I've expressed this opinion before, but it's apparently an unpopular
view. I'm repeating it today (and will continue to do so once every so
often!)

Bitcoin is a systematically (though unintentionally) defective design,
that is guaranteed to induce the same sort of greedy/profiteering
rent-seeking behavior you'd like to defeat. This is because Bitcoin is
designed to emulate gold, a scarce commodity currency, and that's the
wrong model to base a healthy economy on. Saying it is "crucial to
preserve bitcoin intact" presumes that Bitcoin is the right solution,
which is unjustified (and which I disagree with).

Ripple or Ethereum could fix this, if they are able to overcome
technical obstacles.

On Sat, Feb 8, 2014 at 3:01 PM, Amir Taaki <genjix@???> wrote:
> well you know if you make a corporation, and said corporation is given
> access as one of a selective few to a wider market than you have hit the
> jackpot.
>
> there's another few who see bitcoin also as a tool, but seek to apply it
> in a different way. through a combination of future vision, and
> recognition of life being more than personal bank balances.
> it might be a dawning social awareness, that there is more to life:
> things like love, culture, experiences, personal growth ...
>
> viewed through this lens, it becomes more crucial to preserve bitcoin
> intact. because for every real loss to bitcoin as a technology even if
> the market gains, translates to long term loss in potential of the
> technology.
>
> but if your goal is immediate profit, or winning support from profit
> seekers (who don't have *your* interest aligned with theirs) at the
> expense of effecting real change in the situation... it might be
> tempting to throw up our hands, say "fuck it", and buy into the whole
> paradigm that needs to be undermined. but then we are effecting our own
> demise and sacrificing liberty for easy comfort. no one said this would
> be easy, but the real long term reward is massive if we succeed - our
> survival, our sovereignty, our freedom.
>
> Bitcoin corporations want to become 'legit' so they seek regulation of
> BTC. They are willing to sacrifice on the principles of Bitcoin to win
> short term favour. They believe in placating to power in order to curry
> special favour.
> Part of this involves a phony clean image of Bitcoin with progress led
> by professional men in suits. They are anti black-markets or any
> association of them with Bitcoin. black-market is not a dirty world -
> it's the oldest and purest form of trade. we shouldn't be ashamed. we
> should not shy away from these connotations, as that's a big tactic used
> to dominate and subjugate people into compliance. it's basically peer
> pressure to conform when you think different.
>
> On 08/02/14 20:17, jindq1 wrote:
>> Haha. You said it buddy. Bitcoin is about personal profit and bitcoiners
>> becoming the 1%, not about getting rid of the 1%. I really wish people
>> would stop staring at the price and just learn to use bitcoin. The fact
>> bitcoin is fueled primarily by greed and deception that I have begun to
>> think projects like Ripple or even DogeCoin are more worth people's time.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sat, Feb 8, 2014 at 7:18 PM, Amir Taaki <genjix@???
>> <mailto:genjix@riseup.net>> wrote:
>>

>>     but he doesn't look respectable!

>>

>>     oh the good old days when we had decent individuals like trace mayer
>>     representing us.

>>

>>     > high net-worth individuals pumping bitcoin
>>     > bitcoin becomes legit
>>     > big money invests
>>     > my holdings go up
>>     > bitcoin becomes legit, regulation ensues, corporations thrive
>>     > fuck the small guy

>>

>>     On 08/02/14 14:52, Jason King wrote:
>>     > Great piece with Amir talking about taking back the world with
>>     bitcoin.
>>     > Nice hoodie... :)
>>     >

>>     >
>>     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU2a4AfleTE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

>>     >

>>     >

>>     >
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>>     >

>>
>>

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--
Andrew Miller