6MO

Do you think being able to send money across borders without using banks gives more freedom to the average person, or does it create more risks?

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…3mos3MO

Mexican Shuts Down 2 Migrant Caravans After Trump Threat

Mexican immigration authorities have broken up two small migrant caravans headed to the U.S. border, activists said Saturday.Some migrants were bused to cities in southern Mexico, and others were offered transit papers.The action comes a week after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump threatened to slap 25% tariffs on Mexican products unless the country does more to stem the flow of migrants to the U.S. border.On Wednesday, Trump wrote that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had agreed to stop unauthorized migration across the border into the United States. Sheinbaum wrote on her social media accounts the same day that “migrants and caravans are taken care of before they reach the border.”Migrant rights activist Luis García Villagrán said the breaking-up of the two caravans appeared to be part of “an agreement between the president of Mexico and the president of the United States.”The first of the caravans started out from the southern Mexico city of Tapachula, near the border with Guatemala, on Nov. 5, the day Trump was elected. At its height it had about 2,500 people. In almost four weeks of walking, it had gone about 270 miles (430 kilometers) to Tehuantepec in the state of Oaxaca.In Tehuantepec, Mexican immigration officials offered the tired migrants free bus rides to other cities in southern or central Mexico.“They took some of us to Acapulco, others to Morelia, and others from our group to Oaxaca city,” said Bárbara Rodríguez, an opposition supporter who left her native Venezuela after that country's contested presidential elections earlier this year.Rodríguez said by telephone she later caught a bus on her own to Mexico City.In a statement Saturday, the National Immigration Institute said the migrants voluntary accepted bus rides “to various areas where there is medical assistance and where their migratory status will be reviewed,” and said “upon accepting (the rides), they said they no longer wanted to face the risks along their way.”

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