It's disappointing to see that cstross feels the way he does about certain things. He's one of my favourite authors, and I just hope that knowing how far apart we are on some issues doesn't diminish my ability to appreciate his fiction. At least it's nothing like Orson Scott Card, where my disagreements with some of his opinions mean that I basically have no longer have any interest in reading his works at all.
So, Charles Stross hates Bitcoin because he things a market for drugs is "hideous". sigh. I think that a market for drugs is, while not necessarily desirable, inevitable, and that free individuals should be able to choose what they do or don't put into their own bodies.
Assassination and child pornography are Bad Things to be sure, but Bitcoin doesn't cause either and both are going to exist with or without Bitcoin. I don't get arguing against a mechanism that supports basic free market exchanges, just because a few bad actors can use it to do bad things. You can't engineer your way to a perfect world, given human nature.
Tax evasion? Good. Taxation is theft. If I need to employ technological solutions to protect my money from the government, then so be it.
With such incisive and reasoned slogans as "taxation is theft", how can it be that libertarians are so widely considered a target of derision and loathing?
Taxes are your just dues for living in a society. Tax evasion is theft from the commonwealth.
With such incisive and reasoned slogans as "Tax evasion is theft from the commonwealth," how can it be that statists are so widely considered a target of derision and loathing?
He actually provides a reason for why Tax evasion is theft: Since taxes are the dues for living in a society which provides public goods such as roads, infrastructure, education, etc., refusing to pay taxes is stealing the usage of those goods without paying your dues.
I can see that in his argument, but I don't see an explanation for why taxes are theft in your argument. Unless somehow you completely avoid usage of public goods (which no, you don't).
So, Charles Stross hates Bitcoin because he things a market for drugs is "hideous". sigh. I think that a market for drugs is, while not necessarily desirable, inevitable, and that free individuals should be able to choose what they do or don't put into their own bodies.
Assassination and child pornography are Bad Things to be sure, but Bitcoin doesn't cause either and both are going to exist with or without Bitcoin. I don't get arguing against a mechanism that supports basic free market exchanges, just because a few bad actors can use it to do bad things. You can't engineer your way to a perfect world, given human nature.
Tax evasion? Good. Taxation is theft. If I need to employ technological solutions to protect my money from the government, then so be it.