From the dawn of time the establishment has rigged every system in their favour. "Divine" royal privilege, slavery, feudal systems, capitalism, communism, "democracy", "free" markets, patriotism, faith dogmas, and so on and on and on. Everyone believes they have a boss with self-interest as priority.
Occasionally something challenges the establishment. These are far and few between but give me hope.
Democracy vs Fake Democracy
Workers cooperatives are worker directed enterprises where the "boss" role is divided (decentralized) among everyone involved in a genuine democracy as equal part-boss - including everyone as equal part-decider of what to do with profits. Not like our rigged election circuses staged by oligarchs profusely claiming democratic values as they lie, cheat, divide, conquer, and distract from real issues with their terror fueled deep state shadow governments. (As just a concerned Canadian citizen across the river from the largest military state power and aggressor in the world, who am I to criticize?)
Princeton's study proved that the American middle class and poor people are not listened to at all in their debt-slave open-prison police-state oligarchy. Polling is the real unofficial voting to see how they can better manipulate us with their propaganda. If we voted on issues rather than feeble people then we might actually get what we vote for. If we could vote where our taxes went, then we might really have a democracy. Rather than simplifying our tax forms, why don't we merge our tax forms with our ridiculously over-simplified voting forms. "If voting was effective it'd be outlawed." ~disputed quote author. Worker cooperatives may not be illegal (yet), but they're certainly never promoted or even covered in mainstream corporate media. Where was the last worker coop you saw on TV or in the movies?
Crypto Currency's Endless Potential
I hope local regional people start their own small crypto-currencies and blockchain technologies managed by their local people, which may or may not involve (less corrupted) politicians, naturally based on local earned trust. I live in Windsor, Essex County, Ontario, Canada – 4 potential currencies. If they corrupt, fail, or you just don’t like them then just make more: South Western Ontario, East Windsor, Pillette Village, etc. Don’t stop there! How about these names: Christiancoin, Jupitercoin, Anarcoin, Carlincoin, Batmancoin, Yodacoin, InvisiblePinkUnicoin, InviziblSkratch, Unobtanium, Cannabiscent, TrickleUp, MoralCurrency, CorbettReportDotCoin, (I've got a million names)... for any group or affiliation you like, even use ones you don’t. The possibilities are endless and there’s already Bitcoin, Namecoin, Peercoin, Dashcoin (formerly Darkcoin), Litecoin, Feathercoin, Vertcoin, Flashcoin, Ethereum, Humaniq, Steemit, DogECoin…
Truthercoin
"Archive for 2012"
Internet Weaknesses
Bitcoin's obvious weaknesses are the same problems for our technologically based world. The internet almost everyone depends upon in countless ways is very adaptable and resilient but radiation from a solar flare or an electromagnetic pulse from a nuclear bomb or meteor detonation high in the atmosphere may take out most electronic systems across a continent. At that point we'd have far more to worry about than bitcoin problems. Aside from a massive dose of radiation, the uncertain future of net neutrality and internet freedoms, and whatever else the NSA, snoop spooks, and deep state may have up their sleeves, I can't imagine or speculate on other physical threats to bitcoin over the internet.
Bitcoin vs Establishment
However, one speculative concept haunts me. Bitcoin has never really been against the establishment, or anyone for that matter. Sure it was fringe until it wasn't. Certainly it was once alternative but now grows acceptance. While there are no elite backstage passes aside from the transparent(?) core protocol developers club, there are simply no rules to keep anyone out, including establishment overlords. Anyone can participate. It's just another system that may be taken over. Bitcoin has been infiltrated by the establishment and could take it over. I'm sure it's a great place for money laundering, an effective investment, a tax haven for some, and a market to be manipulated by others. I won't delve into fraud history or corruption potential of bitcoin. I can't tell you exactly how markets are manipulated, but we all know they are. Anyone can set up scams in any industry if they have the talent, willpower, and evasive skills. There is no way Bitcoin has escaped this. I'm skipping specifics to ponder the fundamental nature of monopolizing systems - and people.
From Many Hands To Few Hands
"The magic of mining"
To the ultimate point of this post: Do not be surprised when corporate industrial quantum computer bitcoin mining operations not only merge and ultimately monopolize but also rig and scam all accessible crypto-currency systems as elites do with every known industry, banking or otherwise. The Silk Road was an authentic fair and free market and eventually the establishment had it killed ignoring the genuinely harmful crime on the dark web. Freedom is forbidden.
Conclusion?
Will decentralized bitcoin eventually become monopolized? Is Bitcoin ultimately becoming another trap? Is dogmatic faith in bitcoin just like any other illusory belief? I look forward to hearing your comments below.
Similarly, until Steemit becomes transparently open and fully decentralized or a similar alternative develops from a blockchain, stack, platform, network, protocol, or whatever - even this medium has limits.
The wonderful thing about worker coops, alternative media, and bitcoin is that they are decentralized power in the hands of regular people. Often we believe we are resisting while elites steer the resistance. These real decentralized efforts cannot last without massive awareness, resistance, and innovation against the status quo.
I hope this little awareness ray has planted in you a seed of an idea to grow food for thought. Believe in Bitcoin until you don't.
"Chicago Bitcoin & Digital Currency Rendezvous"
Stay aware, watchful, and skeptical. Resist as much and as hard and as long as possible.
Image from: YouTube - arm's .zoo"NGZ FREESTYLE #1 (oklm remix)"
Jason Carswell accepts bribes and donations on Steemit, Bitcoin (1PTQtSVyBxuYRBk85bnEWd4mym5AukuU7y), and Namecoin (NG97tHwfkExF9VMe9m6ZzdrsKv5vbuhz5P).
very well written.
If you're interested, I got some feedback about this article at The Corbett Report.
i would thank you in all caps but i don't want to show off how well written i am.
Three days after this post it's earned $5.49, down from a high of $6.53 yesterday I believe, with the same number of 69 votes. (Hee hee 69.)
Perhaps worth more attention is the fact that only 31 eyes have viewed it yet it received 69 votes. Does this mean key words trigger more votes? Does the title: "Is Bitcoin Another Establishment Trap?" earn 38 blind votes?
I don't get Steemit. Of course it's nice to be rewarded(?). I wonder not if, but I wonder how the system is rigged, and if that can be simplified and clarified for all to understand, yet still be robust against outside abuse and shenanigans. Yes, I used that word (rigged).
Because it's been 3 days I don't expect anyone to even see this, so full disclosure: I peed in your plants when you were out.
Conscience cleared (like a Scientologist).
This makes a lot of sense,because especially now people have started the pump and dump of coins to make them loose value.
How real is this pump and dump? Is Steemit a thing of the past, has it leveled out, or is it still a viable growing community. I'd really like to know because I'm drafting up some content and plans for an open-source community project I was going to blog/interact on Steemit. Should I be considering some other medium/forum/site/app?
I look forward to your response, if you can, at your leisure.
I went hard the first couple months, then hit disillusionment after the first crash, took a break. Coming back recently, it appears there was been alot of development going on, alot of commitment from the community improving upon weakness and getting the fundamentals in place to grow to the next level...
the number of members has also grown, and with the influx of new people into the crypto-world happening and exponentially more yet to come, I got the sense it's a viable growing community with some significant prospect ahead.
For your style, I'd say it's a good fit. Medium is kind of a different crowd. I don't know of any other forums or apps that has what Steemit offers - including the capabilities for expansion of interoperable blockchain apps and smart contract integration, especially with EOS coming soon.
only other potential app that might be a decent option is Minds.com
Sometimes I'm serious, sometimes verbose, sometimes to clarify, sometimes to make you think or wonder, sometimes not. I write as I see fit at that time. My "style" can be diverse.
I dipped into Steemit a bit, a while ago. I was unaware of the crash. The Steemit rewards are not my priority, but they are a logical evolution of social media, decentralization, liberty, etc. And with perseverance I might make something of my self here.
In the fall I was banned from Wikipedia for a year for being "another polite truther". A couple weeks ago I was banned and all of my content, along with other's content, was completely erased from Quora.com for "spamming" without example, explanation, reply, or recourse. I should have copied off my Quora content because I spend countless hours crafting good answers and the occasional good questions - and the WayBack machine was blocked. Censorship unleashed.
When one door closes... blah blah blah. I'd been thinking about this a LOT lately but now it's settled, decided for me in a way, to change course.
Here's a short preview project summary of my detailed forthcoming series of posts.
Since its launch I forgot about Medium until you capitalized it with a crowd. Recently I heard about Yours.org that may grant rewards like Steemit.
I'm on Minds.com, though have yet to do anything there.
I don't Gab anymore.
InfoGalactic (stupid name) by default won my search for a wiki as I found no better options. The RationalWiki community isn't really rational, and WikiSpooks is very slow, also with a poor name. Wikia is owned by the same corporate overlords as Wikipedia. After Wikipedia banned me I settled in on InfoGalactic where the Alt-Right author owner lets people (like me, an anarcho-Marxist) contribute uncensored without establishment-rigged rules of Wikipedia or Quora. (Citing sources, fringe or otherwise, is still critically important.) I really like the MediaWiki format of Wikipedia and it's forked InfoGalactic. I've tried to encourage InfoGalactic to expand what their wiki could be beyond a copied, poorly updated, and fringe-embracing version of Wikipedia, especially if User Pages became something more social their site might bloom. User pages could be a valuable resource tool for folks to freely contribute and update non-encyclopaedic articles (like collaborative screen writing, etc) in a fundamentally different medium format than is locked in here at Steemit. I have yet to research image hosting sites. I'll use YouTube until banned primarily because it's popular and accessible, as well as Vimeo (better quality) and BitChute the new YouTube/Bittorrent-type fusion as alternative backups.
Until I learn of better resources or I'm blocked somehow, thus far I'll be primarily utilize Steemit, InfoGalactic, and YouTube + plus BitChute, Vimeo, Minds, and Gab as support + plus an image hosting site yet to be determined.
Sorry, not sorry, for the length because I may also re-edit this into my project treatment posts.
apology unnecessary... t'is your content to use as you see fit. ;-)
I dropped the first post: https://steemit.com/introduction/@jasoncarswell/osapap-001-a-new-open-source-anti-propaganda-animation-project
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