Is this the new Neal Stephenson?
The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto (1988)
31–40 of 140 posts
Re: The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto (1988)
#32Earlier quoted context omitted.
Certainly, but crypto has the advantage of being counterfeit-proof.
I have never in my life been concerned about counterfeit dollars. While I may have unknowingly handled one at some point it's never come up or negatively impacted me making that benefit marginal at best.
It's not individual law abiding citizens that are worried about counterfeits. It's a state level concern. Which seems odd to me that crypto's uncounterfitability would be a selling point for said LACs.
Re: The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto (1988)
#33I don't understand the barbed wire metaphor. Couldn't crypto have the effect of putting content that would otherwise be freely available in the current internet behind monetary barriers? Couldn't cryptocurrencies enable further control by monopolizing media industries? The technology is powerful, whether or not it will be liberating is to be determined. Edit: didn't realize this was from 1993! Amazing to read that pe…
As the saying goes: information wants to be free. In a world where everyone can interact with each other completely anonymously that becomes even more true, since governments cannot effectively penalize people for distributing said information.
For example, imagine a version of The Pirate Bay hosted as a Tor hidden service, combined with a completely anonymous torrent-like P2P file sharing system.
Re: The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto (1988)
#34And the follow-up: The Cyphernomicon (1994) http://www.cypherpunks.to/faq/cyphernomicron/cyphernomicon.t... Ah memories...
And of course Detweiler :)
http://borg.uu3.net/ldetweil/medusa/detweiler.html
Re: The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto (1988)
#35> The State will of course try to slow or halt the spread of this technology, citing national security concerns, use of the technology by drug dealers and tax evaders... Bitcoin Silkroad The crypto wars The crypto wars 2: The empire strikes back and that's just one poignant sentence in the fairly small but very accurate manifesto.
Also this bit:
> An anonymous computerized market will even make possible abhorrent markets for assassinations and extortion. Various criminal and foreign elements will be active users of CryptoNet. But this will not halt the spread of crypto anarchy.
See Silk Road, Bitcoin, Monero
Re: The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto (1988)
#36Earlier quoted context omitted.
> These concepts (especially Ethereum) are the digital manifestations of the theory of democracy - unhindered by loopholes, corruption, indecision, and private-interests. LOL https://www.reddit.com/r/ethereumfraud/
>These concepts (especially Ethereum) are the digital manifestations of the theory of democracy - unhindered by loopholes, corruption, indecision, and private-interests. The kind of democracy where having more money means you get more votes, which is the kind of democracy almost nobody would want to live in lest someone has more money than them. I don't know the word for such a thing, but it sounds barbaric, yet I've…
Feudalism. The King is King because he owns more property than you. Get back to work, serf!
Re: The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto (1988)
#37> The State will of course try to slow or halt the spread of this technology, citing national security concerns, use of the technology by drug dealers and tax evaders... Bitcoin Silkroad The crypto wars The crypto wars 2: The empire strikes back and that's just one poignant sentence in the fairly small but very accurate manifesto.
It's quite funny to see people promoting such conspiracy theories, considering they've already been proven wrong by reality.
Apart from some banana republics, governments around the world have been incredibly relaxed with regards to Bitcoin. The rules that have been established are as favourable as anyone could imagine (i. e. trading being exempt from VAT etc.).
Yes, they have insisted on existing rules, mostly of the know-your-customer variety. It's funny you're citing "national security concerns, use of the technology by drug dealers and tax evaders", as if those were just talking points to hide the real reasons. Because for the life of me I can't think of any other, legal, activity governments are trying to suppress by regulating bitcoin. What exactly is that killer app of bitcoin that so frightens the establishment?
Re: The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto (1988)
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yep. I remember when it was published. I was on the Cypherpunks list back then, and it was a fascinating group for a while. Tim May was a vocal, eloquent proponent of anarcho-capitalism[1], and believed that crypto and the net were crucial tools that would tip the balance of power between the individual and the state, cause an erosion of tax-collection powers, and eventually tip the world into a mode of 'voluntary' i…
> a mode of 'voluntary' interaction that others, myself included, argued is indistinguishable from feudalism Good thing you've got The State extorting and enslaving you then, to protect you from that "feudalism".
I'd rather a democratically elected state than a cabal of wealthy warlords.
Re: The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto (1988)
#39Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have never in my life been concerned about counterfeit dollars. While I may have unknowingly handled one at some point it's never come up or negatively impacted me making that benefit marginal at best.
It's not individual law abiding citizens that are worried about counterfeits. It's a state level concern. Which seems odd to me that crypto's uncounterfitability would be a selling point for said LACs.
Yawn Nobody cares about counterfeit cash. The technological gap b/w counterfeiters and national mints has continuously expanded. Today, even most countries have given up trying to update their technology, and have started buying their bills from a small number of printers (i.e. Giesecke & Devrient).
More importantly, only a tiny fraction of money in circulation is actually held in cash. Today, most countries could declare all cash worthless overnight and it wouldn't have a major effect on the economy. All the infrastructure to move to electronic payments is already in place, and trade could continue unharmed.
Re: The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto (1988)
#40It's an ongoing battle, even if eventual victory is inevitable. Plenty of work remains to put convenient, strong encryption; not to mention anonymity; in the hands of everyone all the time.