If you see a group of people describing something you yourself participate in as environmentally and economically destructive, you have to choose a framework in which to process that information. Some options are:
1. Sure it has some, ahem, negative externalities and I am somewhat bad for participating. But all of those people are just as compromised as me and they're only mad because they didn't get in first. I am no worse than them. If anything, I'm at least honest about my position.
2. They are right, I am selfishly participating in something that benefits me at the expense of the world.
The problem with 2 is that acknowledging and wanting to be morally correct forces you to change your behavior. So 1 is an easy pick. But that doesn't imply that it's correct.
Yes, but that moral interpretation is based on the framework they use to contextualize the behavior. Is cutting down a tree moral? Well, if it was a fire hazard next to an orphanage, maybe. If it was endangered and you were going to sell it for personal gain, probably not.
I stop reading any btc criticism at the endless climate impact/criminal activity discussions.
Of all the things that impact climate change, this is the offender we decide to focus on?
Of all the ways criminal activity is facilitated, this is currency we focus on?
Such a brilliant technology seems lost on HN because people are jealous they missed the boat.
It is a massive enabler of corruption and crime.
This whilst offering almost nothing back in return
In terms of low-hanging fruit of things to hate, yes this should be pretty damn high on the list. This is as a person who originally mined coins in 2011.
> Of all the things that impact climate change, this is the offender we decide to focus on?
Whataboutism...
> Of all the ways criminal activity is facilitated, this is currency we focus on?
Also whataboutism...
> Such a brilliant technology seems lost on HN because people are jealous they missed the boat.
What's so brilliant about it? And you're really projecting here re: the jealousy...
Then only word being 'whataboutism'... which is an infinite loop of an argument. Literally the same as saying "I know you are but what am I".
And clearly I'm on the crypto train. Why would I be projecting jealousy? That I secretly wanted to off the crypto train? lol
I had the chance to participate on a Ponzi scheme once, in 1993. I declined because I could not accept the idea of getting quick money knowing that 7 every 8 people would lose money.