Looking for well stated arguments for why the government cannot censor crypto

[mike623317]

As always, the government cannot overpower people who want to be sovereign because those people are too large in number and they are so few.  The blockchain simply leverages the power of it to empower us, like with all technology, to the ends toward which they are applied. 

Governments, therefore cannot censor this movement...we have to willingly do so.

Did you see Colin Powell's former chief of staff recently said that U.S. Policy is controlled by 400 people who have a combined net worth of trillions.

[fuzzy]

As always, the government cannot overpower people who want to be sovereign because those people are too large in number and they are so few.  The blockchain simply leverages the power of it to empower us, like with all technology, to the ends toward which they are applied. 

Governments, therefore cannot censor this movement...we have to willingly do so.

[Stan]

Toast is just following the money.   When his paycheck ran out, he went to work for music, and then went to google.   It is better for him to earn $$$ and invest than to work for BTS.

I just wanted to clarify that my statement was not meant to be negative toward Toast and his decisions.    In fact, to the extent that he is earning money and investing in BTS he is doing more to help BTS than if he stayed and worked for below market rates.

That statement was intended to be directed toward those who would demand the devs work for BTS worth a fraction of the market rate of a developer.

Our plan has always been to seed the ecosystem with independent free-lance developers.  Check it out going back over a year. 

The Origin of BitShares, Part 10

Denny and Toast were just the first grant award winners to take flight from the I3 incubator.  Cryptonomex itself is another example and there are more.  Anyone willing to take the risk of joining I3 is likely going to want to quickly move out on his own as a free agent.  (Especially with even a tiny bit of support from the blockchain.)

This is what happens when you draft the best.
You won't wait long for an empty nest.

Worries about centralization are clearly moot.

[bytemaster]

Toast is just following the money.   When his paycheck ran out, he went to work for music, and then went to google.   It is better for him to earn $$$ and invest than to work for BTS.

I just wanted to clarify that my statement was not meant to be negative toward Toast and his decisions.    In fact, to the extent that he is earning money and investing in BTS he is doing more to help BTS than if he stayed and worked for below market rates.

That statement was intended to be directed toward those who would demand the devs work for BTS worth a fraction of the market rate of a developer.

[betax]

There are huge potentials with blockchain technologies, specially its transparency and preventing double spending. I believe governments are just waiting, and see its evolution. It can help both governments and banks alike, because implemented correctly will remove their huge expenses on regulation.

Of course this can be seen as very naive, but this is the selling point. The transparency. Identabit is a good offering, why? There is no moral issue with it, it cannot be shutdown as it can help both banks, government and anybody.

Cryptocurrency can simplify dramatically normal global commerce transactions, and governments like China will have to support it.

There is only one issue, that all the effort could go to waste (ie.. governments forked and created their own Bitshares), hence I like the new licencing, at least the people that build it will get some reward. I don't think they would ever create their own chain, they need something that can be trusted and worked for a long time, if they tried it will take at least 10 years due to red tape.

[Tuck Fheman]

"[bitcoin-dev] AT&T has effectively banned Bitcoin nodes by closing port 8333 via a hidden firewall in the cable box"

https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/pipermail/bitcoin-dev/2015-September/010798.html

I thought this might be of interest. After further reading, I'm not sure if OP is qualified to make this determination. I'll let you decide.

[Riverhead]

I accepted and then reneged, also it was never threatening more like pointing out how expensive it is to recruit and how the offer might not be there forever etc which others advised means blacklist

It's not quite a blacklist as it doesn't span the industry - just one company. In corporate speak we say, "It is against our policy to pursue an individual for employment that was previously retained yet failed to report."


 

[CryptoPrometheus]

Toast is just following the money.   When his paycheck ran out, he went to work for music, and then went to google.   It is better for him to earn $$$ and invest than to work for BTS.

I thought he burned the google bridge by choosing to work for BTS.

Nope, he is currently working at google.

Really?    Since when?

It's complicated. I went back briefly (the vague blacklisting threats were apparently a buff as they called back 8 mo later) then went onto unpaid leave. Between now and leaving BTS I have worked on 4 projects that I intend to help see through completion one way or another...

Forgive me @toast if I am misinterpreting your words, but did you say that Google threatened to blacklist you because you didn't accept their original job offer? Why the hell would you want to work for a company assholes like that?

I accepted and then reneged, also it was never threatening more like pointing out how expensive it is to recruit and how the offer might not be there forever etc which others advised means blacklist

Ah, ok that makes more sense. Well, I sure hope we are successful at turning 2.0 into a profitable DAC - BitShares would be much better off if we could afford to pay more people like you. I'm think you would find voter support pretty quickly should you choose to return - even for freelance jobs.

[toast]

Toast is just following the money.   When his paycheck ran out, he went to work for music, and then went to google.   It is better for him to earn $$$ and invest than to work for BTS.

I thought he burned the google bridge by choosing to work for BTS.

Nope, he is currently working at google.

Really?    Since when?

It's complicated. I went back briefly (the vague blacklisting threats were apparently a buff as they called back 8 mo later) then went onto unpaid leave. Between now and leaving BTS I have worked on 4 projects that I intend to help see through completion one way or another...

Forgive me @toast if I am misinterpreting your words, but did you say that Google threatened to blacklist you because you didn't accept their original job offer? Why the hell would you want to work for a company assholes like that?

I accepted and then reneged, also it was never threatening more like pointing out how expensive it is to recruit and how the offer might not be there forever etc which others advised means blacklist

[toast]

Toast is just following the money.   When his paycheck ran out, he went to work for music, and then went to google.   It is better for him to earn $$$ and invest than to work for BTS.

I thought he burned the google bridge by choosing to work for BTS.

Nope, he is currently working at google.

Really?    Since when?

It's complicated. I went back briefly (the vague blacklisting threats were apparently a buff as they called back 8 mo later) then went onto unpaid leave. Between now and leaving BTS I have worked on 4 projects that I intend to help see through completion one way or another...

Are you a nay or yay Bitshares 2.0?  Fan or not a fan of Bitshares still?

I like BTS2 and graphene, still have lots of BTS.

[CryptoPrometheus]

Toast is just following the money.   When his paycheck ran out, he went to work for music, and then went to google.   It is better for him to earn $$$ and invest than to work for BTS.

I thought he burned the google bridge by choosing to work for BTS.

Nope, he is currently working at google.

Really?    Since when?

It's complicated. I went back briefly (the vague blacklisting threats were apparently a buff as they called back 8 mo later) then went onto unpaid leave. Between now and leaving BTS I have worked on 4 projects that I intend to help see through completion one way or another...

Forgive me @toast if I am misinterpreting your words, but did you say that Google threatened to blacklist you because you didn't accept their original job offer? Why the hell would you want to work for a company assholes like that?

[puppies]

While many of the technologies that crypto relies upon can be censored by the state.  We can design our systems to require massive expense and overreach to prevent their use.

According to  https://mises.org/library/politics-obedience-discourse-voluntary-servitude-0/0 all states rely upon the consent of the governed, and can only get away with what we let them.

Masking our traffic within a system that would be political suicide to block should give us the ability to not be censored.

That is naive. I highly doubt all those countries in the middle east are agreeing to let the CIA do what it does.

You're not disagreeing with me.  I am not 100% sold on the argument, which is why I worded it as such.  You are disagreeing with Ettiene de La boetie (spelling?)  It is specifically speaking of actions of their own state, and I would suggest you read it or listen to the audio book I posted.  Even the parts I am not sold on are interesting.  It was written in the 16th century, and I always find how much things are the same, even though they have changed so much.

[topcandle]

Toast is just following the money.   When his paycheck ran out, he went to work for music, and then went to google.   It is better for him to earn $$$ and invest than to work for BTS.

I thought he burned the google bridge by choosing to work for BTS.

Nope, he is currently working at google.

Really?    Since when?

It's complicated. I went back briefly (the vague blacklisting threats were apparently a buff as they called back 8 mo later) then went onto unpaid leave. Between now and leaving BTS I have worked on 4 projects that I intend to help see through completion one way or another...

Are you a nay or yay Bitshares 2.0?  Fan or not a fan of Bitshares still?

[toast]

Toast is just following the money.   When his paycheck ran out, he went to work for music, and then went to google.   It is better for him to earn $$$ and invest than to work for BTS.

I thought he burned the google bridge by choosing to work for BTS.

Nope, he is currently working at google.

Really?    Since when?

It's complicated. I went back briefly (the vague blacklisting threats were apparently a buff as they called back 8 mo later) then went onto unpaid leave. Between now and leaving BTS I have worked on 4 projects that I intend to help see through completion one way or another...

[luckybit]

While many of the technologies that crypto relies upon can be censored by the state.  We can design our systems to require massive expense and overreach to prevent their use.

According to  https://mises.org/library/politics-obedience-discourse-voluntary-servitude-0/0 all states rely upon the consent of the governed, and can only get away with what we let them.

Masking our traffic within a system that would be political suicide to block should give us the ability to not be censored.

That is naive. I highly doubt all those countries in the middle east are agreeing to let the CIA do what it does.