Today is American Independence Day, a day to celebrate our freedom from the British Empire and the tyranny of bureaucracy that governed our lives across thousands of miles of ocean. The War of Independence that won us our freedom did not happen overnight, nor was it the result of short-term events or circumstances. It was the result of more than a century of oppressive government influence over the colonists who inhabited North America.
Similarly, Bitcoin wasn’t born out of a single event, a great financial crisis: just as the United States was born out of colonists who dealt with increasing taxes, over-regulation, and general exploitation for over a century, Bitcoin was born out of decades of parasitic economic and financial activity.
While America and the struggles that led to its creation were rooted in bureaucracies divided by physical distance, Bitcoin was born out of problems rooted in more existential divisions than physical space: just as the British king and his advisors had a divided, impersonal view of the people on the other side of the Atlantic, today’s bureaucrats have a divided, mechanistic view of the people they govern, despite the lack of physical distance.
Politicians, regulators, bureaucrats, financial executives — none of them see the people they control, or the people who make decisions that dramatically change the course of their lives and circumstances, as actual people. They see numbers, statistics, stereotypes and generalizations. They see impersonal numbers and patterns that can seemingly fit anyone, and they make decisions based on that.
They have no empathy, no understanding of individuals’ personal circumstances, life situations, or the problems they face because of automated decision-making in Congress, in the Securities and Exchange Commission buildings, or in banks.
So why do we look to these people for recognition, a path to success, or even a glimmer of hope that they will ever reach that understanding? Imagine if America, 10 years after achieving independence, had turned to Britain for help in achieving success. Does that seem reasonable to you? Does it seem like a fruitful path to achieving success and prosperity?
The answer should be a resounding “no”: they don’t care about you or me or all of us.
So why do so many Bitcoiners seek solace in these parasites and narcissists? This is a sign that they have completely lost sight of the purpose for which Bitcoin was created. In a way, this is very similar to the current state of America as a country, abandoned and disconnected from the purposes and ideals the country was originally founded for: freedom, self-determination, and justice.
These people are not here to help us, nor are they here to make Bitcoin a beacon of personal freedom and liberation. They are here to exploit, subvert and maintain their place in a world where they can remain safe and luxurious, yet cruelly cut off from the rest of us.
America was founded because of the recognition that Great Britain was not going to give us independence or freedom. The Founding Fathers realized this and set out to do it their own way, creating something new and innovative that the world had never seen before.
Bitcoin is no exception, but rather than stand up for these principles and ideals, its supporters seem content to flee back to the UK and ask for permission to self-determination – permission to achieve their freedom.
This is not true. Bitcoin was created to be something new, independent and revolutionary, unlike anything the world has seen before. Bitcoin was built to stand on its own as a foundation of sovereignty and self-determination; not something for us to own, build or use without permission.
We need to stick with it, not beg politicians and regulators for an easy path to “success” which is really just failure wrapped in a blanket of fixes. Bitcoin is here, it was put here without asking permission, without begging a king for permission, and it will be here to stay.
Whether it succeeds or fails depends on us, not on politicians, regulators or Wall Street money.
Happy Independence Day to those who still seek self-determination, not permission.
