Over the years in bitcoin I’ve seen a lot of rebuttals and alternatives proposed to bitcoin; some philosophical some sociopolitical. Many of these are well articulated, others verge on a utopian ideal.
But these theses, having been nailed to the door, whither away in the rain of the timeline feed instead of igniting a movement they were hoping to sow.
Their messages do not inspire, they do not compel, they do not make me willing to sacrifice for their them.
Their anger is thin, inauthentic and fails to inspire, or their utopia is theirs, and not mine.
Words, I feel these days, are mere ornaments for us to decorate our morality. This post, in fact, is exemplary of this sentiment.
However, I remain encouraged, motivated and inspired by that something new, something whose promises are laid bare but whose outcomes are up to us. So, of course, I remind you of what we signed up for - the understanding that sentiment should not be dictated by price. You are the node, the miner, the holdr, YOU are the sentiment, so let it be dictated by your support of the network and its users not price action.
This is supposed to be hard. Words and posts are easy. Courage is hard, seeking to inspire is hard, leading with kindness rather than vitriol is hard. But I have never met a group of people that I’d rather sacrifice my time, safety, and comfort for than Bitcoiners. 2026 - WE CAN change the sentiment 🧡
Alright my Nostr friends I need your feedback on a wine app I created. I’ve never liked Cellar Tracker and I wanted more of a recommendation function so I built
this app. If you have any thoughts I would appreciate it! 🙏🏻
@Ben Justman🍷 @Chef Tommy
1. Create an account for full features
2. Add preferences for personalized recs
3. Any thoughts on UI/UX?
4. Error messages?
5. Any additional features?
https://monsieurmeursault.com/I just completed SOUND Bitcoin Walk
Summer Challenge!
I reached 52026 steps!
#SoundHSA #MoveToEarn #Completed
I’ve written a few pieces on bitcoin over the years, but I am most proud of this one. With a heavy amount of bias, I also feel it is incredibly important.
The Ethics of Immutability captures what I believe is largely missing from the current Bitcoin movement–upholding the lesson Satoshi left for us...
I’m grateful for the recent
@HODL vlogs because he, in a much more succinct way, encapsulates my message.
The Progressive Bitcoiner
The Ethics of Immutability
A common refrain has emerged in the Bitcoin community: fix the money, fix the world. While there is every reason to be optimistic about Bitcoin’s...
After 8 years I finally made it to a Bitcoin conference
It was wonderful to meet people IRL and of course do some fan-boying
Being in the expo you realize the suits have arrived - it was all primarily industry/finance focused
I would like to see a resurgence of Bitcoin for the people - the people who need it most: Carrying on the missions of Gladstein and Posch that got me more involved in the space
I am participating in the SOUND HSA Vegas Bitcoin Conference 2025 Step Challenge!
I have reached 28283 steps so far!
#SoundHSA #MoveToEarn
I am participating in the SOUND HSA Vegas Bitcoin Conference 2025 Step Challenge!
I have reached 19954 steps so far!
#SoundHSA #MoveToEarn
I am participating in the SOUND HSA Vegas Bitcoin Conference 2025 Step Challenge!
I have reached 19954 steps so far!
#SoundHSA #MoveToEarn
#RunningBitcoinChallenge
#ProofofWork #Bitcoin
Inspired by @halfin and @franfinney 🧡
runningbitcoin.us
A few thoughts on RFK: I don't think the medical community at large understands how upset and disappointed people are with the current medical system: paternalism for the past 60 years, poor outcomes relative to expense, increasing chronic disease burden, and bureaucracy. I believe the medical community (physicians) deserve a portion of the blame for this.
I am not surprised by the response to our medical system. It is not a new sentiment. During the 1960s and 1970s medicine’s public image took a beating. The infamous Ivan Illych penned a critique entitled “Medical Nemesis,” in which he stated, “Doctors contribute little to the health of populations, they probably did more harm than good.'' Berkeley political scientist, Aaron Wildavsky, made the claim in 1977 that “The marginal value of one–or one billion–dollars spent on medical care will be close to zero in improving health.” I share his sentiment, considering despite our efforts currently only 12% of Americans are without evidence for metabolic syndrome, which is characterized by high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels. The conclusions of these critics of the health care system are not surprising since it was the height of medical paternalism at a time when society was questioning our institutions while in the midst of Watergate and the Vietnam War.
Iraq, Afghanistan, GFC, Covid and we now find ourselves in a similar position, where Americans are not convinced of "first do no harm," and are seeking autonomy of choice above all else. However, in the prioritization of individual freedoms, the United States has socialized the responsibility for complications of those poor choices. If we are honest with ourselves, we have all succumbed to selectively ignoring the externalities of our poor choices. The only way to gain true freedom; to not be subject to or affected by (a particular undesirable thing), is to not have to rely on a third party in the first place. If freedom means a lack of outside influence on your autonomy, then by default there is an increase in personal responsibility for your choices. It is your freedom to eat whatever you want, to choose not to be active, but if these choices result in increased doctor visits, hospitalizations, more debt and symptoms that restrict your enjoyment in life, how truly free are you? Individual rights should not be inversely related to individual responsibility.
In 1977, Dr John H Knowles, wrote “...This [sic: poor lifestyle choices] is justified as individual freedom–but one man's freedom in health is another man's shackles in taxes and insurance premiums. I believe the idea of a "right" to health should be replaced by the idea of an individual moral obligation to preserve one's own health–a public duty if you will.” Additionally, “the choice is individual responsibility or social failure [sic: plus individual failure]. Responsibility and duty must gain some degree of parity with right and freedom.”
RFKs biggest hurdle is not Big Pharma, it is behavior change and individual autonomy, and that hurdle is only overcome with empathy and understanding and NOT solely Dr. Science. Afterall, information alone does not change behavior. From the individual's perspective, a career contrarian is not a logical solution to the preservation of one's health – and as Dr Knowles so clearly elucidated, therein lies the rub – you as an individual have to live with your choices whose outcomes may not be known for years. But it is these choices that should be discussed with an empathetic ear and ultimately respected.
Am I missing something or is any bitcoin payment infrastructure (zap right, etc) limited by current tax regulation?
