4 ms·

The Mafia was even bigger fans of organized labor, government contacts, real estate, construction, and cash. The only argument less persuasive and over used th

The Mafia was even bigger fans of organized labor, government contacts, real estate, construction, and cash. The only argument less persuasive and over used than that one is “think of the children!”

arcticbull 5y ago
Technology designed to actively circumvent the progress we've made in curtailing illicit use is in my opinion a bad thing. This is just wataboutism. Let's stick to one topic at a time huh?
- matheusmoreira 5y ago
  You call total surveillance progress? Why should the government have automatic access to everyone's financial data?
  - arcticbull 5y ago
    Well, Bitcoin supports total surveillance by default, so I do push back that crypto has solved that problem. Really only Cash and Monero avoid this yeah? The government should have access to everyone's financial data when presenting a warrant. If the current system doesn't work that way, we should reform the system. Not throw out a useful tool for enforcement of law.
    - matheusmoreira 5y ago
      > Bitcoin supports total surveillance by default, so I do push back that crypto has solved that problem. I agree with you. Bitcoin and most other coins have this flaw and it's a problem. > Really only Cash and Monero avoid this yeah? Yes. Right now Monero is closest to the original cryptocurrency dream. It's everything bitcoin should have been. It's a shame that bitcoin is still king. > The government should have access to everyone's financial data when presenting a warrant. Warrants are for specific persons, not everyone. Yet the government essentially has full access to everyone's banking records. They're still not satisfied, they keep demanding more. > Not throw out a useful tool for enforcement of law. They can't be trusted with these powers. If they want to catch criminals, they should have to go out there and do real police work instead of imposing their abusive surveillance on everyone.
      - arcticbull 5y ago
        > They can't be trusted with these powers. If they want to catch criminals, they should have to go out there and do real police work instead of imposing their abusive surveillance on everyone. Real police work like collecting records for transactions to piece together how a crime happened?
        matheusmoreira 5y ago
        Yes. They should have to do it in person, not by pressing some button on a computer. It should be hard.
        arcticbull 5y ago
        Why isn't the future digital for the police? You're creating arbitrary obstacles for no reason. Artifically handicapping the police and preventing them from doing their jobs without really explaining your basis for drawing the line there.
        matheusmoreira 5y ago
        In free societies people have a right to privacy. The government should not have access to any information at all unless there's a good reason. Even then, their access should be as limited as possible. If that enables more crime, so be it. That's the price we pay for freedom. Governments have proven again and again they won't respect these rights. So people will make subversive technology to defeat them. Cryptography has that kind of power. They'll have to increase their tyranny in order to stop it. Is there a limit to how tyrannical they're willing to become in order to control their subjects? We'll find out.
        arcticbull 5y ago
        That's quite a game to play, one of mutually assured destruction. I suggest that instead technology be devised to help expose the information necessary to pursue crime and criminality under mutually reasonably circumstances. Otherwise you're just surrendering to mad-max anarchy.
- jazzyjackson 5y ago
  How is the government going to get anything done if they're not allowed to pay off the mafia? Or if you prefer, how is the mafia supposed to get anything done is they can't pay off the politicians?

arcticbull 5y ago

Technology designed to actively circumvent the progress we've made in curtailing illicit use is in my opinion a bad thing. This is just wataboutism. Let's stick to one topic at a time huh?

matheusmoreira 5y ago
You call total surveillance progress? Why should the government have automatic access to everyone's financial data?
- arcticbull 5y ago
  Well, Bitcoin supports total surveillance by default, so I do push back that crypto has solved that problem. Really only Cash and Monero avoid this yeah? The government should have access to everyone's financial data when presenting a warrant. If the current system doesn't work that way, we should reform the system. Not throw out a useful tool for enforcement of law.
  - matheusmoreira 5y ago
    > Bitcoin supports total surveillance by default, so I do push back that crypto has solved that problem. I agree with you. Bitcoin and most other coins have this flaw and it's a problem. > Really only Cash and Monero avoid this yeah? Yes. Right now Monero is closest to the original cryptocurrency dream. It's everything bitcoin should have been. It's a shame that bitcoin is still king. > The government should have access to everyone's financial data when presenting a warrant. Warrants are for specific persons, not everyone. Yet the government essentially has full access to everyone's banking records. They're still not satisfied, they keep demanding more. > Not throw out a useful tool for enforcement of law. They can't be trusted with these powers. If they want to catch criminals, they should have to go out there and do real police work instead of imposing their abusive surveillance on everyone.
    - arcticbull 5y ago
      > They can't be trusted with these powers. If they want to catch criminals, they should have to go out there and do real police work instead of imposing their abusive surveillance on everyone. Real police work like collecting records for transactions to piece together how a crime happened?
      - matheusmoreira 5y ago
        Yes. They should have to do it in person, not by pressing some button on a computer. It should be hard.
        arcticbull 5y ago
        Why isn't the future digital for the police? You're creating arbitrary obstacles for no reason. Artifically handicapping the police and preventing them from doing their jobs without really explaining your basis for drawing the line there.
        matheusmoreira 5y ago
        In free societies people have a right to privacy. The government should not have access to any information at all unless there's a good reason. Even then, their access should be as limited as possible. If that enables more crime, so be it. That's the price we pay for freedom. Governments have proven again and again they won't respect these rights. So people will make subversive technology to defeat them. Cryptography has that kind of power. They'll have to increase their tyranny in order to stop it. Is there a limit to how tyrannical they're willing to become in order to control their subjects? We'll find out.
        arcticbull 5y ago
        That's quite a game to play, one of mutually assured destruction. I suggest that instead technology be devised to help expose the information necessary to pursue crime and criminality under mutually reasonably circumstances. Otherwise you're just surrendering to mad-max anarchy.
jazzyjackson 5y ago
How is the government going to get anything done if they're not allowed to pay off the mafia? Or if you prefer, how is the mafia supposed to get anything done is they can't pay off the politicians?