If it were 1999 and we were in the dot.com bubble right now I wonder whether or not the people on this forum would be defending it fanatically, posting logarithmic charts with lines on them, etc.
Peoples reasons for believing Bitcoin will continue growing exponentially appear to be contrived afterthoughts. That doesn't necessarily mean they don't value privacy and freedom or think that Bitcoin has the potential to be useful but the main reason for the hype is people trying to make a buck.