My answer: Bitcoin is for enemies means you cannot stop the state from offering very high fee-rates to fill blocks with pointless transactions that do nothing and the state cannot stop you from offering a higher fee-rate.
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My answer: Bitcoin is for enemies means you cannot stop the state from offering very high fee-rates to fill blocks with pointless transactions that do nothing and the state cannot stop you from offering a higher fee-rate.
To me it's always meant that whomever your enemy may be, they will be able to use bitcoin just like you. It doesn't really matter if the state is your enemy, some ordinal spammer, or your ex-wife; they'll all use Bitcoin as they please, as long as they are paying.
This is the explanation I should have written. Exactly.
Having peace with this is hard for many bitcoiners today. Which is somewhat odd because that feels like external influence, not intrinsic.
I read it as implicitly saying "Bitcoin is for everyone, including your enemies."
Implicit in that statement is the idea that however "enemies" is defined, they can't be blocked from the network.
All people living in autocracies are blocked from using Bitcoin as a MoE without risking state prosecution.
People in almost all 'liberal western democracies' cannot use BTC MoE lawfully without hugely onerous transaction recording and collation and tax calculation and payment obligations.
BTC is effectively hugely obstructed as a legal MoE, globally.
We have a big problem. And IMO the 'social media' environment is making this worse because people argue with each instead of looking for solutions.
What solution should we be looking for exactly?
The solution of making Bitcoin a legal tender or removing the taxation imposed on it as property?
What we can do is "Make Bitcoin the base asset on which Fiat runs." When Bitcoin is used in that sense, it cannot be taxed, but at the same time, it is not a legal tender and does not conflict with the government's legal tender. It just becomes an underlying asset moving fiat-denominated value across time and space.
This is already possible with the Lightning Network via Hosted/Fiat channels:
Here: https://github.com/standardsats/fiat-channels-rfc
Here also: https://standardsats.github.io/
If Bitcoin is not a viable and legal and convenient alternative to the states fiat MoE monopoly then imo it has failed.
Governments have put in obstructions to prevent the free and convenient use of BTC as a MoE because they seek to protect ad preserve their rentseeking fiat debt slavery regime.
Talking about using BTC as 'the base asset on which fiat runs' as a solution is absolute and complete cop out sophistry bullshit.
Sounds like bulshit now, but this is where we are eventually headed. And no, it doesn't suggest that the government takes over Bitcoin or something; instead, it just does exactly what Bitcoin was designed to do: check inflation and currency debasement, and offer freedom and an alternative independent money to anyone at any time.
The Lightning network facilitates this, while the on-chain network enforces the standard and rules.
There are no bailout cos there is never a way to mint more than what exists (Thanks to proof-of-reserves systems). Any fraud fails instantly or fails in a short time. On the other hand, anyone can exit at anytime back to using Bitcoin and remain sovereign by simply exchanging value with Bitcoin via on-chain.
The volatility problem of Bitcoin to Fiat valuation makes this more realistic.
Find and read publications from Eric Yakes and the Epoch team, and you may grasp this more.
Bitcoin is useful to humans who are useful to the government that runs the Fiat system. This is some sort of correlation that will continue to exist with these two systems. However, if Bitcoin is integrated into the Fiat system, it checks the excesses of the Fiat system, while leaving an option of exit if the excesses remain unchecked.
There may be no better way to explain this. Just check out these resources:
You're likely contradicting "MoE" and "Legal tender," and a lot of other Bitcoiners do the same thing.
Bitcoin, as it is, is a medium of exchange. A medium of exchange is anything that can be used to exchange value in place of direct barter. A medium of exchange must be able to hold value across time, be divisible, non-perishable, fungible, and generally salable at any time, and Bitcoin serves that purpose comfortably. (The only challenge here is that Bitcoin's "value" in Fiat fluctuates, and Fiat is the predominant form of money before Bitcoin. But "value" in its real sense is what humans assign to a thing, and hence is rarely ever stable or the same. This is one of the reasons why the Fiat money issued by the government is a hoax and scam cos it is not based on real value for what it is worth as assigned by the users, but instead, an imposed Value by the controlling few.)
People in autocracies are not necessarily blocked from using Bitcoin as a medium of exchange. They are often prohibited from associating it with traditional Fiat financial rails in the said autocracies.
And because humans are inseparable from their government (which controls Fiat financial rails), they tend to abhor it completely when such restrictions happen to ensure they don't get ostracized from the predominant Fiat rails. But there has never been any autocracy that has successfully stopped anyone from exchanging Bitcoin for value.
The imposition of tax on Bitcoin is simply a move to reduce its use as a medium of exchange, and this is often when you use it via KYCed rails, but ultimately, nobody arrests you for using Bitcoin as a medium of exchange, especially when done p2p just as much as anyone could exchange gold for value or services, or other products, and wouldn't get arrested.
The only challenge with Bitcoin as a medium of exchange, especially in small-scale value exchange such as day-to-day trade, is Volatility. That is what those autocratic governments bank on to impose restrictions, ensuring that people who eventually use Bitcoin as a medium of exchange will have a hard time liquidating it to Fiat.
Then Western liberal countries wouldn't want to be seen as autocratic, hence they go the route of imposing taxation (often in excessive ratio).
Name an autocracy where a business can openly advertise and adopt accepting Bitcoin as a means for customers to pay for its goods or services without risking prosecution?
Whether by outright explicit ban or by absurdly burdensome and sly taxes, nearly all nations deliberately and effectively obstruct the widespread use of BTC as a MoE.
Because it is only when used as a P2P payment protocol (MoE) that Bitcoin really challenges the bankers and governments fiat monopoly over MoE.
This is the exact contradiction. A medium of exchange doesn't need to be announced or have some sign hung on the doorpost before it can be used for the exchange of value by two agreeing parties.
However, I understand what you are talking about.
Yes!
Bitcoin's fixed supply does exactly that, its just over long time horizons. It would be unsustainable for them to do so since they can't print Bitcoin to do it with in perpetuity. Spammers must pay.
Yes, and it does it to everyone equally. Which means there are not cases where one part can do something to Bitcoin that others cannot.
In a policy sense yes, arbitrary policy like happens in fiat does not effect the many since Bitcoin is the consensus average of it's users
It does however give monopolies on physical force new powers relative to others by decoupling security zones from monetary zones, tradeoffs.
I hadn't seen that phrase before, so I don't know the context. The way I see it is, 'bitcoin is for enemies' in the sense that two people who are enemies can still rely on bitcoin to make transactions with each other.
I don't know where it came from, but it is an important viewpoint to keep in mind.
"I don't agree with what you're saying, but I will fight for your right to express yourself" (paraphrased)
BITCOIN is a tool for freedom. 🗽 🍊 It's for everyone, both the good and the bad. Bitcoin doesn't distinguish between sides.
Bitcoin doesn't care
trustless and permissionless, when done properly
'bitcoin is for enemies' just has a better ring to it
Without the security and rule of law provided by the state you would be a quivering wreck.
Libertarians are incorrigible hypocrits as they almost never abandon the protection of the state and go to live somewhere there is no functional state.
Bitcoin treats all participants equally - unlike the way fiat gives privilege to usurers and governments...and the USA to whom it gives exceptional privilege...
In short, permissionless.
Money is universal. That is what it means to me. Also, land, gold, fill in the blank. It's not an ideology or a political movement. It's not a culture or religion. All of those can be build around or include bitcoin but an elemental thing is for anyone regardless of your relationship to them.
Bitcoin don't care about you.
Your post reminded me of this timeless piece by Mike Goldstein
Everyone’s a scammer
It's an excellent post. Almost could be re-said as: everyone is an enemy.
The miners are your enemy.
The developers are your enemy.
The other users are your enemy.
But because we have this viewpoint, we are able to come to agreement every 10 minutes or so.
It means it's universal.
its the sort of money you would want an enemy to use because its incorruptible
It depends on the concept not every concept is state related may be dark web in btw.