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Perhaps there are reasons beyond my understanding why this is a wrong idea but if I were the head of the government I would rather officially sell the machines

Perhaps there are reasons beyond my understanding why this is a wrong idea but if I were the head of the government I would rather officially sell the machines to a legitimate tax-paying mining operation or (if we are low on electricity and don't want any mining in the country) sell them on eBay to whatever a foreign party interested to get the funds for the budget. If the hardware would appear at an illegal mining facility in the country again I would just confiscate and sell them again making even more funds for the budget.

birdyrooster 5y ago
I’m sure by the end of your paragraph you began to see how this can be gamed to not help the country.
Syonyk 5y ago
"Hello, Dear Sir! I am most foreign of foreigners, wishing to buy your Bitcoin Printing Mint Equipment, paid in your local currency, for export out of your fine country." "... really? You're the guy we seized these from, holding your finger under your nose like a mustache. To cover your mustache." If you object to the entire principle (or, at least, need to be seen objecting to the entire principle), destroying the assets in a visible public spectacle is the way to go. California had at least some high profile "street racer" destruction back in the day, and I don't believe any western government, upon seizing a big load of cocaine, goes about trying to figure out how they can unload it to someone else. At least, in easily tracked ways...
- michaelmrose 5y ago
  Cocaine does have SOME medicinal use but corruption of the product by being mixed destroys any possibility of legit use. This isn't true of computers.
- qwerty456127 5y ago
  > really? You're the guy we seized these from Ok, let them buy it again and seize it from them again if they use it unlawfully. Double profit. > seizing a big load of cocaine, goes about trying to figure out how they can unload it to someone else Because there is an internationally agreed war on drugs. Cocaine (unlike meth which can be officially prescribed as Desoxyn in the US and heroine which also is used medically in some cases e.g. in the UK) is officially considered pure evil with no legitimate medical use (it can be used for good but in practice 99.9% of its use is abuse and even the 0.1% who use it for good also do that illegally). AFAIK there is no international agreement on fighting cryptocurrencies mining so far, the mining equipment (let alone the power supply units) are perfectly legal to manufacture, sell, buy, own and use (unless you actually steal electricity to power them) in many countries. Even such a totalitarian and unreasonably conservative country as Iran officially allowed (and taxed) mining until they found out they are running low on electricity.
  - thaumasiotes 5y ago
    > Cocaine (unlike meth which can be officially prescribed as Desoxyn in the US and heroin which also is used medically in some cases e.g. in the UK) is officially considered pure evil with no legitimate medical use This isn't true at all; cocaine is a Schedule II drug, not a Schedule I like marijuana. It has historically had plenty of medical use.
    - qwerty456127 5y ago
      I know it had medical use historically but had no idea it still has today.
      - thaumasiotes 5y ago
        Did I say it does? It might. But what you said was that it is "officially considered pure evil with no legitimate medical use". There is an official schedule of drugs organized by how evil they are and whether they have a medical use. Cocaine is listed as having medical use. This is, to the maximum possible extent, the official opinion of the United States. Where are you getting your official statements from?
jlarocco 5y ago
The goal of a government isn't to make a big profit.
- dylan604 5y ago
  It is the goal of the gov't contractors that the gov't has hired to do the actual work of the gov't
  - jlarocco 5y ago
    Not sure what your point is with this. I'm personally glad contractors aren't handling things like this, and would like to see their role diminshed in general.
    - dylan604 5y ago
      My point was things seem to be going the opposite of what you're wanting. More and more things seem to be contracted out to different companies. Warfare/mercinaries is a big area, however, jails are another.
spoonjim 5y ago
This is why you’re not a head of government. Heads of government realize that a public display of power and consequence is much more valuable than a few hundred K revenue that you can shake down out of anyone.

birdyrooster 5y ago

I’m sure by the end of your paragraph you began to see how this can be gamed to not help the country.

Syonyk 5y ago

"Hello, Dear Sir! I am most foreign of foreigners, wishing to buy your Bitcoin Printing Mint Equipment, paid in your local currency, for export out of your fine country." "... really? You're the guy we seized these from, holding your finger under your nose like a mustache. To cover your mustache." If you object to the entire principle (or, at least, need to be seen objecting to the entire principle), destroying the assets in a visible public spectacle is the way to go. California had at least some high profile "street racer" destruction back in the day, and I don't believe any western government, upon seizing a big load of cocaine, goes about trying to figure out how they can unload it to someone else. At least, in easily tracked ways...

michaelmrose 5y ago
Cocaine does have SOME medicinal use but corruption of the product by being mixed destroys any possibility of legit use. This isn't true of computers.
qwerty456127 5y ago
> really? You're the guy we seized these from Ok, let them buy it again and seize it from them again if they use it unlawfully. Double profit. > seizing a big load of cocaine, goes about trying to figure out how they can unload it to someone else Because there is an internationally agreed war on drugs. Cocaine (unlike meth which can be officially prescribed as Desoxyn in the US and heroine which also is used medically in some cases e.g. in the UK) is officially considered pure evil with no legitimate medical use (it can be used for good but in practice 99.9% of its use is abuse and even the 0.1% who use it for good also do that illegally). AFAIK there is no international agreement on fighting cryptocurrencies mining so far, the mining equipment (let alone the power supply units) are perfectly legal to manufacture, sell, buy, own and use (unless you actually steal electricity to power them) in many countries. Even such a totalitarian and unreasonably conservative country as Iran officially allowed (and taxed) mining until they found out they are running low on electricity.
- thaumasiotes 5y ago
  > Cocaine (unlike meth which can be officially prescribed as Desoxyn in the US and heroin which also is used medically in some cases e.g. in the UK) is officially considered pure evil with no legitimate medical use This isn't true at all; cocaine is a Schedule II drug, not a Schedule I like marijuana. It has historically had plenty of medical use.
  - qwerty456127 5y ago
    I know it had medical use historically but had no idea it still has today.
    - thaumasiotes 5y ago
      Did I say it does? It might. But what you said was that it is "officially considered pure evil with no legitimate medical use". There is an official schedule of drugs organized by how evil they are and whether they have a medical use. Cocaine is listed as having medical use. This is, to the maximum possible extent, the official opinion of the United States. Where are you getting your official statements from?

jlarocco 5y ago

The goal of a government isn't to make a big profit.

dylan604 5y ago
It is the goal of the gov't contractors that the gov't has hired to do the actual work of the gov't
- jlarocco 5y ago
  Not sure what your point is with this. I'm personally glad contractors aren't handling things like this, and would like to see their role diminshed in general.
  - dylan604 5y ago
    My point was things seem to be going the opposite of what you're wanting. More and more things seem to be contracted out to different companies. Warfare/mercinaries is a big area, however, jails are another.

spoonjim 5y ago

This is why you’re not a head of government. Heads of government realize that a public display of power and consequence is much more valuable than a few hundred K revenue that you can shake down out of anyone.