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Every government is entilted to regulate it, it's an asset like any other, being new doesn't make it outside of existing law.
by gnaritas 11y ago
Every government is entilted to regulate it, it's an asset like any other, being new doesn't make it outside of existing law.
- irixusr 11y agoWhy?
- gnaritas 11y agoQuite simply because law doesn't work that way. Laws apply to future new things as well as existing things; being new doesn't make something exist outside of current law and law doesn't regulate things with technology, but with law. The ability to jail people is how and why law works and you can't tech your way around that. They don't need to technically be able to stop something because they have the means and ability to enforce these things socially.
- kodablah 11y agoBecause governments rely on the ability to tax financial exchanges to finance themselves. Not saying it's right, but it's the crux of their power and income.
- irixusr 11y agoWell the "why are they are entitled to it" is because they have a monopoly on power. Why they regulate is to finance themselves.
- gnaritas 11y ago> is because they have a monopoly on power. Granted to them by us, voluntarily.
- irixusr 11y agoThe most decorated soldier in american history is Smedley Butler. Two medals of honor. He wrote a book, "war is a racket" where he comes to the conclusion that his entire career was to further the interests of big money and elites. We peons don't get to really choose who governs us, never mind to have government. But if belief in "the consent of the governed" comforts you, go ahead and down vote me.
- gnaritas 11y agoWar is a racket, and we consent to it. We peons as a whole are ignorant and easily misled, consent is easily manufactured. Consent of the governed is not matter of belief, it's simply a fact they operate with our consent for our consent is the source of their power. Smedely Butler is correct, but his statement does not support your argument in any way.
- jsprogrammer 11y agoNo, mathematics makes it outside of existing law. There is nothing a government can do to stop or alter Bitcoin.
- s73v3r 11y agoThis comment has nothing to do with the topic at hand.
- gnaritas 11y agoLaw is social, nothing is outside of existing law and being math can't change that because law is based on what is or isn't mathematically preventable.
- techdragon 11y agoAnd murdering someone is just applied physics... Of course they can do things to regulate mathematics. Hell they can regulate Knowledge itself, just look up the "born secret doctrine". Through the sanctioned monopoly on violence, the government is given final rights over everything via their ability to leverage the threat of violence.
- irixusr 11y ago"the government is given final rights" Well not according to the US' citizenship test which states that the constitution is the top law whilst defining the rule of law as no entity, including the government, being above the law. That's the theory anyways. In reality, might makes right now more than ever (there's a very interesting article from MIT about if technology fosters democracy. They conclude no)
- gnaritas 11y agoThe constitution is what grants them that power. The executive branch is charged with enforcing the laws of the legislative branch according the main body of the constitution and the 16th amendment says they can tax your income. Taxing bitcoin is something the constitution says they can do.