Might I suggest to some, instead of ignorantly dismissing these folks as outdated hacks, you take this opportunity to refine your arguments.  So far, I have barely heard a reasonable argument to anything they've said.  Just dismissive rhetoric.  That is childish behavior and if the Bitcoin community is hoping to go up against the legislators and economists of the world, YOU better know what YOU'RE talking about.  Passion and belief does not make a winning argument, because even outdated hacks can tear most of you novices to pieces in a round table discussion like this. 

They mentioned Paul Krugman.  Yeah, the Pulitzer winning economist.  While I couldn't disagree more with MOST of their statements, simply disagreeing isn't going to win any debates against minds like Paul Krugman.  If you're not prepared to step on that stage, might I suggest remaining quite, as to not make the whole of Bitcoin look like a bunch of whining elementary kids, playing around with their "hacker science project."  It only serves to help their arguments.  Just saying...

/rant over