> Say I live in a country which mandates that all business ventures with returns less than 2% a year will have their profits stolen (read: inflation) I can use bitcoin to escape that oppression.
The moment Bitcoin becomes a viable way to subvert the state, they'll just change the laws. And if people actually start using it to smuggle money internationally the feds will get involved. The entire idea that Bitcoin can subvert the state is absurd.
And if you don't believe me, look at the evidence. ICOs got regulated. Silk roads got shut down.
And furthermore, while it's convenient to use oppressive regimes as examples for this Bitcoin "feature", it's way, way more likely the 1% (you know, the people who actually have money) will use it to hide their wealth from wealth redistribution policies demanded by liberal democracies.
>The moment [cryptography] becomes a viable way to subvert the state, they'll just change the laws.
Does that sentence make much sense? Government decrees don't eradicate goods, they create make black markets.
>if people actually start using it to smuggle money
If? People already use bitcoin to evade capital controls in China, Venezuela etc
>the 1% will use it to hide their wealth from wealth redistribution policies demanded by liberal democracies.
You're confusing equity (something you own) and equality (rights that you have). Bitcoin promotes equality (each client has the same rights). Arbitrarily making certain people unequal (different people have different rights, some have their wealth stolen, some don't) always leads to more inequity. Voting about who to steal from doesn't legitimize theft. If people who generated wealth through voluntary exchange want to protect their property rights from theft, I won't deny them that. Agents who use the state to expropriate wealth through artificial privilege (the real enemy here) want to perpetuate the existing system, not encourage a neutral rights network such as bitcoin.
>> The moment [cryptography] becomes a viable way to subvert the state, they'll just change the laws.
> Does that sentence make much sense? Government decrees don't eradicate goods, they create make black markets.
Your argument is that Bitcoin will let you subvert existing state monetary policy and other regulations. My argument is that once that happens on a significant scale, states will change their policies and enforce them more or less with state violence.
A good example is anonymous payments via a tumbler. As soon as these payments start seriously foiling law enforcement, states will outlaw tumbler services. If that doesn't solve the problem, and the problem is severe enough, they'll outlaw Bitcoin. The way they would do that is to outlaw exchanges and pursue them over Tor the same way the pursue dark web markets, by enlisting banks, employing cyberwarfare and other espionage, and ultimately with on the ground law enforcement.
It's very, very hard (maybe impossible) to solve a political problem with technology, unless that technology is weapons. It's immoral in a democracy because it by definition subverts the will of the people.
>> if people actually start using it to smuggle money
> If? People already use bitcoin to evade capital controls in China, Venezuela etc
I mean "on a significant level minus state actors".
> equity vs. equality.
I think if you're a "taxes are theft" person then we have deeper disagreements, because I'm a "property is theft" person. But those antipodes aside, Bitcoin no more promotes equality than regular currency does, in fact there are lots of services that only let you do certain things with certain account balance amounts.
Furthermore, I have no idea what you mean about a "neutral rights network". Do I get to vote on things because I hold Bitcoin? Did I miss the votes on various forks? Does my vote count equal to one of the Winklevoss'?
I think the exact opposite is true. Not only is there no voting, but holders of lots of Bitcoin (which you can only accrue with actual currency or mining, which you need to spend actual currency to get the equipment for) have far more power over the Bitcoin network than I do. I have no idea what "rights" you think I get through Bitcoin, but I'm pretty sure the answer is "none".
EDIT:
Also, come on, I'm fine with "crypto" meaning "cryptocurrency" now, but it absolutely doesn't mean that "cryptography" means "cryptocurrency" now. This is a hill I am willing to die on.
The moment Bitcoin becomes a viable way to subvert the state, they'll just change the laws. And if people actually start using it to smuggle money internationally the feds will get involved. The entire idea that Bitcoin can subvert the state is absurd.
And if you don't believe me, look at the evidence. ICOs got regulated. Silk roads got shut down.
And furthermore, while it's convenient to use oppressive regimes as examples for this Bitcoin "feature", it's way, way more likely the 1% (you know, the people who actually have money) will use it to hide their wealth from wealth redistribution policies demanded by liberal democracies.