@calem
A Socialists Argument for Bitcoin Cash - Coding Ideology BCH is for both the Left & the Right Every now and then, I see a particular argument been put forward. It usually comes from Anarcho-Capitalists, Agorists and Minarchists. Looking at you @Julius. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarcho-capitalism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agorism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night-watchman_state https://read.cash/@Julius/taxes-are-the-next-attack-on-bitcoin-cash-bd696964#comment-05aceaf9 The argument is the idea that "Leftism" is fundamentally incompatible with the core principals that make up BTC, BCH, etc. This really couldn't be further from the truth. Seeing these misleading statements really bothers me as I'm an "AnTrans Mutualist". Let me explain. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-wing_politics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transhumanist_politics#Anarcho-Transhumanism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutualism_(economic_theory) Left Libertarianism is a Thing Contrary to the belief of most Libertarians in crypto, Libertarian ideals are not just held by the political right. There is Left as well as Right Libertarianism. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-libertarianism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-libertarianism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism "...social libertarianism, is a political philosophy and type of libertarianism that stresses both individual freedom and social equality. As a term, "left-libertarianism" refers to several related yet distinct approaches to political and social theory." - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_philosophy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_freedom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_theory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-libertarianism The Mailing List & Ideology The original place where Bitcoin, along with other digital currencies were first discussed, was the Cypherpunks mailing list. It was when Bitcoin was announced on "The Cryptography and Cryptography Policy Mailing List" that the various ideologies at the core of the project began to take form. https://lists.cpunks.org/mailman/listinfo https://www.metzdowd.com/pipermail/cryptography/2008-October/014810.html https://www.metzdowd.com/mailman/listinfo/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0WXFhk3dnU Borrowing heavily from the Cypherpunks and their manifesto, early Bitcoin supporters ranged from your staunch right leaning Libertarians such an Anarcho-Capitalists and Minarchists through to left leaning anti-state Libertarian Socialists and Democratic / Libertarian Transhumanists. There was one thing however that bound them all, the protection of privacy and Self-ownership, or what is also known as individual sovereignty. If I could lazily quote wiki. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cypherpunk https://www.activism.net/cypherpunk/manifesto.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarcho-capitalism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Steven_Wright https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-libertarianism#Libertarian_socialism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transhumanist_politics#Democratic_transhumanism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transhumanist_politics#Libertarian_transhumanism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transhumanism "...individual sovereignty, is the concept of property in one's own person, expressed as the moral or natural right of a person to have bodily integrity and be the exclusive controller of one's own body and life. Self-ownership is a central idea in several political philosophies that emphasize individualism, such as libertarianism, liberalism, and anarchism." - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_and_legal_rights https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodily_integrity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_philosophy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individualism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberalism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-ownership Transhumanism & Hal Finney https://www.alcor.org/blog/hal-finney-becomes-alcors-128th-patient/ Hal Finney was the first person to have received a Bitcoin transaction and is cryptocurrencies most notable Transhumanist. Having been cryopreserved by the Alcor Life Extension Foundation, Hal lived by his code and ideology. I don't really need to go into this much more than that... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Finney_(computer_scientist) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryonics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcor_Life_Extension_Foundation Bitcoin Seized the Means of Production Satoshi seized the means of production for money, ***from the Government***, and gave it to ***the people***. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Means_of_production#Marxism_and_Marxist_Theory_of_Class If that doesn't sound left and libertarian at the same time, I don't know what does. Jiang Zhuoer's Initial Proposal The initial proposal posted on Medium.com is what really got me fired up recently. https://medium.com/@jiangzhuoer/infrastructure-funding-plan-for-bitcoin-cash-131fdcd2412e I was opposed to the plan because as it stood, it pushed for principals I felt favored Minarchism ideology too heavily. This was fundamentally incompatible with all the other ideologies that brings us together. The same reason why I pushed back against Craig and his patents well before he turned on BCH. We Need To Co-Exist I just wanted to touch base though on some basic things and where I stand in terms of not just the principals of Bitcoin Cash, but cryptocurrency as a whole. Not only am I an anti-maximalist of any network. I also believe in a world where we have choice in which ideology we live by. It doesn't matter if you fly under the flag of small government, voluntarism, social equality, anarchism or Libertarian Socialism. It doesn't matter if you are for or against capitalism or public welfare. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voluntarism_(philosophy) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_equality https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfGwr0A0ZvY https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitalism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welfare We are all fighting violence and Authoritarianism whilst endorsing free-markets and self-ownership. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authoritarianism#Authoritarianism_and_democracy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_market The important part here is that said ideologies and networks remain free, compatible and interoperable, because without The State to enforce cooperation and coordination via the use of violence, all we have at the end of the day aside crypto, is each other. ❤️
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