I agree, but I think a fork is coming anyway. "Bitcoin" is tainted and unless something dramatic happens, well on it's way to being the Lawn Dart and Ford Pinto of 2011. I think as far as I and most merchants are concerned at this point the Politicals are welcome to it.
At this point there is no reason to fight for deckchairs on the Titanic. Merchants process- not invest. Since we don't keep our assets in Bitcoin and don't have any legions of Bitcoin customers awaiting us, we have no reason to board a ship full of unfriendly passengers that is taking on water. We'll stand on the dock and see if you sink
If Bitcoin stays afloat, and the media is comfortable with the politics, we can come to terms with the politicals later, but to be honest I'd prefer to have another fork with a clean name I did not have to defend to my clients. Look at EFF- and more will come, no one wants to "run the Bitcoin banner up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes" anymore.
Crypto-Currency is here to stay, it's not like losing one version of it will matter much in the long run. Call it a prototype- lessons learned.
At this point there is no reason to fight for deckchairs on the Titanic. Merchants process- not invest. Since we don't keep our assets in Bitcoin and don't have any legions of Bitcoin customers awaiting us, we have no reason to board a ship full of unfriendly passengers that is taking on water. We'll stand on the dock and see if you sink
If Bitcoin stays afloat, and the media is comfortable with the politics, we can come to terms with the politicals later, but to be honest I'd prefer to have another fork with a clean name I did not have to defend to my clients. Look at EFF- and more will come, no one wants to "run the Bitcoin banner up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes" anymore.Crypto-Currency is here to stay, it's not like losing one version of it will matter much in the long run. Call it a prototype- lessons learned.
Honestly I feel ofended by your tone here. Tainted? Tainted by what? A ship of unfriendly passengers that is taking on water? Bitcoin is at the moment the most succesful alternative currency of the last 100 or 200 years. That might have something to do with the ideas that founded it (and its ok that you dont understand them, I was a social-democrat until I was 27). Now, it is true that we need more merchants on board and it is true that its going to take some time and efforts. But it is not the politics behind the community that is creating the problem, its the very same nature of the currency. Its the part that you dont really understand about monetary policy (and this is ok, Im ignorant about a lot of stuff, life is short) that is making Bitcoin successful while at the same time is worrying a lot of people at the top. Both things are unseparable.
Dont take this the wrong way, but I feel you dont undertand how a currency system works, specially regarding the nature of Bitcoin. A decentralized and pseudo-anonymous fork will have the same problems with the politicians and other critics that Bitcoin has, no matter the political ideas of the people behind it. And if the "fork" is not decentralized (it wont really be a fork then) it will just be another Paypal system, and I dont think there is much market for another competitor. How are you going to make a fork with the characteristics that make Bitcoin great, but at the same time without those same characteristics because it worries some people?
At the end, p2p file sharing also worried a lot of people at the top, they fought it, but it is here to stay. Because of its decentralized nature, nobody could fight it. Now everybody listens to more music and the bands have seen more interest for them playing live. But at the begginning a lot of people said it would not work because nobody would go with it. Bitcoin is the same and has the potential to bring a new era of trade and welfare for everybody.
You might not want to take the lead in some market, thats understandable and completely fine, but keep in mind that being the first business to operate in a new market gives you a name recognition that is a lot of times an unbeatable advantage (just check MtGox). You might not be willing to take the flag that might come your way (and again its fine, its your decission) but the person that do, will be in a great position. I have a friendly prediction for you: In the future you will regret not jumping onboard and be the first business in your sector that opens to the Bitcoin economy.