Quote from: DeathAndTaxes on January 30, 2012, 04:07:52 AM

I think his story was tongue in cheek.

The example was tongue in cheek, to illustrate the extreme case. However, the concern is real.

If you allow multi-signature transactions in the blockchain, that essentially means that all parties must agree to spend the coins in that transaction. If one party has more military authority than the others, in that they can impose their will on the other parties without ramification, a problem potentially arises. This is especially true if that party is willing to just let those coins rot in the block-chain forever. The government wouldn't be the slightest bit concerned if you can't spend your money. All they would be concerned about is whether they are exerting control.

Quote from: Holliday on January 30, 2012, 01:34:56 AM

Pardon me while I don't let the government have control of my second key, regardless of various laws that might be passed.

Basically, if people give up their responsibilities, and end up oppressed, it's not the system's fault, it's the people's fault.

It is not a matter of people giving up their responsibilities. I'm not talking about you giving the government one of your signatures. What I am saying is that when the government first gives you payment, that payment will be delivered with the government first generating two signatures, and then giving you one of them. After all, they are the ones starting out with the bitcoins, so they hold all the cards. Your only option is to refuse payment. But, government employees and business that serve the government don't really have that option. It is not reasonable to expect that even a significant fraction of people working for the government would refuse payment. And, even if they did, there would be plenty more stepping in to take their place.

If a government has the capability to exert control, and has the need to do so, it will exert control. Once a government has their hooks in one multisig transaction, they can refuse to allow coins to be spent unless they have hooks in the subsequent transactions as well. Bitcoin without multisig capabilities does not give governments this hook. Bitcoin with multisig does. Whether you see this as a problem or not, is purely up to you. However, I believe that this goes against the original spirit of bitcoin.