"I assume the mafia uses Excel Spreadsheets and Microsoft is not liable." Rep. Thomas Massie at @PUBKEY on why open-source developers should not be held liable for people misusing the software they create

Many of us came to #Bitcoin because of this new system's potential to (re)distribute power. Ideas from political philosophies such as #Libertarianism and #Anarchy permeated much of the early discourse in the Bitcoin space. But in recent years, a sense of #authoritarianism and #elitism has crept in, making this space feel less unique and more like many traditional spaces. I recently sat down with Hannah Rosenberg of Lightning Labs to discuss this shift, whether or not human beings are unavoidably hierarchical, and if the circle of those who believe in earlier Bitcoin vision can be expanded. Enjoy!

I met Faisal Saeed Al Mutar, President of Ideas Beyond Borders in Bitcoin and @npub17xvf...c9as circles and have always appreciated his decency, optimism, and commitment to human rights. Faisal, an Iraqi-American who fled Iraq in the wake of the fall of Saddam Hussein, tends to see the best in people, despite the challenges he's had to confront in his life. (Or maybe because he's had to confront and overcome those challenges.) So, I reached out to him to speak about Iran because I was hoping that he was seeing something, some sort of a silver lining, that I, and just about everyone else I've spoken with on the matter, can't see. While he didn't necessarily offer said silver lining in our conversation, he did share a very nuanced view on the matter, which, as someone who's just trying to understand better what's happening, I very much appreciated. In our conversation we discussed: • The best and worst case scenarios for the Iran conflict • An ethnic and religious overview of Iranians (not all Iranians are Persians) • Why and how Iran isn't Venezuela • Whether or not the majority of Iranians want regime change • Important details about the Straight of Hormuz and who might control it moving forward • Bitcoin adoption in the Middle East plus more. While some of the information in the conversation is out of date at this point since we recorded late last week, what Faisal offered in this conversation is still quite valuable for looking to learn more about how things work in Iran and the Middle Eastern region more broadly.

What's happening in #Cuba and how does #Bitcoin help? ¿Qué está pasando en Cuba y cómo ayuda Bitcoin? Co-founders of Cuba Bitcoin (@Cuba ₿itcoin), @Catrya and @Forte11 ⚡🇨🇺 , tell the story of the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Cuba before providing an overview of the work they've done in their home country, including working on @npub1m0st...40un. Cofundadores de Cuba Bitcoin, Catrya y Forte, cuentan la historia de la crisis humanitaria que se está desarrollando en Cuba, antes de ofrecer una visión general del trabajo que han realizado en su patria, incluyendo trabajando en Mostro. And @npub1pxx4...kvme of @npub10zux...5t9r translates the conversation, making this the first time the story of Cuba Bitcoin has been told in English. Y Reyna Chicas de Mi Primer Bitcoin traduce la conversación, lo que convierte a esta en la primera vez que se cuenta la historia de Cuba Bitcoin en inglés. In the conversation, we discuss: ⚡️ The decades of dictatorship in Cuba ⚡️ If Cubans want U.S. intervention ⚡️ What Bitcoin does and doesn't fix ⚡️ The freedom tech Forte and Catrya have created ⚡️ What it's like to teach Bitcoin in Cuba En la conversación, hablamos sobre: ⚡️ Las décadas de dictadura en Cuba ⚡️ Si los cubanos quieren la intervención de los EE.UU ⚡️ Lo que Bitcoin soluciona y lo que no ⚡️ La tecnología de la libertad que Forte y Catrya han creado ⚡️ Cómo es enseñar Bitcoin en Cuba Forte and Catrya's story is a true testament to how Bitcoin represents the will of the people, and how people like them are the protagonists in the Bitcoin story who bring the technology to life and make it usable for everyday people. La cuenta de Forte y Catrya es un verdadero testimonio de cómo Bitcoin representa la voluntad del pueblo y cómo personas como ellos son los protagonistas de la historia de Bitcoin, quienes dan vida a la tecnología y la hacen utilizable para la gente común. Enjoy this very inspiring episode. Disfruta de este episodio inspirador.

Practice safe nsecs. Use @npub1geta...0nfm and Nos2x.