Gyroscopic Investing

(from a comment on businessinsider.com)

I have a friend who believes all form of conspiracy theory. His take on Bitcoin is that is a product of the NSA. He points out some interesting things.

1) It's too sophisticated for just one guy. Like STUXNET, its genius by committee.

2) Nobody actually knows where it came from. How convenient for the NSA eh? See item 1.

3) it works to draw in dark money. Drugs, crime etc.

4) Your "money" can just disappear. The NSA and the US govt can inflict severe economic damage on groups it defines as being counter to US policy. Groups trafficking in nuclear anything as an example.

His basic premise is the reason that so many foreign govts are now starting to take a hard line on Bitcoin is because they've been burned by the NSA already. They either know, or suspect where it came from. Why would China want its people to be putting wealth into a system controlled by the NSA? What if there was massive Chinese wealth in Bitcoin and the NSA went "poof". It could destabilize the Chinese government.

On many of these points, I'd say he may be on to something.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/bitcoin- ... z2ns0Lgu9t

I predict that in coming years, the NSA will be taking the place of the CIA as the favored tormentor of mentally ill people in the U.S.

MediumTex wrote: I predict that in coming years, the NSA will be taking the place of the CIA as the favored tormentor of mentally ill people in the U.S.

You mean they haven't taken that job over yet? What are we paying them for then?

MediumTex wrote: I predict that in coming years, the NSA will be taking the place of the CIA as the favored tormentor of mentally ill people in the U.S.

Pretty good prediction.  And the thing is it'll be hard to tell them they're being crazy, since the NSA has done and is doing so many things that are completely over the top.

When a government official speaks, is it more likely they are telling the truth, or the exact opposite of the truth? I don't have time to examine everything, so I just default to the latter and investigate anything of interest. I think it makes things easier.

I've been extremely skeptical of bitcoin. Why would anyone even pursue such a thing from the start? It can't be because they actually thought it would be a good form of "money" if they understood what money really is (my opinion guys, please don't freak out on me). It could have been just as a scam from the beginning to cash in on people's fear of fiat money losing value. I mean....when you boil everything away a bitcoin is nothing. Some poor sucker traded $1,220 for one. Yes gold is down big from the top but at least you have something!

I think the quasi-government scam idea has merit, although I don't know why it would be the NSA.

http://bitcoinexaminer.org/producer-of- ... by-fincen/  closing down the maker of physical bit coins might fit right in with the conspiracy theory... 

Libertarian666 wrote:
1) It's too sophisticated for just one guy. Like STUXNET, its genius by committee.

Bitcoin is certainly a genius idea, but I don't think it's too sophisticated for just one guy.  It was, after all, built on previously-existing technology.  This guy just took the next logical step.  Kind of like the world wide web, (and many other examples through the history of invention).

Aliens built the pyramids though, for sure.

Kshartle wrote: When a government official speaks, is it more likely they are telling the truth, or the exact opposite of the truth? I don't have time to examine everything, so I just default to the latter and investigate anything of interest. I think it makes things easier.

I'm the same way... I like to call this "Distrust, but verify". 

So the "bit coin giveaway" thread is just to associate bit coin addresses with dissident usernames