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Reason I became so passionate about Bitcoin is because it backs the ideology, which is anarcho-capitalism. Not all bitcoin users realize this (and they don't ha

by snitko 14y ago

Reason I became so passionate about Bitcoin is because it backs the ideology, which is anarcho-capitalism. Not all bitcoin users realize this (and they don't have to in order for Bitcoin to work), but many do. And the beauty of this situation is that anarcho-capitalism seems to be the only political ideology that is actually backed by a technology voluntarily produced by people contributing to it. A huge step forward from any kind of political movement trying to achieve its goals by force.

maaku 14y ago
Bitcoin has no ideology. It's a protocol. Satoshi and many of the early adopters appear to share your philosophy, and Bitcoin is especially applicable to the needs of anarcho-capitalists. But it is not married to that ideology.
- snitko 14y ago
  That's why I said it "backed" the ideology. And that's why I also said Bitcoin users don't have to share or even know it in order for it to work. I agree with you completely that it's just a protocol, but if you look at it in the context of politics, it is obvious governments wouldn't be exactly happy if more people started using it.
  - maaku 14y ago
    Sorry, I somehow read "backs the ideology" as "backed by the ideology", which obviously has opposite meaning. One of my main beefs with Bitcoin right now is that the most vocal people advocating it are extremist, non-mainstream ideologues. Although I'm not of the Austrian-school, I do consider myself a libertarian-anarchist which is probably just another word for your anarcho-capitalism. However it's not doing my/our cause any good to have Bitcoin move more and more out of the mainstream and the Bitcoin user community become more insular.
    - snitko 14y ago
      That's my bad, I'm sorry. I should have said it is "backed" by the ideology. My initial comment was not exactly clear.
    - jerguismi 14y ago
      > One of my main beefs with Bitcoin right now is that the most vocal people advocating it are extremist, non-mainstream ideologues. I used to be pretty normal person before I got interested about bitcoins. Now I think that the end of the nation state is near and my friends think that I'm a weirdo.
javert 14y ago
> it backs the ideology I don't think what you're saying is even well-defined. In other words, what does it mean for something to "back" an ideology? I think "anarcho-capitalism" is abhorrent, but I think bitcoin is ideal for the political system I advocate, which is capitalism.
- maaku 14y ago
  Capitalism is a purely economic concept. Anarcho-capitalism (literally: “no authority (state), just capitalism”) is the result of applying capitalism to everything, including politics. What then is your capitalist political system?
  - javert 14y ago
    Capitalism is the economic and political system in which no one may initiate force against anyone else. The only way to institute such a system is to have an institution that holds a self-enforced monopoly on retaliatory force, which is the government. Under any form of anarchism, the gang that is most successful at weilding force gains control. "Market anarchism" is an oxymoron, because markets (freedom) and force are opposites. Likewise, "anarcho-capitalism" is an oxymoron.
    - illuminate 14y ago
      They'd replace the "jackbooted thugs of the state" with the jackbooted non-union or pensioned thugs of the lowest bidder.
    - maaku 14y ago
      The popular association of mob violence == anarchy is just that, an ungrounded popular interpretation. "anarcho-capitalism" (or the term I prefer: libertarian-anarchist) is the political philosophy of bringing freedom of choice to government, breaking the monopoly on retaliatory force and allowing free-market mechanisms to select the best system of government which does the job while staying out the way. I suggest doing some reading on the history of Anarchism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchy

by snitko 14y ago

maaku 14y ago

Bitcoin has no ideology. It's a protocol. Satoshi and many of the early adopters appear to share your philosophy, and Bitcoin is especially applicable to the needs of anarcho-capitalists. But it is not married to that ideology.

snitko 14y ago
That's why I said it "backed" the ideology. And that's why I also said Bitcoin users don't have to share or even know it in order for it to work. I agree with you completely that it's just a protocol, but if you look at it in the context of politics, it is obvious governments wouldn't be exactly happy if more people started using it.
- maaku 14y ago
  Sorry, I somehow read "backs the ideology" as "backed by the ideology", which obviously has opposite meaning. One of my main beefs with Bitcoin right now is that the most vocal people advocating it are extremist, non-mainstream ideologues. Although I'm not of the Austrian-school, I do consider myself a libertarian-anarchist which is probably just another word for your anarcho-capitalism. However it's not doing my/our cause any good to have Bitcoin move more and more out of the mainstream and the Bitcoin user community become more insular.
  - snitko 14y ago
    That's my bad, I'm sorry. I should have said it is "backed" by the ideology. My initial comment was not exactly clear.
  - jerguismi 14y ago
    > One of my main beefs with Bitcoin right now is that the most vocal people advocating it are extremist, non-mainstream ideologues. I used to be pretty normal person before I got interested about bitcoins. Now I think that the end of the nation state is near and my friends think that I'm a weirdo.

javert 14y ago

> it backs the ideology I don't think what you're saying is even well-defined. In other words, what does it mean for something to "back" an ideology? I think "anarcho-capitalism" is abhorrent, but I think bitcoin is ideal for the political system I advocate, which is capitalism.

maaku 14y ago
Capitalism is a purely economic concept. Anarcho-capitalism (literally: “no authority (state), just capitalism”) is the result of applying capitalism to everything, including politics. What then is your capitalist political system?
- javert 14y ago
  Capitalism is the economic and political system in which no one may initiate force against anyone else. The only way to institute such a system is to have an institution that holds a self-enforced monopoly on retaliatory force, which is the government. Under any form of anarchism, the gang that is most successful at weilding force gains control. "Market anarchism" is an oxymoron, because markets (freedom) and force are opposites. Likewise, "anarcho-capitalism" is an oxymoron.
  - illuminate 14y ago
    They'd replace the "jackbooted thugs of the state" with the jackbooted non-union or pensioned thugs of the lowest bidder.
  - maaku 14y ago
    The popular association of mob violence == anarchy is just that, an ungrounded popular interpretation. "anarcho-capitalism" (or the term I prefer: libertarian-anarchist) is the political philosophy of bringing freedom of choice to government, breaking the monopoly on retaliatory force and allowing free-market mechanisms to select the best system of government which does the job while staying out the way. I suggest doing some reading on the history of Anarchism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchy