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How the Catalan government uses IPFS to sidestep Spain's legal block

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Re: How the Catalan government uses IPFS to sidestep Spain's legal block

#51
post #33
post #2

Author here. I've tried to keep the article as apolitical as possible, while giving some context to provide the setting. Anyway, I'm very interested in knowing if the used crypto is sound or not, and stirring a discussion around possible alternative approaches. Ask me anything if you want to know further!

Out of curiosity, where on the actual website is the crypto code? (It's way harder to follow than your simplified version :) ) Also how are they distributing the initial hash - physical signs? I figure the easiest threat from Spain is to get people to show up to the wrong polling stations, which don't have them on the voter rolls, and then cast doubts on the validity of a referendum that has a huge number of provisio…

The code is in the bundled file at [1] (look for the "calcular" function).

The hash was distributed in URL form through twitter by both the Catalan president [2] and the catalan economy minister (who is the 2nd in command actually) [3].

[1] https://ipfs.io/ipns/QmZxWEBJBVkGDGaKdYPQUXX4KC5TCWbvuR4iYZr...

[2] https://twitter.com/KRLS/status/911482634789953536

[3] https://twitter.com/junqueras/status/913010751429840896

Re: How the Catalan government uses IPFS to sidestep Spain's legal block

#52

On one of the websites there is an ax in the coat of arms. http://www.referendum.cat/ I recognize that ax symbol from somewhere. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism

It is the symbol of the "Guardia Civil", a spanish paramilitary force.

I'm not actually suggesting that they are fascists, similar symbolism is used in the US as well https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln_(1920_statue)#... . And the phrase "E pluribus unum" on American money also has the same roots as the symbol. But it is amusing to me, because the idea behind the symbol is very authoritarian and fascist.

Re: How the Catalan government uses IPFS to sidestep Spain's legal block

#53

On one of the websites there is an ax in the coat of arms. http://www.referendum.cat/ I recognize that ax symbol from somewhere. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism

It is the symbol of the "Guardia Civil", a spanish paramilitary force.

Not a paramilitary force,but a nation-wide law enforcement corp

Re: How the Catalan government uses IPFS to sidestep Spain's legal block

#54
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The spanish constituion explicitly states that Spain is an indivisible country. Hence, the Constituional Court (that is elected by the parliament) has ruled out that any referendum about independence is illegal. At this point, the government says that both them and the judiciary powers are just defending the democratic rules, and Catalonia's government is the one at fault for all this hassle. The problem is that it i…

Governments usually do not like to give up the money making portions of their countries and neither does the population of the rest of the country. You never see a poor part of a country seceding (well, other than Quebec maybe).

Slovakia was much poorer than the Czech part of Czechoslovakia. The decision to split was made by the politicians rather than the people in a referendum though. Seems to be working out quite OK for everyone so far.

Re: How the Catalan government uses IPFS to sidestep Spain's legal block

#55

On one of the websites there is an ax in the coat of arms. http://www.referendum.cat/ I recognize that ax symbol from somewhere. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism

Yeap. It's true that the ax is older than Fascism, but its adoption on the symbol of the Spanish Civil Guard is from 1943 - right during the Franquist regime.

Re: How the Catalan government uses IPFS to sidestep Spain's legal block

#56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Governments usually do not like to give up the money making portions of their countries and neither does the population of the rest of the country. You never see a poor part of a country seceding (well, other than Quebec maybe).

The South in the U.S. Civil War?

The people driving that were very wealthy.

Re: How the Catalan government uses IPFS to sidestep Spain's legal block

#57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is the symbol of the "Guardia Civil", a spanish paramilitary force.

I'm not actually suggesting that they are fascists, similar symbolism is used in the US as well https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln_(1920_statue)#... . And the phrase "E pluribus unum" on American money also has the same roots as the symbol. But it is amusing to me, because the idea behind the symbol is very authoritarian and fascist.

A conceptually identical icon is used by Anarchists as well ;) https://propertyistheft.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/1917_iww...

Re: How the Catalan government uses IPFS to sidestep Spain's legal block

#58
post #20

It seems shocking that Spain a member of the EU is resorting to these tactics. Can you discuss some of their justifications for doing so?

The spanish constituion explicitly states that Spain is an indivisible country. Hence, the Constituional Court (that is elected by the parliament) has ruled out that any referendum about independence is illegal. At this point, the government says that both them and the judiciary powers are just defending the democratic rules, and Catalonia's government is the one at fault for all this hassle. The problem is that it i…

And this is not the end of the history. Would be naively opening the door to a full hell of pain.

Try to give one candy to calm a child having a tantrum in a room full of them and see what happens when the other children realize that crying, breaking toys and banging the head on the wall equals to be rewarded with sweets.

You allow somebody to break the law and jump over the constitution just because they are inconsolable otherwise. You fell in the trap. Now you must grant the same treatment to the rest. Similar referendums were demanded (and should have to be allowed in the very next day) for Euskadi, Galicia, Canary Islands, Asturias, Leon, Andalucia and only god knows what more. Two can play this game, and ten also.

The idea is not Germany allowing or not a referendum for Bavaria; or UK trying to please Scottland; the idea would be: you must now be forced to grant referendums for each single state in Deutschland or UK to make us happy "or we will stop breathing (and will create a permanent state of confrontation and street disturbs)".

Re: How the Catalan government uses IPFS to sidestep Spain's legal block

#59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Governments usually do not like to give up the money making portions of their countries and neither does the population of the rest of the country. You never see a poor part of a country seceding (well, other than Quebec maybe).

The South in the U.S. Civil War?

The South expected massive cotton revenues to prop its economy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Cotton

Re: How the Catalan government uses IPFS to sidestep Spain's legal block

#60
post #20

It seems shocking that Spain a member of the EU is resorting to these tactics. Can you discuss some of their justifications for doing so?

The spanish constituion explicitly states that Spain is an indivisible country. Hence, the Constituional Court (that is elected by the parliament) has ruled out that any referendum about independence is illegal. At this point, the government says that both them and the judiciary powers are just defending the democratic rules, and Catalonia's government is the one at fault for all this hassle. The problem is that it i…

Changing the constitution isn't feasible? Are there any pro-separation parties in the national parliament?
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