Bitcoin at the US Senate

[tvbcof]

The thesis also helps me get over the pain mis-estimating of the likely posture of various officials.  OTOH, it is normal practice to attempt to calm an animal before sticking the knife in it's jugular.  I guess we'll just have to see how things play out.

One optimistic interpretation of the surveillance and anti-insurgency machinery being put into place right now is that it's not aimed at the productive portion of the population but rather is being constructed in anticipation of the apparatchik and welfare hordes going apeshit when the checks stop flowing.

Anyone who's been paying attention realizes those two groups (especially the apparatchik) are insane.

Look at what happened a few years back when a couple state governors suggested that public sector unions take the slightest bit of future concessions with regards to collective bargaining: death threats, strikes, and near riots.

Imagine what they'll do when the "out of business" sign goes up for real.

Incidentally this theory also explains why zombie movies got popular all of a sudden: it's our collective unconscious awareness of this impending scenario.

I think I mentioned it here somewhere not long ago, but...

I think it a pretty decent hypothesis that our leadership will try to play the so-called 'welfare hordes' against the middle class.  The riot gear and such will provide a credible deterrent against violent mass movements which will almost certainly crop up when the austerity card is played, and the middle class will be very glad to have the protection.  Glad enough to tolerate the raiding of their entitlements and probably even their personal savings.

The welfare hoard class is very little threat, but the middle class has clout and capabilities.  The best reason I can see for the extreme interest in 'total information awareness' (populating dossiers on every living being, drawing up social relationship graphs, etc) is that these are the tools needed to nip any resistance from the middle class in the bud.

[1714919079]

1714919079

[justusranvier]

I think it a pretty decent hypothesis that our leadership will try to play the so-called 'welfare hordes' against the middle class.

That only happens if the leadership believes their interests are best served by keeping the game going.

They could just be like Gorbachev: loot what they can and then retire in style somewhere else.

[tvbcof]

I think it a pretty decent hypothesis that our leadership will try to play the so-called 'welfare hordes' against the middle class.

That only happens if the leadership believes their interests are best served by keeping the game going.

They could just be like Gorbachev: loot what they can and then retire in style somewhere else.

I disagree.  It would be a vastly different game at that point.  Namely a totalitarian police state.  The USSR was crumbling militarily and there was basically no hope.  The U.S. is at a high point and I don't think the leadership, or at least certain of it, has any intention of giving up the goal of dominating the current century since there is a reasonable possibility that it could be pulled off.

Put another way, we are due for a re-boot in our monetary system, but that does not necessarily mean that we have to give up our project of global hegemony.  In fact a shift away from or our current mock-democracy and legacy principles could be helpful here.

[bitcon]

what if they kidnap Patrick and make a cyborg clone doppleganger of him and send him back to the foundation to infect the blockchain with a hi-tech Area-51 alien programmed block destroyer? 

[TooDumbForBitcoin]

Why is the BTC hero in the painting holding a potato chip?

[gjgjg]

Did it get moved to tomorrow? or is this a different hearing?
http://www.banking.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=955322cc-d648-4a00-a41f-c23be8ff4ca

[adamas]

 Great painting  

Barcode format:   QR_CODE

Raw text: http://bitcoin.org/en/choose-your-wallet

Raw bytes:
42 86 87 47 47 03 a2 f2   f6 26 97 46 36 f6 96 e2
e6 f7 26 72 f6 56 e2 f6   36 86 f6 f7 36 52 d7 96
f7 57 22 d7 76 16 c6 c6   57 40 ec 11 ec 11 ec 11
ec 11 ec 11 ec 11 ec

[bitcon]

Did it get moved to tomorrow? or is this a different hearing?
http://www.banking.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=955322cc-d648-4a00-a41f-c23be8ff4ca

not sure i think its going to be on C-SPAN tomorrow at noon EST.

[Gufeng]

Already sold my BTC for LTC

wrong time,we'll see

[niothor]

I'll be more amazed if something actually happens after this.

[beetcoin]

best way to keep these people supporting BTC is to.. get them into their own pockets. then they'll have every incentive to keep the training going. with all the under the table deals that politicians do, i wouldnt' be surprised if many of them have BTC.. but then again they are old, square-ish white dudes..

[justusranvier]

I disagree.  It would be a vastly different game at that point.  Namely a totalitarian police state.  The USSR was crumbling militarily and there was basically no hope.  The U.S. is at a high point and I don't think the leadership, or at least certain of it, has any intention of giving up the goal of dominating the current century since there is a reasonable possibility that it could be pulled off.

Your description about the current state of the US is exactly what everybody was saying about the USSR near the end too.

It seems to me that "crumbling" is an apt description of a military that loses more soldiers to suicide than enemy action.

"Crumbling" also describes the morale of government employees and public confidence in general. I mean, they can't even get a simple website right.

[sickpig]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-18/u-s-agencies-to-say-bitcoins-offer-legitimate-benefits.html

[haightst]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-18/u-s-agencies-to-say-bitcoins-offer-legitimate-benefits.html

~yes bitcoin looks legit ! + we are still very early in the game as it moves from a geek hobby to a full blown currency!!!  

*wow look*-> even the FED doesn't seem shaken!!!--vvv--

"
Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, is also weighing in on the hearing, saying that it has no plans to regulate the currency.
“Although the Federal Reserve generally monitors developments in virtual currencies and other payments system innovations, it does not necessarily have authority to directly supervise or regulate these innovations or the entities that provide them to the market,” Bernanke wrote in a letter to the committee. "


= imo = >> *this is huge!!!  _ _=//^  

http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/helicopter-ben-bernanke.jpg

[proudhon]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-18/u-s-agencies-to-say-bitcoins-offer-legitimate-benefits.html

~yes bitcoin looks legit ! ~ we are still very early in the game as it moves from a geek hobby to a full blown currency!!!  

*wow look*-> even the FED doesn't seem shaken!!!--vvv--

"
Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, is also weighing in on the hearing, saying that it has no plans to regulate the currency.
“Although the Federal Reserve generally monitors developments in virtual currencies and other payments system innovations, it does not necessarily have authority to directly supervise or regulate these innovations or the entities that provide them to the market,” Bernanke wrote in a letter to the committee. "


= imo = >> *this is huge!!!  _ _=//^  

"...does not necessarily have authority to...regulate these innovations..."

Nice one, Bernanke.  Try, doesn't have the ability.

[haightst]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-18/u-s-agencies-to-say-bitcoins-offer-legitimate-benefits.html

~yes bitcoin looks legit ! ~ we are still very early in the game as it moves from a geek hobby to a full blown currency!!!  

*wow look*-> even the FED doesn't seem shaken!!!--vvv--

"
Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, is also weighing in on the hearing, saying that it has no plans to regulate the currency.
“Although the Federal Reserve generally monitors developments in virtual currencies and other payments system innovations, it does not necessarily have authority to directly supervise or regulate these innovations or the entities that provide them to the market,” Bernanke wrote in a letter to the committee. "


= imo = >> *this is huge!!!  _ _=//^  

http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/helicopter-ben-bernanke.jpg

"...does not necessarily have authority to...regulate these innovations..."

Nice one, Bernanke.  Try, doesn't have the ability.

you are joking right? lol  


https://i.imgur.com/yuoTV5D.jpg

[HappyScamp]

Good luck guys!

It's great to know it's going to be approached with level-headedness.

Level-headedness?  In the US Senate?  C'mon!

But yes, good luck!

[Come-from-Beyond]

The guy with the potato chip is



Right?

[Bitware]

3:00pm (ET) LIVE: DIGITAL CURRENCIES @ http://www.c-span.org/Live-Video/C-SPAN3/

[Bitventurer]

best way to keep these people supporting BTC is to.. get them into their own pockets. then they'll have every incentive to keep the training going. with all the under the table deals that politicians do, i wouldnt' be surprised if many of them have BTC.. but then again they are old, square-ish white dudes..

or better givethem each a "USB blockerupter" as gift