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Title: [2018-03-19] Crypto vs. Cash - How the Numbers Stack Up on Drugs, Guns, Murders Post by: fat buddah on March 19, 2018, 02:56:39 PM In a Reddit AMA, technology visionary Bill Gates lost a lot of fans when he gave his opinion on Bitcoin, honing in on a pretty weak argument for its use. It’s “used for buying fentanyl and other drugs, so it is a rare technology that has caused deaths in a fairly direct way,” Gates expressed.
But, Bill, drugs have been around for much longer than Bitcoin has, and people have been buying them for centuries, so how ever did they manage before this digital currency came along? Blaming a tool for its unintended use is quite foolish. Yes, drugs can be bought with Bitcoin, as can life-saving medical procedures. You see, this digital currency is just that, a currency, like US Dollars, Nigerian Naira, Thai Baht and Russian Ruble, all which are equally adept at buying drugs. https://cointelegraph.com/news/crypto-vs-cash-how-the-numbers-stack-up-on-drugs-guns-murders Title: Re: [2018-03-19] Crypto vs. Cash - How the Numbers Stack Up on Drugs, Guns, Murders Post by: Lampaster on March 19, 2018, 03:20:42 PM Any illegal activities can I do with Fiat. These are 100% anonymous trades. What kind of idiot would use bitcoin to trade weapons and drugs? After he exchanged bitcoin for Fiat it will be easy to hold. It is a fake. It is distributed by bankers in order for the layman to have a negative opinion about the cryptocurrency.
Title: Re: [2018-03-19] Crypto vs. Cash - How the Numbers Stack Up on Drugs, Guns, Murders Post by: jseverson on March 19, 2018, 04:27:03 PM Yes, drugs can be bought with Bitcoin, as can life-saving medical procedures. You see, this digital currency is just that, a currency, like US Dollars, Nigerian Naira, Thai Baht and Russian Ruble, all which are equally adept at buying drugs. I don't necessarily agree with Bill Gates' comments, but if we were to say that Bitcoin is better and more convenient than fiat, aren't we basically conceding that Bitcoin is more convenient to buy drugs with? That was kind of the point that he was getting at -- it makes it easier for people to buy drugs. It's a weak argument for blaming Bitcoin for deaths for sure, but you can't compare Bitcoin and fiat as equals in this case and say it's better for everything else in the next. But yeah, I don't think this argument on Bitcoin vs Cash on crime is going to end anytime soon. It's kind of like the argument about guns; those who are against banning it say that criminals are going to use other weapons anyway, while those who are for banning it will say it's easier to kill more people with it than other weapons. Bitcoin can make crime easier thanks to its pseudonymous and decentralized nature, but even if it didn't exist, criminals are going to find other means. |