Re: [Taler] Money with capabilities

[Jacob Bachmeyer]

Özgür Kesim wrote:
> Hello Talerians,
>
> This is a post about the question: "What social impact would money
> have if it comes with certain constraints?".  It is a longer post and
> I thank you right away for taking your time to read it.
>
> My aim is to initiate a discussion and investigation of the landscape
> of scenarios and arguments for and against adding capabilities to
> digital money.
>   

[...]

“Of all the tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its 
victims may be the most oppressive.  It may be better to live under 
robber barons than under the omnipotent moral busybodies.  The robber 
barons cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be 
satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us 
without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.”  
-- C.S. Lewis


> ### 3.2.2       Lock-in to limited capabilities
>
> One could make the argument that people who are given only money with
> limited capabilities might be permenantly locked-out from legal access
> to money with UPP.  For example: Authorities might allow refugees only
> limited access to the market by giving them money with reduced
> capabilities.  
>
> However, in the context of GNU Taler there are at least two options
> available for the owner of money with limited capabilities:
>
> 1. Peer-to-peer transactions could be used to exchange coins with
>    limited capabilities for coins with UPP for a fee.  This would
>    allow for transparent and controllable transactions.
>
> 2. Based on trust, another person with access to UPP-money could
>    simply share their (UPP) coins in exchange for the coins with
>    limited capabilities.
>
> So I think that a monetary system based on GNU Taler can offer
> enough opportunities for exchange of UPP-money from LPP-money.
>   

If this is allowed, it would completely nullify the entire purpose of 
LPP-money.  Therefore, option 1 would be quickly prohibited and option 2 
would exist only as a black market.  Further, there have already been 
proposals for "colored money" that essentially suggest eliminating 
UPP-money entirely.  That is such an outrageously unethical position 
that I strongly oppose even small steps towards enabling such 
oppression.  Again, see the C.S. Lewis quote above for the answer to any 
claims of benefits of LPP "money".


-- Jacob