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Hearn Error

Eric Voskuil edited this page Aug 8, 2017 · 26 revisions

There is a theory that states cannot ban popular things.

This implies that high transaction throughput allows effective defense against attacks and coercion. This in turn implies that Bitcoin can be secured by accepting the centralizing force of very high transaction throughput.

The theory is invalid, as it rests on a factual error. It is evident that states actually prefer to ban popular things. The following is a short list of commonly-banned nonviolent things:

  • Drugs
  • Gambling
  • Prostitution
  • Speech
  • Assembly
  • Trade
  • Migration
  • Weapons
  • Labor
  • Books
  • Money

This error may arise from failure to accept the Axiom of Resistance while continuing to work in Bitcoin. This is likely to produce cognitive dissonance. The subsequent search for resolution may lead one to this error. However this error eventually becomes undeniable, which may lead to a rage-quit.

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