The Bitcoin Schism: my Palatine/Dooku conspiracy theory
As I've touched several times before, the Bitcoin community has become divided into two camps, the "small-blockers" and the "big-blockers". On the small-blocker side there are quite some people believing in conspiracy theories that the bigblockers and SegWit2X-fans are deliberately trying to destroy Bitcoin. On the big-blocker side there are quite some people believing in conspiracy theories that the small-blockers are deliberately trying to destroy Bitcoin.
Now, if I was in charge of a shady PR-consulting company and someone requested from me ... "Hi, we have an assignment for you. We're quite concerned about this Bitcoin thing - could you try to contain it?" - what would I do?
First I'd infiltrate the Bitcoin community, making sure that people would trust some of my employees. Then I'd start doing whatever I could to divide the Bitcoin community into two camps. I'd plant some ideas of future direction of the Bitcoin project - and manipulate people into choosing one of the ideas and hate the other ideas. I'd manipulate the Bitcoin community into a "protocol war", just like Palatine/Dooku managed to start the Clone Wars in the Star Wars universe through clever manipulation.
I'd seed smear campaigns making sure to discredit the leaders in both camps (including my employees). I'd been promoting various conspiracy theories. My consulting company would already be controlling lots and lots of Reddit accounts, and I would utilize those to pollute the Reddit bitcoin forum. I'd promote the idea that stern moderation is the only way to deal with said pollution. I'd also promote the idea that said moderation is equivalent with censorship. Every day I would make sure the community would become a little bit more divided, the ultimate goal being two camps distrusting and hating each other, and rather wanting to destroy Bitcoin than letting the other camp win.
If anyone would come up with any compromising ideas (such as BIP-100, BIP-102, Hong Kong roundtable agreeement, SegWit2X), I'd make sure both camps would discredit such ideas. Further, I would plant and promote dangerous ideas in the community and support them (such as BIP-148, Bitcoin Cash and the "SegWit2X is evil, let's ignore the coming hard fork"-mentality).
I have been promoting this conspiracy theory as a joke for a long time, but as time drags on, it seems ever more likely. I've always considered it to be a more likely conspiracy theory than the different conspiracy theories out there attributing malice to either the small-blocker side or the big-blocker side.
Have only now (Jan 2018) discovered this excellent (and underrated) article. Kudos on your conspiracy theory joke.
It very much reminds me of a joke I took part in back in the 1960's at an "Underground Film Festival" on a college campus. There were many incredible film shorts by outrageous film makers who were obviously on to something and could see beyond the veil of illusion. For example one 30 minute movie was about Hitler still being alive in Argentina. ha-ha-ha lol.
Afterwards the organizers asked me to participate in a poll and I really only remember one question that really rang my bell and always stayed with me.
Multiple choice the question was: What is Communism?
a) a Workers movement for the upliftment of the people.
b) a social, philosophical, political and economic ideology structured on the common ownership of the means of production.
c) the absence of social classes, money and the state.
d) a global conspiracy conducted by cynical men located in London, Paris and New York.
Well "we'll show them we weren't born yesterday here in flyover country" -- certainly the answer is (d), a conspiracy by cynical bankers (as it turns out) to keep the masses in check. Checking with my friends, they all remembered that question and thought it was very funny, but just a joke after all.
When there is an obvious diversion going on it is a healthy idea to have a look at the third party. Who is gaining by a war. That would be the one that controls the money stream to finance both sides. No matter who wins, or both lose, the one that financed it, wins.
That is not even a theory. It is a fact from the real world. Irony is that Bitcoin was supposed to have been created to end all that...
So, now I wonder, who is that third party that will win no matter if Bitcoin loses as a whole?
Yes yes, I will put my tin hat on gain, sorry, what was I thinking...
EDIT: 4 MB blocks + SegWit, Bitcoin 4 Ever, 4 Ever Bitcoin!
Well, it is either a conspiracy, or the world works this way.
But, in reality, it is the way we were taught in school.
Things are right (good, teacher praising, in the books, science approved) or they are wrong (bad, teacher disapproving, not in the books, science denied).
There is no alternative except in a narrow band, such as ethnic minorities, where there can be shades of gray (but no white).
So, we are all primed to divide everything we encounter into the good or bad camp. The big block vs small block is an excellent example. There is a real problem, and it has to be solved, but the proposed solutions have fallen into the framework set in grade school. Good or Bad (or downright evil)
You also see this in identity politics and the left vs right.
But, this isn't the only way to teach kids, and unschooling is creating kids that never fall into the left-right paradigm, its just not in their lexicon.
"If you're not with us, you're against us" ... yes, I see that one, it seems to be pretty deep in the US culture. There is actually no need for a conspiracy theory, it's fully possible the actors are digging the trenches themselves without any external influences. We just has a similar situation in the Norwegian Pirate Party ... well, I'd say we had two rotten apples at one side of the schism. The fractions got together and were sharing some beer at the national assembly, and we decided we didn't have any fractions - only two rotten apples. And I'm even quite sure those two persons genuinely were doing what they thought was the best for the Pirate Party.
Perfectly said, to the very point.
Divide and conquer. Seems to work in politics pretty well. But follow the money, who is making the profits...Like @oaldamster stated, the ones financing both sides. Sounds like a Rothchild's maneuver. I'm sure most conspiracy theories have a bit of truth sprinkled in. Cool share. Followed.
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