How can Bitcoin be used to promote free speech?

[Z-tight]

The censorship resistance of bitcoin isn't part of freedom of this speech you're campaign but how bitcoin can't be controlled by any authority.

When you think about it, you'd understand that it is kind of related. BTC is censorship resistant and permissionless, allowing you to move funds on-chain, without the permission of any entity, not even the government. You'd feel more confident opposing a stronger force, when you know they do not simply hold the power to cut and confiscate your funding.

I get it, that's not what you'd directly call 'freedom of speech'. But i like the idea that it is possible for people to fund a cause through BTC, even when the authorities don't agree with it. However, if i had a say, i'd wish it was always for a 'good' cause, but that's discussion for another day.

[Multani Boy]

Now tell me what would you call this hypothetical "Freedom Movement of Germany"? "Opposition" or a "foreign-funded terrorist group"?

I think there is a difference here. One can rightly oppose one’s government without justifying all acts committed by those acting in the name of opposition. A group engaged in bombing, assassination, or aiding a foreign power war against its own nation should not be referred to merely as “opposition” if we take words to mean something about what they are doing, rather than simply who they oppose. And this should apply equally with respect to any nation or foreign power.

[Youngrebel]

The censorship resistance of bitcoin isn't part of freedom of this speech you're campaign but how bitcoin can't be controlled by any authority.

When you think about it, you'd understand that it is kind of related. BTC is censorship resistant and permissionless, allowing you to move funds on-chain, without the permission of any entity, not even the government. You'd feel more confident opposing a stronger force, when you know they do not simply hold the power to cut and confiscate your funding.

I get it, that's not what you'd directly call 'freedom of speech'. But i like the idea that it is possible for people to fund a cause through BTC, even when the authorities don't agree with it. However, if i had a say, i'd wish it was always for a 'good' cause, but that's discussion for another day.

One thing we need to understand is that Bitcoin is not just about investment or making profit to me it is far beyond that and it is about about financial freedom and having control over your own money at least no local bank ro debit pr call you for unecessary reasons and with it you can make transactions across borders without needing permission from a bank or relying on any authority to process your transaction but then we need to also understand that censorship resistance doesn’t mean governments have no power at all, they still have the right to regulate exchanges and can still restrict your access to certain services, just that they won’t be able to control the Bitcoin network the same way they may be able to control our local banks and thats just it.

[pooya87]

A group engaged in bombing, assassination, or aiding a foreign power war against its own nation should not be referred to merely as “opposition” if we take words to mean something about what they are doing, rather than simply who they oppose.

Well that's the only type of "opposition" that they like and is beneficial to them.

The ugly nature of these organizations is crystal clear. None of them are actually concerned about human rights violations because if they were they would have started from back home not abroad. I can think of dozens of human rights violations off the top of my head in the US in this year alone where HRF is located and nary a case can be found on their website from US or pretty much from any of US vassal states.

Things get even more interesting when we learn that all these countries that run such fake "humanitarian" organizations to operate against other countries have some sort of strict laws to prevent the reversal of such thing happening to them! They'll probably indict any of their own citizens who receives such funding from a "foreign organization" under the very strict Foreign Agents Act and prosecute them for not registering as a foreign agent

[Multani Boy]

Things get even more interesting when we learn that all these countries that run such fake "humanitarian" organizations to operate against other countries have some sort of strict laws to prevent the reversal of such thing happening to them! They'll probably indict any of their own citizens who receives such funding from a "foreign organization" under the very strict Foreign Agents Act and prosecute them for not registering as a foreign agent

At the very least, it is reasonable to question whether foreign funding from political groups overseas should be treated any differently than if they were domestic groups. If we view the presence of such funding as a potential threat to democracy, shouldn't that logic also be applied when we consider foreign funding for groups that support organizations overseas? Their sources of funding and their activities should be made public, and the same scrutiny should apply regardless of the country in question.

[ultrloa]

A group engaged in bombing, assassination, or aiding a foreign power war against its own nation should not be referred to merely as “opposition” if we take words to mean something about what they are doing, rather than simply who they oppose.

Well that's the only type of "opposition" that they like and is beneficial to them.

The ugly nature of these organizations is crystal clear. None of them are actually concerned about human rights violations because if they were they would have started from back home not abroad. I can think of dozens of human rights violations off the top of my head in the US in this year alone where HRF is located and nary a case can be found on their website from US or pretty much from any of US vassal states.

Things get even more interesting when we learn that all these countries that run such fake "humanitarian" organizations to operate against other countries have some sort of strict laws to prevent the reversal of such thing happening to them! They'll probably indict any of their own citizens who receives such funding from a "foreign organization" under the very strict Foreign Agents Act and prosecute them for not registering as a foreign agent

Well that's great observation, especially for pointing  out their so selective concerns.

Those organizations is to hypocrite to interfere and highlight the abuse happening on other territory, but they are to silent with abuses happened in their own backyards.

Actually their double standards affect a lot their credibility. Then totally irony for US to be so strict with their law FARA, but they are to selective when imposing this. This is why its hard to see if their actions is genuine or they are using that to attack their target countries.

[BlackHatCoiner]

For example Human Rights Foundation accepts BTC donations which it uses to fund opposition groups in Nigeria Russia Belarus Hong Kong etc.

That is a U.S. based terrorist organization that funds terrorist groups disguised as "opposition" in only certain countries so that these US proxies can carry out regime change operations or at least deal damage.

Interesting opinion. Can you give an example where these foundations have funded terrorist groups disguised as "opposition" in the past, just so that they accomplish a higher goal for US authorities?

It's interesting, because Human Rights Foundation has funded the development of a host variety of Bitcoin projects, including signing devices such as SeedSigner: https://hrf.org/latest/hrf-bitcoin-development-fund-grants-325000-to-projects-worldwide/.

[d5000]

Some cases of their "opposition" is assassinating scientists and university professors, bombing hospitals, destroying bridges, espionage, ... and one of their most recent "protest acts" was to blow up a power plant that is currently keeping the lights on in your home letting you post here!

Is that really what the HRF does or supports?

Of course the US has funded and is funding organizations which are/were violent and I would have labeled terrorist. But according what I read, bombings in Iran were carried out by the American and Israeli military, not by opposition groups. So it's very much a "bad government(s) vs. bad government(s)" constellation.

I just think Bitcoin donations to fund opposition groups in any region, even in "mediocre" countries, should not be viewed as something negative, even if it's carried out via organizations like the HRF who may be biased in some conflicts. Most opposition groups are not really violent. I dislike hypocrisy of some "western" media too but just taking the opposite side defending bad non-western governments is not solving anything. IMO it just helps the status quo and thus ensures the continuity of US/"Western" supremacy.

What Bitcoin (and privacy coins) "solve" in this context is that strict authoritarian control of money flows isn't possible anymore. Instead of powerful states, people themselves decide who they want to fund and how, and nobody can close their accounts (blacklisting of keys isn't possible with BTC). Will some of that (crypto) money also end up in terrorist groups? Perhaps. But I guess terrorists are disliked by 99% of "the people" while "bad governments" sometimes view them as strategic allies. And thus a "Bitcoin dominanted financial world" would be less prone to terrorism as a financial world dominated by the US or any other authoritarian government.

[Olotu20]

Snip.

That is a U.S. based terrorist organization that funds terrorist groups disguised as "opposition" in only certain countries so that these US proxies can carry out regime change operations or at least deal damage. These countries are only those that refuse to bow down to the US regime and its global oppression. Otherwise you never see them say anything about for example France which right now is shooting kids on the streets as we speak and has already maimed thousands of schoolchildren.

All US based terrorist organizations that perform such operations overseas use pretty words such as "human rights", "democracy" and so on.
Be careful not to fund them...

That is very true the United States of America has become a Lord over every country, especially under this present regime of Donald Trump where America can capture any world leaders that disagree with them, and use military actions against any country that doesn't agree with them on issues. The fact is that some of these so called organization seen by people to be humanitarian in nature are actually U.S funded organization with the sole aim of spreading their interest in the international community. That is why we see biased in the way and manner that these organization even carry out their activities across the world. The truth is that any country that doesn't agree with America or don't summit to them organizations like this are used as proxies in funding the distebilization of such countries, U.S allies such as France has been financing terrorist activities in West Africa do that they can still have country and keep looking the resources of African countries but, the so called United States is doing as if they don't even know or see what is happening.
https://www.icirnigeria.org/usaid-funded-boko-haram-other-terror-groups-alleges-us-congressman/