Do you want Governments to make 51% attacks illegal?

[Bit_Happy]

Do you want Governments to make 51% attacks illegal?
Is a 51% attack something that clearly violates the non-aggression principle?
I think the Libertarian answer = No = People are free to try, but we can attempt to discourage them.

What are your thoughts?

EDIT:
This was placed in the Bitcoin section, but the topic also applies to "local crypto terrorists" who launch attacks against alt coins and then brag about it in the forum. If they could be easily caught, should they face criminal charges?

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[Initscri]

Dos attacks are illegal in many places. They still happen.

From a libertarian view, no. It would maybe prevent some individuals, but to what extent?

[Meuh6879]

try to recover the debt first ... dude.
http://www.usdebtclock.org/

[cbeast]

Not exactly. There should be a division in the UN to combat a 51% attack just as any other threat to global security.

[brian_23452]

try to recover the debt first ... dude.
http://www.usdebtclock.org/

You know the US Federal government isn't the only government in the world, right?

[greenlion]

There is already a pretty comprehensible legal framework in place for dealing with these kinds of situations. The "crime" in a 51% attack is not simply having the hashing power, it's in committing fraud against a victim. There is nothing necessarily special about a 51% attack with respect to existing laws concerning payment fraud.

[vpitcher07]

try to recover the debt first ... dude.
http://www.usdebtclock.org/

You know the US Federal government isn't the only government in the world, right?

Yeah but we like to think we are.

[Bitcoin Magazine]

Do you want Governments to make 51% attacks illegal?
Is a 51% attack something that clearly violates the non-aggression principle?
I think the Libertarian answer = No = People are free to try, but we can attempt to discourage them.

What are your thoughts?

bitcoin should be self regulating, like PPCoin

[LostDutchman]

Dos attacks are illegal in many places. They still happen.

From a libertarian view, no. It would maybe prevent some individuals, but to what extent?

A 51% "attack" is not a Dos attack.

It's only hitting a coin with tons of hashing power.

Nothing illegal about it.

NO.

My $.02.

[Initscri]

Dos attacks are illegal in many places. They still happen.

From a libertarian view, no. It would maybe prevent some individuals, but to what extent?

A 51% "attack" is not a Dos attack.

It's only hitting a coin with tons of hashing power.

Nothing illegal about it.

NO.

My $.02.

My point was more or less that people can and will do it anyways. Dos attacks are illegal, but happen anyways. So even if 51% "attacks" are made illegal, they would still happen regardless.

[LostDutchman]

Dos attacks are illegal in many places. They still happen.

From a libertarian view, no. It would maybe prevent some individuals, but to what extent?

A 51% "attack" is not a Dos attack.

It's only hitting a coin with tons of hashing power.

Nothing illegal about it.

NO.

My $.02.

My point was more or less that people can and will do it anyways. Dos attacks are illegal, but happen anyways. So even if 51% "attacks" are made illegal, they would still happen regardless.

Oh, I see!

I misunderstodd you!

You are 100% correct!

My $.02.

[Malin Keshar]

Bitcoin is already recognized as some kind of property passible of capital gains, so prob that can be dealable as a crime against the financial markets.



Btw: hack wallets and exchanges is clearly forbidden in all jurisdictions, but still happens and no one is being punished by doing that.

[Soros Shorts]

I think it is fine if some governments were to rule that 51% attacks were illegal. However, I wouldn't want this if we had to give up some freedoms in exchange. For example, if the byproduct of all this legislation was additional regulation requiring me to declare and register all my addresses with the government, then I absolutely don't want it.

[LAMarcellus]

Let's try re-wording the question and maybe that will shed some light.

Do you want psychopathic individuals, with no real experience or significant contributions to offer, who just want to benefit at others expense, to declare with empty words and hot air that an activity completely within the scope of physics and natural law, is now an impermissible activity and that ultimately, they can kill us should we perform this forbidden act.

What could go wrong...  


I prefer the free market solution... once again.

[Bit_Happy]

Let's try re-wording the question and maybe that will shed some light.

Do you want psychopathic individuals, with no real experience or significant contributions to offer, who just want to benefit at others expense, to declare with empty words and hot air that an activity completely within the scope of physics and natural law, is now an impermissible activity and that ultimately, they can kill us should we perform this forbidden act.

What could go wrong...  


I prefer the free market solution... once again.

Your quote would make a really fun 30 second TV ad.
This is an election year. 

[Beef Supreme]

What I really think of government should best be kept in between my ears.

Mother always says, if you don't have anything nice to say, then say nothing.

[greenlion]

Hashing is not a crime, payment fraud is. There are lots of existing statutes that cover those bases. Specifically legislating against 51% is a weird form of prior restraint on what is not actually a crime to begin with.

As for all this weird stuff about sociopaths and whatnot, I consider myself a Libertarian politically, but I have to admit I find that cringeworthy, as all that stuff misses the point just to have a big antigovernment circlejerk.

[Honeypot]

Now you run with your tails tucked in to the government?

Sad. If you really think the government is really concerned about a bunch of spoiled ass kids with delusions of grandeur as a threat, you are really pathetic. Look how that dumbass kid snowden is learning to stfu now with political situation laughing at his face.

Fuckin kids.

[counter]

Nope I think the Governments have enough on their plates and they don't know where to begin.  there has got to be a better option IMO.

[Dannie]

There is already a pretty comprehensible legal framework in place for dealing with these kinds of situations. The "crime" in a 51% attack is not simply having the hashing power, it's in committing fraud against a victim. There is nothing necessarily special about a 51% attack with respect to existing laws concerning payment fraud.

Agree.
Having majority of hashrate is nothing wrong, but using it to reverse payments and scam others is a crime.