Agree.
I agree, we should take a page out of the Catholic Church's book and sweep this scandal under the rug, while aloowing the continued planning of Bitcoin trips and conferences to a city known for the very crime the scandal is about.
Ignoring potential crimes is the best way to avoid fallout from them.
Don't worry, it is already way past the point where it can be ignored by the community.
But so far, it is still not at the point where it will be picked by the press.
It is still just an affair of one guy related to Bitcoin, and not a problem for Bitcoin.
Now if we continue making such a fuss about this issue, it will go public.
So let's calm down and remember why we are here.
The scandal has unfolded, charges have been clearly stated, evidence has been published, and the defendant hasn't judged necessary to address it so far.
That is his choice and his problem, and how people will choose to deal with him in the future is their choice and their problem.
What else do you guys want? His head on a plate? Is it worth putting at risk the reputation of Bitcoin and our collective USD 60M+ of market capitalization?
How did his party react when Bill Clinton was involved in a sex scandal?
How did the IMF react when Dominique Strausskahn was charged of sexual abuse?
Politicians may be responsible for the demise of our economy, but they are wise enough not to saw the branch on which they sit.
Wistleblowing about one's misdoing does not mean we must continue going round in circles until self destruction.
I hope that was clear.
On a side note, don't forget that Bitcoin has or will have ennemies that would go to great length to bring it into disrepute without getting their hands dirty.
Such attacks could come anytime and take any form.
They could be complete setups of simply piggy backing on a base of truth.
Remember, the
fake personae used by HB Gary on behalf of public agencies to manipulate the public opinion.
I am not saying that Bruce has fallen pray of such manipulation. He has acknowledged some of the claims.
But if I was working as a social engineer for the government, that's the time I would choose to kick in and give the extra push to divide the community, or take over leadership by channelling discontented members to my own forums and events.
This may sound paranoid, but don't forget that if the mind behind Bitcoin has decided to remain anonymous and withdraw from the community, there must be good reasons.