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The Face Behind Bitcoin?

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Re: The Face Behind Bitcoin?

#581

Post by john_b »

girvo wrote: post #129
dagw wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And they could have done all of that without revealing his identity.

His identity was revealed the moment he put his actual full name to the paper though :/ I would has sympathy if he actually did use a pseudonym, but assuming this is true then what did he really expect would happen?

I agree that it's harder to have sympathy for him as a result. However, nobody deserves to have their rights violated* because they made a simple mistake. If you forget to lock your house or car, you don't deserve to have it broken into. If you drop your wallet for a moment, you don't deserve to have it stolen.

*If you don't believe in a right to privacy, substitute "be harassed by strangers" or "have their and their family's safety compromised". Even outside a framework of rights, some things remain inappropriate and wrong.

Re: The Face Behind Bitcoin?

#582

Post by danielweber »

path411 wrote: post #566
danielweber wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am now unsure of that and backing away from that position. Is there a print-version of this article? That would show the photo credit in the margin. Too bad photo credits don't seem to be the custom on the web.

In the online article it says: "Satoshi Nakamoto in Lancaster, Calif. Credit: Photo via Photobucket.com via Satoshi Nakamoto (Wagumabher)" Sounds more like she uncovered his personal photobucket and took an image.

Thanks, that wasn't there a few hours ago.

Re: The Face Behind Bitcoin?

#583

Post by prostoalex »

rosser wrote: post #477
prostoalex wrote: post #450

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's the same with the bank deposits - would you expect do get exact same dollar bills with serial numbers you've deposited every time you use an ATM? Are you then looting somebody every time you make a cash withdrawal?

No, in fact, it's not the same with bank deposits. Of course you don't get back the same dollar bills; frankly, that's an offensively specious false analogy. But when you deposit money into a bank account, you still own that money ; if you were to close your bank account tomorrow, you'd get a cheque for the balance. Social Security, on the other hand, is a "pay as you go" program. When you contribute money into the S…

> If it's still solvent and operating when you retire or become disabled, then you can expect to receive benefits similarly

That's now how it works. The reason you get those annual pamphlets from Social Security Administration is to know exactly what you're entitled to. It's highly dependent on your rate and consistency of contributions.

> or decide to fund your retirement yourself, you don't somehow magically get back the money you contributed

Not sure what you're saying. When you reach proper age, you're entitled to Social Security payouts as long as you've contributed into the system the way that was intended. A lot of people fund their own retirements through 401(k), annuities or personal savings, that does not disqualify them from Social Security.

Re: The Face Behind Bitcoin?

#584

Post by dublinben »

dragonwriter wrote: post #444
bane wrote: post #432

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah it's a strained analogy, but aren't they all? >Nothing about libertarianism compels you to move to a less government-y place just so you can work a more ideologically pure job. True, but it does compel you to work in a non-governmental job as much as possible. Or at least be honest about the situation: "I hate working for the government and all the waste, but I applied to 100 jobs and this is that only one I cou…

> True, but it does compel you to work in a non-governmental job as much as possible. Not really. Libertarians want government limited to certain essential functions (exactly which those are varies a bit between individual libertarians.) There's nothing inconsistent about being Libertarian and working for the government in one of those essential functions.

The problem is that whatever their job happens to be is never a nonessential function. The goal posts are constantly moving.

Re: The Face Behind Bitcoin?

#585

Post by [deleted] »

bane wrote: post #101

Topic other than discussing the irresponsibility of "outing" a guy using the clever tricks of using his name and public records look ups. > A libertarian, Nakamoto encouraged his daughter to be independent, start her own business and "not be under the government's thumb," she says. "He was very wary of the government, taxes and people in charge." > What you don't know about him is that he's worked on classified stuff…

[deleted]

Re: The Face Behind Bitcoin?

#586

Post by mpyne »

crazy1van wrote: post #394
joyeuse6701 wrote: post #350

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hypocrites are everywhere even in the private sector, nothing particularly strange that they exist in the public one. >I've even pointed out point-blank that their salaries are paid for by the same taxes they rail against incessantly and are met with blank stares or wry grimaces before they launch into an extended soliloquy about "values" or personal responsibility or some such. There's this kind of sick expectation…

> You make a villain out of them, but when someone like Warren Buffet says 'the rich can contribute more' you applaud him ... Good point on Buffet. Claiming the rich should pay more taxes but having an army of accountants and lawyers on staff to minimize your tax burden seems very hypocritical.

It's not at all hypocritical, as long as he pays that new higher (but minimized-by-army) tax burden, should it actually go through. That's like saying an NFL cornerback who liked the old "push out" rules shouldn't try to push receivers out of bounds before making a catch, as is permitted with the newer rules. You can argue for different rules while playing the game with the rules that are actually on the books.

Re: The Face Behind Bitcoin?

#587

Post by Yorn »

anigbrowl wrote: post #521
Yorn wrote: post #430

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Speaking as a sometimes paranoid libertarian with a reasonable amount of Bitcoin, myself, I can say the two things preventing me from cashing out of any portion of it is the likelihood I would be identified and the fact that any sales of it I have to pay taxes on. I purchased a house this year that I could have afforded several times over in Bitcoin, but instead took out a loan just like anyone else.

I don't understand this. the amount you'd pay in capital gains is probably less than what you're going to pay out in interest, notwithstanding the mortgage interest deduction to your taxes (in which the government subsidizes you at the expense of other taxpayers). I mean, perhaps you ran the numbers and it works out better financially, but I get the impression from your post that you don't want to pay any taxes on it…

My accountant did not think it qualified as capital gains. I guess the IRS has a specific designation for what can be considered for that.

Re: The Face Behind Bitcoin?

#588

Post by anigbrowl »

argumentum wrote: post #572
anigbrowl wrote: post #503

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hearing jokes about it and having a reporter turn up from a well-known national news publication seeking an interview are two entirely different things. Really, these are the sort of arguments I'd expect from a surly 13-year old. If he was some coincicentally named private individual, the obvious thing to do would be to deny being the celebrity Nakamoto, and possibly to advise the reporter to discuss the matter with…

> If he was some coincicentally named private individual, the obvious thing to do .. Why is that so "obvious"? That may be the obvious choice for you , and maybe it's even the "correct" choice. But fame is incredibly enticing ego food.

In which case he has no reason not to say 'why yes I am that international man of mystery!' and milk it for all the gains its worth, eg TV interviews and speaking invitations and so on. Lots of other people have done this sort of thing, and there's nothing illegal about it, just a social cost if you're caught out. It doesn't make sense to argue that he's shunning the media and seduced by fame at the same time.

Re: The Face Behind Bitcoin?

#589

Post by jokoon »

bane wrote: post #101

Topic other than discussing the irresponsibility of "outing" a guy using the clever tricks of using his name and public records look ups. > A libertarian, Nakamoto encouraged his daughter to be independent, start her own business and "not be under the government's thumb," she says. "He was very wary of the government, taxes and people in charge." > What you don't know about him is that he's worked on classified stuff…

Don't you think he might just have built this opinion while working for the government ? Sometimes having an insider look might makes you more knowledgeable.

And even if this opinion is widespread and stupid, working for the government doesn't make your opinion more or less valid, because every voter is the same. Anyways it's just an opinion, and I don't think it has a lot to do with bitcoin anyways.

It's not like anyone is seeking political advice and opinion from this guy, that's not why he's famous, so why bother ?

Re: The Face Behind Bitcoin?

#590

Post by anigbrowl »

prostoalex wrote: post #576
anigbrowl wrote: post #482

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So? He can afford it. I'm pretty sure that the real issue here is that if he starts spending his money he's going to get hit with a very large tax bill which he would rather not receive.

I'm not debating the affordability, I'm debating the wonderful crime-free world described by parent, where kidnappings and burglaries just don't happen.

If you're wealthy and live in the US, your chances of being the victim of a kidnapping or suchlike are very low.
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