Latest news about Bitcoin and all cryptocurrencies. Your daily crypto news habit.
The Cypherpunk Bitstream podcast hosted by cryptoanarchists @thefrankbraun and @TheRealSmuggler has just released its second episode. The show compassionately reaches out to those listeners tired of the coercive âstatist-quoâ and explores how anyone can use cryptographic technology and philosophy to reclaim the vital and precious privacy hijacked by an ever-expanding surveillance state.
Also Read: The Many Facts Pointing to Hal Being Satoshi
Cypherpunk Bitstream 0x01: Cryptoanarchy
The second episode of the new Cypherpunk Bitstream podcast, Cypherpunk Bitstream 0x01: Cryptoanarchy, is where the hosts get down to brass tacks and begin discussing the nitty gritty of the cryptoanarchist philosophy, its technological background, and its uses in fighting invasions of privacy and avoiding the coercion of the state. Broadcasting from a self-made temporary autonomous zone in Berlin, the pair introduce the philosophy and movement with @TheRealSmuggler stating:
Anarchy is the absence of coercive rule for me. So itâs not the absence of rules and itâs not the absence of hierarchies or whatever. But itâs the absence of hierarchies and rules that you didnât agree to. Anarchy is really about having a system of consent where every participant has agreed on how things should be going, and is at any time more or less able to leave and change his affiliations.
Contrasting what his grandmotherâs view of anarchy likely would be, which is âeverybody kills each other and thereâs violence in the streets and blood running,â Smuggler points out that he is simply talking about non-coercion. He argues that while coercion and violence can never be totally eliminated from society, there are better systems for addressing these issues than governmentsâ current method of employing the exact same tactics of violence to force people to agree with them.
We just released the first two episodes of the Cypherpunk Bitstream podcast with @TheRealSmuggler and @thefrankbraun.
Episode 0x00 Introduction (3:06)
Episode 0x01 Cryptoanarchy (3:54:09)
Download here: https://t.co/s7TkKvK3le pic.twitter.com/KmIlwxgXCR
â Frank Braun (@thefrankbraun) November 19, 2019
âYou can disagree, but you shouldnât act on the disagreement,â Smuggler notes, âand if you break the rules that the other people made for you ⊠they will fine you, take your property or put you into jail or worse, and that is the fundamental thing that is simply not right.â He clarifies that real violence should be stopped, but that âpeople tell you what to do without you being able to opt out,â and that:
They make this basic assumption that they are more moral, wiser, enlightened whatever, than you are. And anybody who has listened to any politician on this planet speak so far should know that politicians are in general, as dumb as [expletive], as everybody else.
Creating âHidden Anarchyâ With Cryptography
From the Greek root âkruptos,â meaning âhidden,â cryptography and cryptoanarchy go hand in hand. Braun and Smuggler discuss these linguistic origins and then point to the early cypherpunk movement as the seed crystal from which phenomena like modern encrypted communications and cryptocurrencies emerged. The early anonymous remailers and discussions about creating censorship-resistant digital cash paved the way for the privacy protocols and decentralized, permissionless assets of today. When Braun asks Smuggler âWhat does crypto mean to you, in that context [anarchy],â he replies:
The word âcryptoanarchyâ I think was coined on the cypherpunk mailing list in the 90âs and itâs actually a little bit of a play of words ⊠crypto anarchy is basically the âhidden anarchy.â That is one of the meanings. And the other meaning could be using cryptography for implementing anarchy.
Smuggler notes that the system or movement itself isnât hidden, but its individual participants can be. âIf you have an issue with coercive rule then, at least for me, thatâs not just an individual thing. If Iâm able to hide from the oppressors, thatâs nice, but in the end you kinda have this urge to help your fellow man hide himself as well.â
Into the Future
Braun and Smuggler eventually make their way to current tech and social conditions, discussing the implications of privacy-enhancing protocols and software becoming more real-time in nature and function, for better and for worse (instant encrypted chat apps being used, for example, instead of generally higher-info-quality, but slower, email via remailer), and the need for action in cryptoanarchy before itâs too late.
In the latter half of the episode Braun points out that if nothing is done to halt the mass surveillance being implemented now worldwide via biometrics, cryptocurrency exchange KYC/AML regulations, and more, there may come a point where it is too late for much of anything to be done. Smuggler affirms this and points to the ever-increasing necessity of risk, and greater potential for unavoidable bloodshed if individuals refuse to peacefully disobey violent mandates as soon as they can.
Smuggler further points out that anonymity is often associated with dark or evil deeds in modern culture, but that the ostensibly pro-safety hyper-regulation of government makes doing good impossible as well. If, for example, one sends crypto to a friend in need, this can be monitored and met with threats of taxation and coercion in a surveillance state. Sliding an envelope of cash under a struggling single motherâs door can get them kicked off of welfare support. Smuggler notes that dropping out of current systems does not have to mean creating more victims:
You can decide to say, okay, 30% of my taxes go into welfare. Iâm changing the system so I donât pay taxes anymore, but I donât want people to starve. Then you can still say, I take my 30% ⊠and give it to homeless people and do something good ⊠All the money lost by bureaucracy, etc., will not be lost.
Speaking of forced reform or revolution he maintains that âyou are almost unable to prevent victims in reform and revolution ⊠but in a parallel system approach with individuals switching sides, individuals can make the decision to, number one not be victims themselves anymore, and number two, not create victims on the other side.â
The hosts of the show emphasize the importance of varying degrees of privacy and anonymity via cryptographic methods for protection against coercion, citing the military OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) strategy as a means by which to view the world. Instead of a reactionary fight against the state, nip things in the bud. Stop them at the first âOâ and donât even give the coercers in government any behavior to observe and react to in the first place. Smuggler amusingly points out that the simple bathroom stall is really one of the last bastions of cryptoanarchy. There are no cameras, and nobody knows what youâre doing, and thatâs exactly how it should be.
What are your thoughts on cryptoanarchy? Let us know in the comments section below.
Images credits: Shutterstock, fair use.
Want to create your own secure cold storage paper wallet? Check our tools section. You can also enjoy the easiest way to buy Bitcoin online with us. Download your free Bitcoin wallet and head to our Purchase Bitcoin page where you can buy BCH and BTC securely.
The post New Cypherpunk Podcast Debuts Discussing Cryptoanarchy appeared first on Bitcoin News.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the views of Bitcoin Insider. Every investment and trading move involves risk - this is especially true for cryptocurrencies given their volatility. We strongly advise our readers to conduct their own research when making a decision.