Alex Gladstein AMA - bitcoin and freedom \ stacker news ~AMA

Alex Gladstein AMA - bitcoin and freedom

29.5k sats \ 142 comments \ @58c741aa63 13 Sep AMA

Hi everyone, my name is Alex Gladstein, I've been working at the Human Rights Foundation since 2007, and working all-the-time on Bitcoin and human rights since 2017. Doing what I can to help promote Bitcoin as a tool of human rights and to grow the world's biggest peaceful revolution.

AMA

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1303 sats \ 2 replies \ @anon 13 Sep

How would you respond to those that may consider you a spook? Could it not be argued that the mission of human rights can also at times be aligned with the interests of state agencies on various sides? One man's freedom fighter is another's terrorist. Do you play all sides off against each other or are you multiple agency agent asset? Confirm or deny type answer please.

820 sats \ 1 reply \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

Honest question: why would a spook write Hidden Repression?
The mission of human rights has frequently been co-opted by other interests. See: justification for the US invasion of Iraq in 2003
One man's freedom fighter is another's terrorist. Yes. See: the American Revolution
I try to work for Bitcoin as I think it's the best way for us to change our world for the better. I have met people in DC at the state department and in congressional offices to talk about Bitcoin, but honestly it's not what I want to spend my time doing. I don't go to DC more than once a year or so. I like creating content for everyone, globally, and I like working on global programs and supporting open source code.

233 sats \ 0 replies \ @anon 13 Sep

thank you for your work

121 sats \ 0 replies \ @Coyote_Cosmico 15 Sep

Do you think Nate Hagens is a closet Bitcoiner? He seems pretty sympathetic to the ideas of the Bitcoin community, but very cautious about supporting it outright, due to the nature of his show and his audience/ patrons.

297 sats \ 1 reply \ @k00b 13 Sep

What's the hardest thing about your job?

473 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

It used to be time management. For the first 10+ years of my career I worked all the time and it wasn't very healthy. I was trying to do too much and didn't understand how to delegate. I have been fortunate to team up with a lot of talented people in the last 5 years and have learned how to collaborate and delegate much better. So now I feel totally in control of my days and my time.

Maybe now quality control is the hardest. How do we ensure everything we do (programs, events, content) is world class? We'll never quite get there but that is the goal.

310 sats \ 1 reply \ @Golu 13 Sep

How do you relate Bitcoin and human rights?

133 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

Bitcoin is one of the best tools we have to promote human rights

220 sats \ 5 replies \ @IamSINGLE 13 Sep

Do you mine Bitcoin? I recently saw your video about how Bitcoin uses excess energy to mine.

118 sats \ 4 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

I don't operate a site and have never invested in a Bitcoin mining company etc -- but I have used / am using / will use small home miners. Hooking up a BitAxe soon!

0 sats \ 3 replies \ @IamSINGLE 13 Sep

Do you recover costs out of them? Asking just for confirmation so I can order mine.

166 sats \ 2 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

I would say I personally am not thinking about home mining like a short term business venture. I'm not sitting here saying I'm going to invest X dollars today and how many dollars am I going to have in two years. I am sitting here saying I'm going to invest X dollars today and will have X kyc-free sats in the future. I think it's also a fun thing today. Very few things will outperform simply buying bitcoin at the market price.

10 sats \ 1 reply \ @IamSINGLE 13 Sep

If ever I buy miner, I'm gonna buy them in sats. So dollar shit is out of question. I was asking if I buy some home miner in X Sats, would I be able to recover my sats back?

However, I feel you answered me 99.9% by suggesting to buy Bitcoin at current price.

Thanks you so much

99 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

If you buy a home miner with X sats will you recover your sats back. It's possible but could take awhile. Depends on your price of electricity obviously. I think that some of the units now say that in FIAT terms you can get your money back in 18 months but in SAT terms it's anyone's guess

141 sats \ 3 replies \ @Golu 13 Sep

How is it the best tool for human rights? Bitcoin can save you financially but can it also save you on other fronts? How is not that an exaggeration to say that Bitcoin promotes human rights? Why dont we say that Bitcoin is there for financial rights?

74 sats \ 2 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

I think it's the best tool because it can be used by pretty much anyone, anywhere.

It can give you more power and energy to do what you want to do and keep you going.

Human rights groups in dictatorships can't rely on fiat money.

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @Golu 13 Sep

Thanks Human rights groups? I just wanna see Bitcoin excell over everything. I've done only two transactions so far but I've understood that Bitcoin is much bigger and better, faster and stronger that it doesn't require any institution to adopt it, not even HRF. It'll rule over everything be it a country or an organisation.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @AD_ 13 Sep

What’s the second best tool for human rights?

110 sats \ 2 replies \ @TheMorningStar 13 Sep

Who's your idea in life and in your work?

13 sats \ 1 reply \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

My idea?

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @TheMorningStar 14 Sep

Ideal.

110 sats \ 3 replies \ @TheMorningStar 13 Sep

Which books do you recommend to Bitcoiners?

56 sats \ 2 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

A couple interesting ones, not about Bitcoin:

Taxing Wars The Lords of Easy Money The Debt Trap Scale The Looming Tower Energy and Civilization The Gulag Archipelago The Man Without a Face We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families In Order to Live Lords of Poverty Super Imperialism Africa's Last Colonial Currency

110 sats \ 1 reply \ @TheMorningStar 13 Sep

Thanks I'll save it in the bookmarks and read them one by one.

33 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

You won't regret it! :)

376 sats \ 3 replies \ @nullcount 13 Sep

Can you prove you are Alex?

Also, why does an American Non-profit focus on "the biggest problems" in other countries? We have lots of human rights violations domesticlly. You mentioned somewhere that you don't want to get involved in US politics, but you have no issues meddling in other countries?

Is HRF just an arm of Team America World Police?

96 sats \ 2 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

I've posted this AMA on X and Nostr so I hope that works.
On HRF, recall that it was founded by Venezuelans, Russians, and others, not Americans. They didn't think that dictatorship was getting enough attention globally and wanted to create a non-profit to focus on tyranny.
I don't want to focus all my time on US politics. But I've probably spent more time personally doing activism in America or for Americans than any other country. My latest book, Hidden Repression, is not written for people in South America or Africa, they all know that stuff, it's written for Americans
While it's true that HRF does not focus on liberal democracies, it does spend a lot of time and resources criticizing US allies like Saudi Arabia. Also why would Team America World Police spend so much time supporting global Bitcoin adoption?

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @nullcount 13 Sep

What makes USA an attractive place to register and operate a non-profit?

119 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

Honestly I wasn't involved in the administrative set-up process which happened in 2005 -- but -- the US has a lot of protections for civil society and free speech organizations. Also a lot of people want to live in and work in the USA.

110 sats \ 1 reply \ @TheWildHustle 13 Sep

Hey Alex,

Are you running your own lightning node.

If not, what's holding you back.

If so, very cool. And, do you see yourself living on a 100% bitcoin standard within the next 2 years?

Thanks, Hustle

291 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

I'm currently using Alby Hub. It's a nice mix of tradeoffs.

I am increasingly able to get paid in and buy things in Bitcoin, but 2 years is I think way too soon. I think it's going to take 15-20 years to get to where we wanna go.

142 sats \ 1 reply \ @benwehrman 13 Sep

What is your dream podcast to be a guest on and why is it mine

120 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

I guess you've answered the question!

131 sats \ 1 reply \ @benwehrman 13 Sep

Someone's gotta ask it:

Which country do you think will be next to adopt the Bitcoin Standard??

43 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

Well to be fair El Salvador is still on the fiat standard. They are a dollarized country.

No country has adopted the Bitcoin Standard.

My guess is that it will be decades before we have sovereign territories that are Bitcoin-centric enough to consider them on the Bitcoin Standard. And credit/fiat instruments will still persist, just, I think, to a much less significant degree to today.

Large-scale nation-state mining, replacing "modern" fiat central banking with Bitcoin treasury management, and taxing in Bitcoin (as opposed to taxing in fiat) will probably be some of the biggest indictators that a territory is a Bitcoin Standard.

121 sats \ 1 reply \ @benwehrman 13 Sep

A lot of bitcoiners bring up criticism of the idea of Democracy (Svetski and Saifedean for example), and I know in the past you've stepped up to defend it.

Are you still firmly in that boat that Democracy is the best structure for nations to aspire to? Or are there more nuances to your argument there?

43 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

Yes, I think a government accountable to the people is much better than dictatorship. It is unrealistic for the average person to participate in the day-to-day governance of their town or city or much less country. So representative democracy is the best way to do this, in my book. I understand that centralized authoritarianism or fascism can be more efficient in many areas but I reject that and think we need to keep fighting for civil liberties. That said, modern democracy is broken in many ways. It needs A LOT of reform to get it to the point where I'd be very proud of it.

110 sats \ 1 reply \ @Coinsreporter 13 Sep

What are your hobbies?

129 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

I like running, snowboarding, surfing (recently), lifting weights.

I love live concerts. Radiohead, Phish, and many more.

I like videogames. Just played BG3 earlier this year.

I love cooking and eating good food.

I like fantasy football and watching the NFL in general.

But I spend most of my extra time outside my family on Bitcoin stuff, which I love.

166 sats \ 1 reply \ @south_korea_ln 13 Sep

Not a question, just giving direct links to your two books as I only now became aware of the second one and looked for it.

33 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

Thanks!

133 sats \ 1 reply \ @k00b 13 Sep

Most caring person you've ever met?

1064 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

Oh wow. My immediate thoughts go to members of my family.

Zooming out, so many tireless human rights defenders who sacrifice everything for countries stuck in dictatorship.

Check out the story of Hyeonseo Lee, who escaped from North Korea and then WENT BACK to rescue her family

142 sats \ 1 reply \ @BlokchainB 13 Sep

Do you believe in god?

287 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

Not in the traditional Judeo-Christian sense but the creation of the universe is pretty wild and suggests some sort of greater presence

142 sats \ 1 reply \ @79c9095526 13 Sep

Hi Alex, huge fan of your work!

Do you have any advice to someone who wants to get involved working at the intersection of Bitcoin and human rights?

You seem to have such passion for what you do, which makes sense given it is for such a righteous cause. I crave finding such meaning in my life, but it is challenging in the typical corporate career where the goal is climbing the ladder and stacking more fiat.

Would love any advice you can provide!

108 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

I think one of the best ways you can do this work is slowly orange pill a normie institution. Show them how Bitcoin can improve their work. Probably in the realm of international payments or grants or treasury management or micropayments. It will take time. But it is very worth it...

110 sats \ 2 replies \ @siggy47 13 Sep

What made you change your SN account for this AMA?

97 sats \ 1 reply \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

I realized it didn't have much info about me!

1 sat \ 0 replies \ @siggy47 13 Sep

Well, it had your name. More than this account does.

110 sats \ 2 replies \ @bitalion 13 Sep

Our Cuba Bitcoin community is working to make bitcoin an emancipatory tool for Cubans, with educational activities, 4 editions of My First Bitcoin, and several meetups in the city of Havana.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

Amazing. I think growing Bitcoin adoption is one of the best ways to peacefully protest the military regime and push for a better Cuba.

100 sats \ 0 replies \ @bitalion 13 Sep

That's what we want and that's what we work for, educating everyone who wants to be part of the Bitcoin Revolution.

110 sats \ 1 reply \ @schiggyvara 13 Sep

What was your first personal touch point with bitcoin. Did you dismiss ist at first or was it's impact on the world clear to you?

106 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

I saw the Wikileaks stuff very early on (Assange spoke at the 2010 Oslo Freedom Forum so was paying attention) but didn't explore it more deeply until 2013 when I went to Ephemerisle and met folks very passionate about Bitcoin. One of them got us involved with a Bitcoin fundraiser for Ukrainian activists. I was still a bit skeptical though and didn't fully grok what was happening until 2017-2018.

200 sats \ 2 replies \ @rafael_xmr 13 Sep

Has the HRF supported #FreeSamourai ? Does it support other privacy projects like joinstr ?

43 sats \ 1 reply \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

HRF sponsored the open-source stage at the Bitcoin Conference in Nashville where we were proud to feature content on the Samourai case and even have #FreeSamourai imagery. We are doing what we can.

We are keen to support all Bitcoin privacy tech.

100 sats \ 0 replies \ @rafael_xmr 13 Sep

thank you!

200 sats \ 1 reply \ @AD_ 13 Sep

What advice would you give to plebs that have fallen into the rabbit hole and want to somehow get involved in bitcoin and help with the peaceful revolution? Where would you start?

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

With your family and local community :)

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @Satoshi__Nakamoto 14 Sep

Thanks you are doing so much for bitcon community Keep it up 🔥 You have our support

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 14 Sep

Thank you!

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @Jer 14 Sep

I'm sorry I missed this. Kudos to you Alex and your team for everything you do!

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 14 Sep

Thanks!

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @bitcoinbreakdown 14 Sep

What are your top 3 Bitcoin-only newsletters and why is the Bitcoin Breakdown your favorite one?

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 14 Sep

Alright so - beyond that - HRF's financial freedom report is excellent (though I am biased) -- I also like optech

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @sangekrypto 14 Sep

From 2007 to 2017, what have you achieved after working at the Human Rights Foundation, and what are your current activities?

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 14 Sep

Assisting hundreds of activists and civil society groups with their struggles. Helping with landmark programs ranging from North Korea to Cuba. But probably my work with Bitcoin and human rights has had the most impact globally per hour I put into it...

100 sats \ 4 replies \ @DesertDave 14 Sep

Do you believe we landed on the moon?

11 sats \ 3 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 14 Sep

Yes. Occam's razor. Do you believe the Soviets landed a probe on Mercury? I do.

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @DesertDave 14 Sep

I don't really even believe in space so.... I think we all create our own reality and the space stories narrative is strong so it prevails among many. And there is a strong narrative for us faking it as well. never heard of a probe on Mercury. Thats kind of cool.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @DesertDave 14 Sep

I believe in the multiverse and If we aren't observing it isn't happening. double slit and all that jazz. I like learning about different perspectives though.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @DesertDave 14 Sep

Im a big fan of your work. Thank you.

100 sats \ 2 replies \ @BitcoinIsTheFuture 14 Sep

I’m a huge fan of your work Alex and have listened to you on many podcasts. What excites you most about Bitcoin adoption in the next year?

21 sats \ 1 reply \ @58c741aa63 OP 14 Sep

Nostr! Thank you!

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @BitcoinIsTheFuture 14 Sep

I always bring up the HRF when sharing my passion for Bitcoin!

Ah thanks! I’ve been holding off on Nostr. Maybe time for me to finally dive in…

100 sats \ 2 replies \ @biohazel 14 Sep

As an activist committed to promoting gender parity in Bitcoin developer communities and facing extreme retaliation, I've observed a persistent reluctance and denial within the open-source community to confront how technical expertise can dictate prevailing ideologies—as if we are held hostage by subject matter experts, community leaders, and the status quo, despite the open-source nature of knowledge. The industry often seems to thrive on mystery and ambiguity, celebrating successes while masking flaws and avoiding difficult conversations—wallet reproducibility being just one example.

Despite efforts like those by the HRF, women often remain the lowest priority. In decision-making that involves exclusion or maintaining a narrative of fairness, women usually face the harshest consequences—If someone has to take the fall, better her than me. I frequently hear that nothing will ever change, that it is what it is, to the point where I sometimes wonder if I'm dreaming too high. It is also hard to believe we are making progress when I see how extremist groups are thriving in the ecosystem, guaranteeing their financial and intellectual superiority.

Do you genuinely believe a more humane and inclusive environment for Bitcoin FOSS development is on the horizon?

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @58c741aa63 OP 14 Sep

I think things can improve but it takes a focused effort from people in the community

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @biohazel 15 Sep

I agree. That must be an energy-consuming effort. For a man, it is naturally more profitable to compete for resources with only 50% of the world’s population. It makes no logical sense to include the other 50%. This has to be about a higher perspective and not a selfish or adversarial game, and it won’t come without conflict.

Perhaps the ecosystem will need targeted financial incentives to include women at first until everyone is properly socialized and accustomed to it—until new generations of developers lose touch with the fact that there was once a war against women in the Bitcoin development ecosystem.

More on this, and open to peer review: https://scalarschool.medium.com/the-onion-model-for-bitcoin-open-source-development-7d7dc07ce479

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @southside263 14 Sep

9/11

Bin Laden or ?

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 14 Sep

Yes. Read Looming Tower.

100 sats \ 2 replies \ @Satosora 13 Sep

I am just curious, do you know which age group is adopting it the quickest? And where it is being adopted?

20 sats \ 1 reply \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

I'm guessing 20-35 year olds in developing countries based on what I've seen

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Satosora 13 Sep

Which place is developing and using bitcoin the most? South America? Africa? Or Asia?

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @0347c9dc16 13 Sep

Have you memorized your npub yet?

100 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

No lol

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @ek 13 Sep

How does bitcoin help the HRF?

What's the biggest problem with it from your perspective?

110 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

It helps us fund the work of amazing people in all kinds of places, for starters

The biggest problem remains education. Most people don't know anything about Bitcoin

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @0347c9dc16 13 Sep

I am curious if Bitcoin has pushed you towards free market ideas or the Austrian school.

I understand if you take a pass on this. I prefer your neutrality in the political space be maintained.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

A little bit, yes. But at the international level "free market" trade policy has left a lot to be desired. I suspect Bitcoin will help fix some of this

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @anon 13 Sep

Travel tips? How do you do so much international travel? First class?

66 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

I have never paid for a business class or first class ticket. I travel a lot and try to exploit the mileage system. If you travel a lot and focus on one carrier you can usually get a lot of upgrades.

It's sad but true: don't drink alcohol on long flights.

Go for a run the morning after you arrive somewhere new.

Be productive on flights where you can. You'll feel much better about traveling.

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @anon 13 Sep

most underrated spot to visit for leisure/holiday?

33 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

The American West in the summer in general is incredible

100 sats \ 2 replies \ @anon 13 Sep

HRF puts out so many amazing bitcoin projects

Is there a bitcoin team behind this and are they public bitcoiners?

33 sats \ 1 reply \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

Yes. We have a team of 8 full-time people working on the financial freedom program. CK, Femi, Ayelen, Anna, Alex Li, Arsh, Zac, and me :)

100 sats \ 0 replies \ @anon 13 Sep

bullish on that team

100 sats \ 2 replies \ @anon 13 Sep

What was your first impression about Bitcoin and how do you grow passion for it

43 sats \ 1 reply \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

I didn't understand it at all. I thought litecoin was silver to Bitcoin's gold

I grew my passion by being open minded and digging in and digging more and more and finally figuring out with the help of many people the connection to freedom

33 sats \ 0 replies \ @anon 13 Sep

Nik Bhatia, Nic Carter, Yan Pritzker, Jeff Booth, Andreas, Lyn, Gladstein, Saif, Gigi, Eurodale. All key to my journey down the rabbithole.

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @anon 13 Sep

fedi - how bullish are you?

33 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

Very. Excited to see how things roll out in the coming months.

The success depends on the proliferation of federations

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @anon 13 Sep

what is the most interesting feedback you have received on hidden repression?

50 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

A World Bank executive criticized the book on Twitter, saying it wasn't accurate regarding their support for aquaculture in Bangladesh.

I then showed him the data and evidence of the World Bank investing hundreds of millions in this very thing over many decades. He did not respond lol

I do think that the average employee there doesn't realize what the machine is really doing at a high level. I think they think they are doing a good job to help people and don't realize they are involved in a neocolonial enterprise

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @MaxAWebster 13 Sep

Great to see you here, Alex!

What sort of experiences are you most excited to see Nostr enable?

In 10 years, how do you think most of the world will interact with bitcoin - via ecash, in custodial "wallets", non-custodially, or in some other way?

What project are you most excited about that seems to be currently flying under the radar?

420 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

I have a lot of hope for Nostr. I think it can rewire a lot of the internet and a lot of the way we communicate between each other.

I am excited to see the global human rights community adopt Nostr over time.

In 10 years... hrm... right now my sense is that on-chain tx will be very expensive in fiat terms. I still think we probably will live in a fiat standard. So small txs will be made off-chain. I hope it's via something like ecash. I am also interested in UTXO sharing but don't have enough info about it today to confidently predict that in 10 years we'll all be using it.

What project am I most excited about that is currently flying under the radar. Well I guess I can't say nostr or ecash. How about off-grid mining

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @Coinsreporter 13 Sep

How do you see India's current situation in human rights?

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

Modi has created a regime that often uses financial repression to go after people it doesn't like. Not good.

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @south_korea_ln 13 Sep

How is the project of using Bitcoin as a tool for North Koreans to evade state control going along? I remember you mentioned something about training North Koreans in Bitcoin technology development.

119 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

Very hard to say.

We know the regime has been targeting and stealing Bitcoin and other digital assets from South Korean companies and banks and exchanges for 5+ years.

So we know that there are dozens of officials in the government who understand how this stuff works. That information spreads like a mind virus.

My sense is that in the next few years Bitcoin will become more used in the border region with China and then it will start to make a big impact inside the country, but not before then...

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @anon 13 Sep

Graham Hancock is one of the sources of your book on the IMF (which was great!). I really don’t buy into his recent «Ancient Apocalypse» work. The logical fallacy here is that it affects how I feel about his earlier work on the IMF (even though they are unrelated). Have you received any well-reasoned pushback on using his work as source material? And what is the most interesting feedback you have reveived on Hidden Repression? Looking forward to OFF25!

33 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

That's entirely fair. The Lords of Poverty was written before Graham got into any of his writing on ancient civilizations. In fact I think that the story goes he was visiting a site in Ethiopia (?) for humanitarian work when he stumbled on some temple that got him thinking about ancient civilizations. I stand by using The Lords of Poverty as source material and think everyone should read it. See you in Norway!

100 sats \ 3 replies \ @south_korea_ln 13 Sep

How do you reconcile the neoliberal focus on individual market freedoms with the broader goals of human rights, particularly when economic policies like privatization and deregulation often undermine social and economic rights for vulnerable populations?

A question in this vain was once raised to me by a so-called liberal (sorry for using labels) saying human rights have been hijacked by the neoliberal movement. I'm not too familiar with all of this, how would you have answered this question or how would you counter this critique?

Because of this negative image, this person flat-out rejected the idea that Bitcoin could be a force of good for human rights.

137 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

Neoliberalism is a fiat project

It is a product of dollar hegemony

Bitcoin is THE BEST rejection of neoliberalism in my view

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @south_korea_ln 13 Sep

For context: this person was an American human rights lawyer in South Korea. He calls himself progressive, hence because of how much Bitcoin has become polarized in the US, could not fathom giving a positive thought to Bitcoin (probably also due to the prevailing conflation with crypto).

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

He needs to spend a little more time on the subject. Bitcoin is money for enemies.

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @anon 13 Sep

I was wondering how you handle the political aspects of your work and the stress in brings for you?

43 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

I try to avoid talking about US politics when I can. It's very polarizing and not that helpful. It would be super stressful to have to live in DC and have that be part of your world every day.

Globally it's stressful that we have a media machine that hyper-focuses us on some issues but others are completely ignored.

100 sats \ 2 replies \ @sudocarlos 13 Sep

Wen visit to pubkey?

42 sats \ 1 reply \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

Many many times. Will be there again this month!

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @siggy47 13 Sep

Your talk at PubKey last year was memorable. Will it be a similar format, with you and Tom taking questions?

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @DarthCoin 13 Sep

Please can you define what is for you "freedom"?

33 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

Usually I am referring to personal freedoms by which I mean negative rights or civil liberties

100 sats \ 2 replies \ @jarolrod 13 Sep

How did you get orange pilled, and how was it orange-pilling an organization like the HRF?

143 sats \ 1 reply \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

It happened over several years. But reading and listening to Andreas's content was probably the most powerful orange pill that I ingested.

HRF has 50+ employees and 8 of them work on Bitcoin full-time. So we have an orange-pilled team. Which I think is nice. Bitcoin is one tool out of many to achieve freedom. We have other programs on legal advocacy, art, music, fashion, journalism, therapy, etc. They all work together. I'd say HRF leadership are fans of Bitcoin but it's not something we try to impose on everyone, it's a voluntary thing.

100 sats \ 0 replies \ @jarolrod 13 Sep

Well, Thor said he loves Bitcoin :D. Grateful to have the HRF as a friend of bitcoin.

100 sats \ 3 replies \ @DarthCoin 13 Sep

Are governments playing an important role for Bitcoin roadmap?

33 sats \ 2 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

Government interaction with Bitcoin is inevitable

If Bitcoin rises from a worthless experiment to a dominant or even the global reserve currency, then governments will play major roles along the way

Many have already and will continue to fight Bitcoin, but ultimately I see them adopting Bitcoin in a myriad of ways. Some have already started to

Even where governments attack Bitcoin, perhaps you can consider that "important" for Bitcoin's roadmap as a stress-test, forcing the system to evolve to survive

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @DarthCoin 13 Sep

then governments will play major roles along the way

So you believe in the government ?

33 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

I don't believe in "the government" but I do believe that yes, in a world of 8 billion people, we will have governments

100 sats \ 3 replies \ @k00b 13 Sep

Was HRF semi-focused on technology before bitcoin?

43 sats \ 2 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

Yes. In 2007 and 2008 I was working on helping the Cuban underground library movement access forbidden media. And for the next decade I spent a lot of time (still do) working with North Korean defectors using technology to crack the Kim regime's digtal Iron Curtain. We started using encrypted messaging as part of our work in 2013 and had a "tech lab" at the Oslo Freedom Forum for about 5 years before we started doing Bitcoin work in 2017

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @k00b 13 Sep

Awesome!

Is freefom tech our best hope for securing human rights for all?

Do you imagine it's possible to win that fight globally in an enduring way or is it a forever war?

33 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

I do think freedom tech is our best hope for securing human rights for all, yes, especially in societies where they can't hold their governments responsible through free speech and elections

I think the best hope for Bitcoin is that it slowly reforms the world for the better

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @DarthCoin 13 Sep

What gave Bitcoin its value?

33 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

21 million

In other words, being one of the only things that humans can't corrupt

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @k00b 13 Sep

Smartest person you've ever met?

343 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

My sense is, if you're really smart, but don't understand Bitcoin in mid-2024, then maybe you're not in the upper echelon.

My first thought is Lyn Alden.

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @DarthCoin 13 Sep

What is Bitcoin circular economy for you?

233 sats \ 0 replies \ @58c741aa63 OP 13 Sep

A physical place or location where you can live out your life comfortably without using fiat money.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @anon 14 Sep

Have you read the mandibles? If so, what would your perspective be, if any, on @ODELL 's take?

Do you prep or consider prepping for "harder" times ahead, or do you not worry about that sort of thing, generally speaking?

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @stephenv 13 Sep freebie

Are you more invested in the fediverse, or nostr?