senator-calls-for-bitcoin-ban-2014

[Walsoraj]

politicians are useless species. i would rather have google optimizing and balancing nation's budget

Agree, they are reptilians.

[Chalkbot]

He won reelection in 2012:

http://ballotpedia.org/Joe_Manchin_III

Senators are up for reelection every six years.

This. Although the other senate seat in W. Virginia is up for election this year. Making bitcoin donations to elect someone in this race could likely have the same effect.

Here are the likely candidates, according to early polling results:

For the Republicans: Shelley Moore Capito
https://twitter.com/RepShelley

and the Democrats:  Natalie Tennant
https://twitter.com/natalieforwv

It's not hard to choose which one to back (in terms of likelyhood of embracing bitcoin) if you spend 2 minutes reading their bios. Natalie is the underdog, younger, ran for governor (and lost) on a campaign of transparency, accountability, and embracing innovation.
Couple quotes from her wikipedia:

"Tennant has instituted a number of initiatives to make it easier for businesses to operate in West Virginia, including eliminating transaction fees for businesses that file online"

"In 2013, Tennant's department returned $3 million in unused revenue to the state after Tennant enacted cost-saving measures and favorably settled two lawsuits."

Meanwhile, Shelley is a member of the Judiciary and Banking and Insurance Committees, Chairman of Subcommittee on Financial Institutions & Consumer Credit.
Couple quotes from her wikipedia:

"Capito supports a federal prohibition on online poker. In 2006, she cosponsored H.R. 4777, the Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act,[28] and supported H.R. 4411, the Goodlatte-Leach Internet Gambling Prohibition Act."

"Capito opposes legislation aimed at capping greenhouse gas emissions.[30] In January 2010 she reportedly asked the president if he would reconsider "job-killing" policies like limiting greenhouse gases."


So it would seem a perfect movie-like scenario exists here to back the underdog and fill the seat opposite of Joe Manchin with a pro-bitcoin senator. Haha, can you imagine the media headlines?

[kireinaha]

this is what concerns me the most about bitcoin: US regulation. it's probably going to happen, like it or not. i've been around and watched politics long enough to become a pessimestic asshole, but i'm usually right.

you can all say, 'well, we're going to have to vote him out of office, surely the next guy will understand!' but it's not true. average people outside this forum don't give a shit about bitcoin and have no problem with it being banned. most countries will likely follow suit, and bitcoin will be essentially done.

unless somehow the exchanges can be decentralized. this will need to happen for bitcoin to survive.

[metstijl]

Can someone shoot him like kennedy?

[Skoupi]

If you see bitcoin solely as a currency it's only normal to be sceptical or even against it.
Unfortunately for him if and when people decide to regulate bitcoin, will take into account that bitcoin is a protocol.

[Serge]

politicians are useless species. i would rather have google optimizing and balancing nation's budget

Lol'd   This would probably give better results..

And Amazon suggesting laws and regulations

"Parties who have banned prostitution have also banned bitcoin, do you wish to ban bitcoin too?"

heh, good one

we have all infrastructure to move forward, naturally, organically, prosperously , yet we are still standing still due to our governments "protecting" ourselves from evils and great unknowns while doing more economic damage themselves with their business associates.

[KeyserSozeMC]

I've already told him he's an idiot

https://twitter.com/ThisWeeksCoin/status/438792565702537216

[rocks]

I forsee his opponent accepting bitcoins. Large donations incoming.

Can anyone check when the next elections are up? I can't make any sense of the US political system..

Does it really matter?

The D team and the R team are one and the same, anyone who thinks different is a fool. The D team just believes that they are the only good guys and are morally superior but at the same time vote for this type of "protection". The R team tricks people into believing they are for small government, but in reality they are the biggest spenders and supporters of the banks. I say line them all up against the wall.

[Skoupi]

I've already told him he's an idiot

https://twitter.com/ThisWeeksCoin/status/438792565702537216

So what? You want cookie?

[Richard Branson]

He also supports gun control, the unilateral power for either the President or Attorney General to issue a drone strike on an American citizen, on American soil, who "may be involved in a terrorist plot." I think your days in office are numbered and we all hope you trip down the stairs once that door hits you on the way out.

Love basement kids from america 

[Obi-Wan Coinobi]

I am calling a ban on money. Just give it all to me.

[av123]

His call to ban bitcoin is ironic in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the Citizens United case in 2010 which held that:

"Political spending is a form of protected speech under the First Amendment, and the government may not keep corporations or unions from spending money to support or denounce individual candidates in elections. While corporations or unions may not give money directly to campaigns, they may seek to persuade the voting public through other means, including ads, especially where these ads were not broadcast."

http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/citizens-united-v-federal-election-commission/

So if bitcoin is considered a currency (in additional to being a protocol), it should be legal to spend it as a form of protected political speech.

[pungopete468]

He also supports gun control, the unilateral power for either the President or Attorney General to issue a drone strike on an American citizen, on American soil, who "may be involved in a terrorist plot." I think your days in office are numbered and we all hope you trip down the stairs once that door hits you on the way out.

Love basement kids from america 

I don't have a basement. - Strike one
I'm not a kid either, but I do have a child. - Strike two

So care to guess wrong a third time?

I'm guessing you're not an American. I'm guessing you don't remember last years filibuster demanding the AG clarify the scope of power regarding drone strikes. I'm guessing you don't remember how absurd the debate was about wheather American citizens on American soil should be included under the law regarding the power to call a drone strike on a potential terrorist.

Luckily the filibuster was successful and the scope of power is clear...

You don't believe this happened? I wouldn't either if I didn't see it...

[BitDreams]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Manchin

We've already had a senator speak favorably about bitcoin, now we have one speak in disfavor. Neither side will achieve absolute victory.

[af_newbie]

http://www.businessinsider.com/senator-calls-for-bitcoin-ban-2014-2

I vote for formal licensing of politicians.  Introduce some minimal entry requirements (educational, experience, moral and ethical standards) into this profession.
Doctors, engineers, nurses, truck drivers and pretty much all other trades need licenses.  But not politicians.  Politicians make important decisions, only the brightest
of the brightest should be allowed to enter this profession.

In Canada, a real-estate agent with a high school diploma and a 6 month real estate course can be a Minister of Health or Education  
Same is true in US.  Popular morons end up on Capitol Hill.

He or his croonies had money on mtgox and now he is pissed.  He is a greedy moron.  Nothing against football players.
But football players from rich families on Capitol Hill?  Please.

[DieJohnny]

why do politicians take it upon themselves to be the saviors of men.

politicians are almost universally corrupt and incompetent, nothing more than shills for those that keep them in power. That goes for the USA as well as any dictatorship anywhere. It is all the same.

This guy wants to ban bitcoin to protect against bad actors??? What's next Cash?

stupid as hell.

[g35fan]

Just a "wow" when I read that letter. Hey he's a politician, so he definitely has an agenda, and it's obviously not bitcoin friendly. Talking about criminals and USA "allies" like China banning bitcoin. Ugh, what a disaster this guy is.

I like the part about the "detrimental effect" of the deflation. Because, you know, if bitcoin jumped up to $10k USD in a few months, none of the holders of bitcoin would sell for fiat, or purchase a bunch of items online with that new fiat or bitcoin during that rise all the way up to $10k. They'd all just sit and HOLD on everything they own and not spend anything to keep the economy going, right? I just don't see that happening.

[tss]

not sure the world you live in.. but NOBODY in the real one knows about bitcoin.. in general you hope they know the word bitcoin and say.. ohh yea.. i hear people talking about it

obviously doesn't understand that bitcoin would help most of the people who vote for him.

[tss]

noob bet.. or is it?

ill take moore to get more votes than tennant if both make it on the ballot. 

.25 btc and a max of 4 bets
(also.. from seeing issues with forum bets.. i have to confirm i accept your bet for it to be valid)

:-)

Here are the likely candidates, according to early polling results:

For the Republicans: Shelley Moore Capito
https://twitter.com/RepShelley

and the Democrats:  Natalie Tennant
https://twitter.com/natalieforwv

[segeln]

As of December 2013, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) shows 1.3% inflation, while a recent media report indicated Bitcoin CPI has 98% deflation. In other words, spending Bitcoin now will cost you many orders of wealth in the future. This flaw makes Bitcoin’s value to the U.S. economy suspect, if not outright detrimental.

Alert!  You might actually preserve your wealth with bitcoin.  STAY AWAY!!!  STAY THE FUCK AWAY!!!

Hi proudhon
no FUD,no confirmations of unconfirmed News ?
pity, because I very much appreciated your witty comments