Post
Topic
Board Bitcoin Discussion
Re: Rumors of Bitcoin's libertarian death have been greatly exaggerated.
by
amspir
on 28/03/2014, 04:53:48 UTC
Sure, I see a lot more posts in here by clueless people who worship at the alter of big government. More as it has gone more mainstream.

Respectfully,  I realize that you and many people here are libertarians, and you believe that your particular philosophy is the only correct one for the world.  I am sympathetic to many libertarian ideas, but there are things that just do not work when taken to the extreme.   I think bitcoin is a great idea, because it removes control of a currency or a currency-like system away from the control of a central government.   However, I am a pragmatist, and to live in this society, you must obey laws that you may not agree with to keep from going to jail.

There are some things that I believe in that are not libertarian, for instance, I believe there should be subsidies to get broadband internet service to every rural household in America, just as there was for telephone service and electricity.   I believe in the right of a group of people to band together and bargain for higher wages and safety standards with a large company or corporation.   I believe that people and corporations should be made to account for degrading the environment without paying for it (socializing a cost), while making a profit.

An extreme libertarian utopia does exist at present: It is called Somalia.  A nearly non-existent central government, no regulations, no taxes, and lots and lots of guns.   I personally have no desire to live there.