For chuckles and chortles I’ve been reading the two opposing subfolders about bitcoin at Reddit. The Bitcoin folder is full of true believers, and the Buttcoin folder is laughing at the true believers.

Non-barking: After a while I realized that one HUGE element is missing in these discussions among insiders.

Outsiders like David Gerard on the anti-side and Balaji on the pro-side are full of politics and culture, battling over TRUMP and INCELS.

The anti-bitcoin influencers are strictly Woke, constantly mocking the suffering of lonely men in a way that’s guaranteed to drive the lonely men even farther into Bitcoin. The anti-bitcoin influencers are clearly trying to get into political power, and they know who can open the door.

The pro-bitcoin influencers are just stealing money from the suffering lonely men.

Reddit is almost entirely about the actual properties of algorithms and ‘coins’. The pro-side foolishly believes that the algorithms will eventually be useful, while the anti-side correctly observes that the algorithms only add unneeded complexity without serving any function.

New entrants on the anti-side often ask How can I persuade my friend that he’s going to lose his money? or even How can I persuade myself that this is a bad idea?

PING!

Perfect analogy from 100 years ago.

The big anti-side influencers like David Gerard and Molly White are Carry Nation. Smashing the taverns to gain power and publicity, viciously aiming to increase the suffering of the pained men who need a drink.

The Reddit anti-side is AA. Men from the same culture and class who have realized BY EXPERIENCE that the habit is damaging. They have empathy if not sympathy for the drinkers.