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Libra, a Cyberpunk Nightmare in the Midst of Crypto Spring

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Re: Libra, a Cyberpunk Nightmare in the Midst of Crypto Spring

#41
post #27

Libra shows what crypto and in particular blockchain is really for: allowing global megacorporations to start their assault on the nation state. It's pretty critical we undo this, while the nation state still has its monopoly on the legitimate use of force.

Why do we need nation states?

Re: Libra, a Cyberpunk Nightmare in the Midst of Crypto Spring

#42
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My read is that it IS the USD. '...it may actually cement the dollar as the world currency once and for all. As the Association mops up all the fiat in the world they’ll likely turn it into dollars on the back end anyway, so Euros and Yen become Dollars and cents.'

But it would still give them leverage, because cutting FB to size would then hit the USD.

The USD and petrodollar are under great pressure as reserve curencies at this point in history, this could be an effort by the globalized elites to create a new world currency. I suspect this FB initiative will fail but set up a next generation with similar size and heft

Re: Libra, a Cyberpunk Nightmare in the Midst of Crypto Spring

#43
post #30

Can someone explain what this provides to users over, say, a credit or debit card? You don't have the rebellious notions of sticking it to traditional banks, not do you have (completely imagined) anonymity crypto fans have gravitated to. You don't have any of the intangibles crypto fans like. It just seems like Facebook wants a central bank. Who's asking for that?

It is unlikely that you will need to sit in a bank and fill out forms to get a card. You will have no more hoops to go through than in-game tokens.

Which makes me wonder, why haven't there been in-game tokens made universal yet? I don't do Facebook but didn't they once have a large Zynga game thing on the go, very much tied into the platform?

A monopoly on a virtual currency should have happened by now, one that only buys stuff in games, unlocking features etc., transferable to mates.

If this had happened then it would not be that much of a leap to make the virtual token be handy for real world things. Crypto-nonsense would not be needed, it could just be like a classic in-game token.

If the tokens can be cashed out to hard currency great. But some people might never need to do that. They could buy music and apps with mummy and daddy doing the top ups.

Re: Libra, a Cyberpunk Nightmare in the Midst of Crypto Spring

#44
post #20

When people say Cyberpunk w.r.t crypto, do they actually mean Cypherpunk ? Or can someone explain what the difference is?

In this case, I think the concern goes:

FB exerts increasing control over, and insight into, financial transactions. Alongside excessive insight into most other aspects of personal lives. The result becomes the sort of MegaCorp that cyberpunk novels are built off of. Except, you know... I don't think William Gibson ever expected the future megacorp to have sprung up from an undergrad pivoting his Hot or Not rip-off.

Re: Libra, a Cyberpunk Nightmare in the Midst of Crypto Spring

#45
post #20

When people say Cyberpunk w.r.t crypto, do they actually mean Cypherpunk ? Or can someone explain what the difference is?

Crypto in this case does mean cryptographic currency, and it is indeed part of an Cypherpunks wet dream, which is a movement since the 80s to 90s[0][1], and Bitcoin was largely enabled by people of this movement[2][3]. They basically strive to build society with cryptographic methods.

Cyberpunk on the other hand is just a science-fiction genre, which mostly play in futuristic orwellian dystopias and people like to draw comparisons to them.

[0] https://www.activism.net/cypherpunk/crypto-anarchy.html [1] https://www.chaum.com/ecash/ [2] http://www.weidai.com/bmoney.txt [3] http://unenumerated.blogspot.com/2005/12/bit-gold.html

Re: Libra, a Cyberpunk Nightmare in the Midst of Crypto Spring

#46
post #27

Libra shows what crypto and in particular blockchain is really for: allowing global megacorporations to start their assault on the nation state. It's pretty critical we undo this, while the nation state still has its monopoly on the legitimate use of force.

Why do we need nation states?

Nation in nation state is pretty recent addition and already dying off (fortunately), but the state owing allegiance to its citizens (ever imperfect) is better than slide back to feudal-authoritarian corporation that is in no way on the hook for anything towards the common man.

Re: Libra, a Cyberpunk Nightmare in the Midst of Crypto Spring

#47
post #27

Libra shows what crypto and in particular blockchain is really for: allowing global megacorporations to start their assault on the nation state. It's pretty critical we undo this, while the nation state still has its monopoly on the legitimate use of force.

Not everyone shares your adoration for "the nation state".

Nation state is still better than corporation

Re: Libra, a Cyberpunk Nightmare in the Midst of Crypto Spring

#48
post #30

Can someone explain what this provides to users over, say, a credit or debit card? You don't have the rebellious notions of sticking it to traditional banks, not do you have (completely imagined) anonymity crypto fans have gravitated to. You don't have any of the intangibles crypto fans like. It just seems like Facebook wants a central bank. Who's asking for that?

but it is pegged to other central banks, what kind of central bank is that? The only positive that i see about Libra is that it will (hopefully) be exchangeable for some real uncensorable coin.

Re: Libra, a Cyberpunk Nightmare in the Midst of Crypto Spring

#49
post #30

Can someone explain what this provides to users over, say, a credit or debit card? You don't have the rebellious notions of sticking it to traditional banks, not do you have (completely imagined) anonymity crypto fans have gravitated to. You don't have any of the intangibles crypto fans like. It just seems like Facebook wants a central bank. Who's asking for that?

It is unlikely that you will need to sit in a bank and fill out forms to get a card. You will have no more hoops to go through than in-game tokens. Which makes me wonder, why haven't there been in-game tokens made universal yet? I don't do Facebook but didn't they once have a large Zynga game thing on the go, very much tied into the platform? A monopoly on a virtual currency should have happened by now, one that only…

> transferable to mates

That would be a big no no and would ring money laundering alarms

> If the tokens can be cashed out to hard currency great.

Again, regulators, that's why Libra has the association and needs to back up each transaction.

In reality the payment processors take so big a cut that a virtual coin would not be very profitable. Plus you have to manage everyone's complaints and chargebacks. Facebook had FB credits but they scrapped it, presumably because it was not good business. There are some smaller companies who manage virtual coins on behalf of games, like superrewards.com . They take a big cut, but also save developers a lot of trouble.

Re: Libra, a Cyberpunk Nightmare in the Midst of Crypto Spring

#50

Re: India The connections to Aadhar is far more interesting than is mentioned in the article. There is a revolving door between USAID's 'Catalyst' promoting cashless transactions, Aadhar and the people who benefited from demonetization. The Indian state has also been extremely antagonistic to Bitcoin and other such 'anarchist' platforms. https://www.globalresearch.ca/a-well-kept-open-secret-washin... The state appara…

GlobalResearch.ca is a conspiracy website run by a pro-Russian 9/11 truther.

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

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