Repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly: Terrorism money

[Carlton Banks]

I've heard cryptocurrencies/Bitcoin constantly associated with terrorism and at least once with corrupt, despotic tyrants, all over the media and forums.

WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE FOR THIS

I'm not saying it's never happened, nor that the absence of evidence means it's never happened, nor that it never will happen, nor that it's impossible, or even unlikely, but

WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE FOR THIS


It is nothing more than unsubstantiated slander at this stage, as there is definite evidence of the sort of tools, computer based or otherwise, that terrorists actually use. Again,

WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE FOR THIS

[TippingPoint]

The terrorists don't use Bitcoins.  They use the welfare system.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/apr/29/terrorist-welfare/

[acoindr]

There is likely no evidence for it. Most people still barely understand Bitcoin, let alone know how to definitively prove its use in various forms. However, there are certainly people beginning to understand the freedom Bitcoin enables and want to suppress that. So they start up a propaganda war against it to make it easier to try to suppress it.

To counter that we need to do a better job focusing on the positive use cases for Bitcoin.

[TippingPoint]

To counter that we need to do a better job focusing on the positive use cases for Bitcoin.

Who Uses Bitcoin?

Normal People, Family & Friends
People like you and your family use Bitcoin to transfer earned income and savings directly to their children, without government intervention.

Normal People, Whose Savings Are Being Destroyed By Inflation
People like you and your family use Bitcoin to to preserve their savings from inflated fiat currencies.

Normal People Making Small Purchases on the Internet
People like you and your family use Bitcoin to conveniently purchase individual songs and other intellectual property on the internet.

Businesses
Businesses use Bitcoin to avoid expensive chargebacks from dishonest credit card purchasers, and to lower the cost of doing business.

Refugees from Repressive Regimes
People trapped in corrupt jurisdictions use Bitcoin to protect what they have earned.

Philanthropists and Other Generous People
People who learn about genuine suffering use Bitcoin to eliminate the middle-man and send anonymous contributions instantly to wherever they can help.

Journalists and the Media
Journalists and the media use Bitcoin to provide incentives and protection to Whistleblowers.

Travelers
People who travel for business or pleasure use Bitcoin to reduce the risk of carrying cash or credit cards.

[The Bitcoin Catalog]

We need to find a way to push upfront all the legitimate aspects for why poeple are using bitcoin

[acoindr]

To counter that we need to do a better job focusing on the positive use cases for Bitcoin.

Who Uses Bitcoin?

Wow, speaking of such... I just checked out this thread:

Grocery store for Life On Bitcoin Film Couple - crossing fingers

This looks FANTASTIC!!!

EXACTLY what we need:

http://lifeonbitcoin.com/ (video)

[Carlton Banks]

I'm having a frothy mouthed twitch-fest, I know, but these replies are setting it into context:

- activists (and not just political issues) are now frequently associated/equated with terrorism
- whistleblowers are said to side with terrorists (The Guardian newspaper is a terrorist organisation all of a sudden? Bomb them, presumably? How about Russia?)
- computer hackers of all ilks are associated with terrorism
- people that question authority are labelled terrorists
- just being muslim makes you a terrorist, frankly (not that I'm particularly advocating Islam, but leave them alone already)

What next? Grafitti writers? Jay-walkers? Crying babies (it's true, even I may be targeted by this derogation, lol)?

[Carlton Banks]

In France, they have (and this is no joke) painted markings on the road for where you are designated to place your waste bins outside of your house. Not millimetre perfect? Terrorist.

[Mike Christ]

Terrorism is such a silly concept.  Any and all governments are defined as terrorists (except one's own, of course; they're exempt from ever committing acts of terror, apparently, according to them.)  Bitcoin is terrorist money, however, because it is money at all.  I don't say this because it has been used for terrorist acts, but because it can be used for terrorist acts; because Bitcoin is money, and can be used in any way one wishes, it can potentially fund terrorist acts, just as the American, Canadian, and Australian dollar could; just as any legitimate money could.

To be frank, you could use a chair to commit terrorist acts.  You could use a backpack to carry terrorist items.  Terrorism is a synonym for "the bad guys", and anyone or any entity which is not with the nation pointing fingers is a potential terrorist--again, except for the nation's government and its own friends, who are self-exempt from the definition.

If "the terrorists" (refer to your own governments for a definition of who this happens to be) use Bitcoin, it would mean nothing.  If Al-Qaeda decided to adopt Bitcoin, and had a little website to accept donations for their terrorist acts (I believe someone made mention here of an extremist Islam group who accepted donations but I don't remember if it was in Bitcoin), it would be no different if they accepted donations in any nation's currency, or if they accepted gold and silver; the bigger issue would be people who are attempting to use violence and coercion to change the course of our lives.

[astutiumRob]

WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE FOR THIS

Bitcoin can be used to 'purchase' goods and services, in that respect it's like money.
Terrorists use money and money-equivalent-items.

Ergo bitcoin is used by terrorists ... just like USD, CAD, GBP, Gold, Diamond, Goat-Dung, etc.

[cr1776]

Don't forget preppers, precious metal aficionados, and people who pay with cash.

Don't forget the US Tea Party and those who quote the US Constitution

[Operatr]

Terrorism is not really a thing, just an intangible concept used by governments to remove freedoms from the populace by justifying it in the name of protecting the state. Like 9/11, the Patriot Act could not be passed fast enough to remove rights and freedoms from American citizens in the name of securing America from "terror", which has been ongoing for 13 years and counting as more and more freedoms are eroded and destroyed, pushed along by false flag attacks (The Boston Bombing) that seem created to get us used to fully militarized police.

A "terrorist" activity essentially means any action against the state that they don't like, which gives them much flexibility in enacting unconstitutional laws and power to go after anyone they please, for any reason. In this the US is highly guilty of pushing their "War on Terror", which if you think about it, how does one have a war on an intangible concept. It is just a smokescreen and nothing more.

That said, US dollars and other fiat currencies have been funding war and terrorist activities long before Bitcoin came along. The only pundits who push that as a negative point about Bitcoin have nothing else bad to say, so this is them spitballing. Much like the "Bitcoin is used to buy drugs!" arguement...pretty sure the drug trade is Dollar based and still basically is, but no one calls for a ban on Dollars to stop the problem. If this is the only ammunition they have against digital currencies they are a desperate bunch indeed.

[elor70]

terrorists use dollars too...

[hashman]

Terrorism is not really a thing, just an intangible concept used by governments to remove freedoms from the populace by justifying it in the name of protecting the state. Like 9/11, the Patriot Act could not be passed fast enough to remove rights and freedoms from American citizens in the name of securing America from "terror", which has been ongoing for 13 years and counting as more and more freedoms are eroded and destroyed, pushed along by false flag attacks (The Boston Bombing) that seem created to get us used to fully militarized police.

A "terrorist" activity essentially means any action against the state that they don't like, which gives them much flexibility in enacting unconstitutional laws and power to go after anyone they please, for any reason. In this the US is highly guilty of pushing their "War on Terror", which if you think about it, how does one have a war on an intangible concept. It is just a smokescreen and nothing more.

That said, US dollars and other fiat currencies have been funding war and terrorist activities long before Bitcoin came along. The only pundits who push that as a negative point about Bitcoin have nothing else bad to say, so this is them spitballing. Much like the "Bitcoin is used to buy drugs!" arguement...pretty sure the drug trade is Dollar based and still basically is, but no one calls for a ban on Dollars to stop the problem. If this is the only ammunition they have against digital currencies they are a desperate bunch indeed.

+1

Did you know: Terrorist terrorists terrorist terrorists terrorize terrorize terrorist terrorists. 

[redwraith]

Terrorism is not really a thing, just an intangible concept used by governments to remove freedoms from the populace by justifying it in the name of protecting the state. Like 9/11, the Patriot Act could not be passed fast enough to remove rights and freedoms from American citizens in the name of securing America from "terror", which has been ongoing for 13 years and counting as more and more freedoms are eroded and destroyed, pushed along by false flag attacks (The Boston Bombing) that seem created to get us used to fully militarized police.

A "terrorist" activity essentially means any action against the state that they don't like, which gives them much flexibility in enacting unconstitutional laws and power to go after anyone they please, for any reason. In this the US is highly guilty of pushing their "War on Terror", which if you think about it, how does one have a war on an intangible concept. It is just a smokescreen and nothing more.

That said, US dollars and other fiat currencies have been funding war and terrorist activities long before Bitcoin came along. The only pundits who push that as a negative point about Bitcoin have nothing else bad to say, so this is them spitballing. Much like the "Bitcoin is used to buy drugs!" arguement...pretty sure the drug trade is Dollar based and still basically is, but no one calls for a ban on Dollars to stop the problem. If this is the only ammunition they have against digital currencies they are a desperate bunch indeed.

Well said...

[Carlton Banks]

The sad truth is, that despite no-one having a shred of evidence of cryptocurrency supported terrorism, (if the negative reports of the CIA are anything to go by) there's probably existed for some time a US based task force who are trying to manufacture a plausible scenario for the very evidence I'm demanding. Sickening, really.