I used to have a friend that managed to get involved in a pyramid scheme, or maybe I should be nicer and call it "multi level marketing" like he was suckered into. In any case, I still remember some of the bullshit he'd say to me trying to convince me to join under him.
"Gaslight" was not a word in my vocabulary at that time, but looking back, I'd say he was trying to gaslight me with the whole "no, no, it's not a pyramid scheme, it's multi level marketing, definitely not the same principle". "No, no, don't use your logic to figure out that you're giving money to the level above you, and stealing money from the people below you, and that there's clearly a limit to how far down you can go, so some people at the bottom simply can't make a profit, and that if you draw it out it clearly forms a pyramid, cause it's not a pyramid, it's multi-level marketing!".
I'm feeling the same thing really. "No, don't look at the obvious things, that anyone can logically deduce. Crypto is great and perfect and fixed, and USD is sooo bothersome. But don't think about how people buy crypto with USD because they can't get it in other ways, and sell crypto for USD because they don't actually want to keep the crypto. And definitely don't think about why they don't want to keep the crypto, it couldn't POSSIBLY be because it's more bothersome than USD. No, don't look at it, you hear me! Things are 100% exactly like I tell you, don't think about it! Don't contradict me! If you do you're just emotional and will be left behind. Don't believe your eyes and your reason, believe me! Crypto wastes energy resources? Well what about the banks, they waste too! But of course you shouldn't think about how we're still buying and selling crypto via banks, duh. In fact, crypto is clearly more efficient than banks, so we don't need to rely on USD and banks, so that's why it's good. Oh, did I say crypto doesn't rely on USD, well there is this crypto that fixes the stability problem by relying on USD. But it's a good thing that it relies on the thing that I said is bad and bothersome and that I want to get rid of because it's more wasteful than using crypto."
Forgot about:
"Oh, did I say I want to replace USD? No, no, no, don't be silly. That's definitely not why crypto exists. It's definitely not made to replace fiat currency, because fiat currency is prone to governments messing around. What, every crypto advocate says crypto is good to keep governments away from manipulating the market? Don't be silly, you need to believe what I say now! Crypto is not for that. It's good that this crypto relies on fiat currency, makes perfect sense, it's not a bother at all that it's consequently just as susceptible to government manipulation. "