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Forum Post: Bitcoin the Answer to OWS Demands

Posted 12 years ago on Oct. 17, 2011, 6:03 p.m. EST by brecknock (23) from Regina, SK
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

The OWS movement is a continuation of the Arab Spring. Rather than tyrannical political oppression there is a revolt surrounding economic repression and political unfairness. The discontent is justified but the issue is being framed incorrectly as the real issue at stake is the anachronisms of our economic and political systems to be functional in a global information age. The words of the wise Canadian sage Marshall McCloughen should be heeded "the medium is the message" for if solutions are to be sought they will not come out of the political and economic sectors but from the new online global community.

Here is why and how. The basic problem with the financial system is how very sophisticated financial transactions fail to add value to the process of business and as such are exploitative. If you are among the elite who can actually understand the intricacies of quantum mechanics, derivatives and collateral debt obligations you cannot aid in fixing the system because you are already profiting from it. Simply, these transactions are too complex for regulators; they are not illegal but creative mechanisms to make money on transactions.

Well what is this based upon? None of these mechanisms can exist without the compliance of fractional banking. This system at best is supported in a convention on the value of currency, which is why it is illegal to start a run on a bank. The legislators empower this system as it all utilizes sovereign currency which allows them to set the fractional reserve/lending rates. Looking for answers within this system are at odds with the system itself. The real answer must lie outside of this system and I posit that it may through non-sovereign currencies and electronic ones at that.

Because there is already a medium of exchange in bitcoin whereby you can exchange your bitcoins for dollars there exists in the power of the Occupy Wall Street movement the ability to rewrite money.

If everyone supporting the OWS movement puts $10 into bitcoin the exchange rate will go from 1-$4.30 to 1-$50. This will be the first example of non-sovereign currency going viral and the rush will not stop. Because of the returns available there will be a rush to invest...early adapters will not only invest they will convert all assets to the new medium of exchange as the standard sovereign currencies devalue. finally institutional investors will follow suit and last but not least sovereign governments.

This change will disenfranchise the 1% so identified with the movement more than any other group. Finally when sovereign nations are forced into converting they will not have a ready means of taxation whereby a Robin hood or transaction tax may be implemented causing speculation to pay for its participation in the economic process.

Smarter people than me please expand on this thread but remember the ideal of viral is very new and there are no reasons that this would not be a solution.

25 Comments

25 Comments


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[-] 5 points by hairlessOrphan (522) 12 years ago

For all the possible benefits of BitCoin, please DO NOT ENCOURAGE SPECULATION in the BitCoin economy.

[-] 3 points by Frankie (733) 12 years ago

Yeah, let's all protest the speculation that served as the primary cause for what we're protesting by... speculating! ; )

[-] 1 points by brecknock (23) from Regina, SK 12 years ago

as opposed to? the current constructive dialogue emerging based on what - gimmie, gimmie, gimmie

[-] 1 points by Frankie (733) 12 years ago

It's an interesting subject on its own, but doesn't really fit with the overall theme. Kinda like the idea that somebody had to have corporate sponsorship for OWS and banner ads on the web site. lol

[-] 2 points by fivetimesthefun (107) from Queens, NY 12 years ago

Thanks for answering my question down there.

I have a place where I can get paid in bitcoins but I didn't want to mess around because I usually just need the cash.

[-] 2 points by btcinstant (4) 12 years ago

This isn't speculation he is actually introducing a solution to a problem.

[-] 2 points by hairlessOrphan (522) 12 years ago

I was referring specifically to:

"If everyone supporting the OWS movement puts $10 into bitcoin the exchange rate will go from 1-$4.30 to 1-$50. This will be the first example of non-sovereign currency going viral and the rush will not stop. Because of the returns available there will be a rush to invest...early adapters will not only invest they will convert all assets to the new medium of exchange as the standard sovereign currencies devalue. finally institutional investors will follow suit and last but not least sovereign governments."

Which is speculation.

[-] 1 points by brecknock (23) from Regina, SK 12 years ago

this is a hypothesis showing a chain of logical progression - let us hope the speculation is sparked - for the last time

[-] 1 points by brecknock (23) from Regina, SK 12 years ago

thank you please forward this to your friends

[-] 1 points by brecknock (23) from Regina, SK 12 years ago

Did you read the piece? This is a mechanism to replace sovereign currency which is at the basis of fractional banking which is at the basis of the excesses of the 1%

[-] 3 points by hairlessOrphan (522) 12 years ago

I'm pretty familiar with BitCoin and the theory behind it. I support BitCoin as an idea - although the instability of it has made me unwilling to enter in the system.

I don't believe that instability is inherent to BitCoin, but I do believe that telling people "early adapters (sic) will not only invest..." etc... encourages the kind of speculation that creates that instability.

[-] 2 points by brecknock (23) from Regina, SK 12 years ago

your thoughts are not unfounded...what i am positing is that all currencies are an epistemological convention... our belief assigns value to the money. because of ows the ability of that belief to be transferred exists and will go only one way

[-] 3 points by fivetimesthefun (107) from Queens, NY 12 years ago

Where do you get it?

[-] 2 points by btcinstant (4) 12 years ago

You can go to http://mtgox.com its an exchange but first you have to deposit money somewhere to send to mtgox to purchase bitcoins. This is the thing holding back bitcoins is liquidity of in and out.

[-] 2 points by fivetimesthefun (107) from Queens, NY 12 years ago

I would like to oknw more about bitcoin. What can you actually buy with it right now?

[-] 1 points by brecknock (23) from Regina, SK 12 years ago

you can exchange it for currency so you can buy anything please recommend this to your friends

[-] 1 points by fivetimesthefun (107) from Queens, NY 12 years ago

so does the value fluctuate daily, just like all currency?

[-] 1 points by brecknock (23) from Regina, SK 12 years ago

yes it hit a high of $33 a few months back but has settled at around $5

[-] 1 points by fivetimesthefun (107) from Queens, NY 12 years ago

do you store in an exchange (something like a bank)?

what is that mybitcoin scandal did that get resolved?

[-] 1 points by brecknock (23) from Regina, SK 12 years ago

my comprehension is that you store it on a usb drive - when you undertake a transaction there is a verification process that occurrs by other users bitmining. i am no expert rather i am interested in the concepts of non-sovereign currency.

[-] 1 points by fivetimesthefun (107) from Queens, NY 12 years ago

Thank you for answering my questions.

[-] 1 points by hairlessOrphan (522) 12 years ago

Your BitCoin "wallet" is basically an encoded file. Users encourage you to keep it offline (i.e. on an external USB thumbdrive), because whoever has the file has your BitCoins.

[-] 1 points by Etienne (2) 12 years ago

The timing couldn't be better.

The value of Bitcoins did not "crash" it just pulled back from a speculative bubble produced by technologically ignorant oportunists. Bitcoin's value was just 15 cents around last year's end, and it's currently trading at USD 3,2

http://blog.bitcoinwatch.com/2011/10/october-21-2011-bitcoin-charts-and-bitcoin-price-analysis-bubble-or-no-bubble/

On the other hand, the fact that several online bitcoin "wallets" or banks were either hacked or plain old scams doesn't mean that OWS must suffer that fate. Money is money, and if you put it in the wrong hands, it's gone. It's just a matter of solving the wallet file issue in a distributed manner. There are some rough edges to the software that can be improved, no doubt. But that is all, the technology is there and it's safe if you make it safe.

I'd love to see a Bitcoin demonstration right there on the plaza! To let the people know that there is a way of exchanging value among people around the world without middle men can be a tipping point IMHO.

Bitcoin is OPEN SOURCE AND PEER TO PEER. Just as unstoppable as the peaceful rEvolution that's going on in the world as I write these lines.

Peace!

[-] 1 points by TechJunkie (3029) from Miami Beach, FL 12 years ago

Are we supposed to think that wealth won't naturally concentrate under this new currency?

If this new currency were to ever matter, which it doesn't right now, then people with lots of real money would just buy a lot of it.

[-] 1 points by brecknock (23) from Regina, SK 12 years ago

very true however if you look at it mathematically the devaluation of the sovereign currencies will most effect those who have the most - this will be especially true with regards to debt - finally with the institution of a Robin Hood or transaction tax the speculation which has caused the initial problem will be mitigated