gm fellow truckers
February 16, 2022 9:50 AM Subscribe
An amusing description of the increasingly convoluted scheme to deliver bitcoins to striking truckers. Via web3 is going great.
It appears they're building in expectations for a 20% to 50% "loss", i.e. theft of funds. Presumably, they're not even counting what sticks to all the middlemen's hands in that either.
To be fair, they do advocate stealing the equipment needed to do the transfers too, so possibly some savings there.
What does it say about your movement when fully half of your fundraising is expected to disappear to corruption? And more to overhead?
What a grifty new world we're living in now.
posted by bonehead at 9:57 AM on February 16, 2022 [17 favorites]
To be fair, they do advocate stealing the equipment needed to do the transfers too, so possibly some savings there.
What does it say about your movement when fully half of your fundraising is expected to disappear to corruption? And more to overhead?
What a grifty new world we're living in now.
posted by bonehead at 9:57 AM on February 16, 2022 [17 favorites]
I'm not the first person to use the phrase "Dunning-Krugerrands".
Yes, someone mentions that joke at least once in every single crypto thread.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 10:00 AM on February 16, 2022 [18 favorites]
Yes, someone mentions that joke at least once in every single crypto thread.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 10:00 AM on February 16, 2022 [18 favorites]
Actually, if you'll give me a moment, I can explain why it's a good thing that this exciting new currency requires you to gather an assortment of true crime supplies to destroy a USB printer full of forbidden words
posted by theodolite at 10:03 AM on February 16, 2022 [26 favorites]
posted by theodolite at 10:03 AM on February 16, 2022 [26 favorites]
Are they stopping at the Ram Ranch along the way?
posted by praemunire at 10:05 AM on February 16, 2022 [15 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 10:05 AM on February 16, 2022 [15 favorites]
Any significantly advanced conspiracy is indistinguishable from trolling.
posted by fedward at 10:07 AM on February 16, 2022 [14 favorites]
posted by fedward at 10:07 AM on February 16, 2022 [14 favorites]
escape from the potato planet: "I'm not the first person to use the phrase "Dunning-Krugerrands".
Yes, someone mentions that joke at least once in every single crypto thread."
Joke's on you though, because I minted an NFT of that exact phrase, which means I own it and will soon be sending out invoices every time someone uses it.
posted by chavenet at 10:10 AM on February 16, 2022 [46 favorites]
Yes, someone mentions that joke at least once in every single crypto thread."
Joke's on you though, because I minted an NFT of that exact phrase, which means I own it and will soon be sending out invoices every time someone uses it.
posted by chavenet at 10:10 AM on February 16, 2022 [46 favorites]
“We've been waiting for the level-end boss for this cycle. I think we finally have one with the Canadian government,” said Bitcoin programmer and commentator Jimmy Song in a tweet. “If they can't stop #Bitcoin from going to the truckers, I think we easily triple in price.”
This guy just said the quite part out loud while speaking on the record with a journalist.
The Folding Ideas video made a pretty compelling case that it's all about finding new avenues to bring actual currency into the ecosystem so the grifters/money launders/big time criminals can cash out and leave the greater fools stuck with something they can't easily liquidate.
I don't doubt that this utterly convoluted scheme to distribute wallets to individual truckers who have no idea what to do with them and probably aren't able to turn them back into real currency is a feature, not a bug.
Leopards, face, etc.
[edit] I guess he tweeted it. He still said the quite part out loud.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 10:13 AM on February 16, 2022 [11 favorites]
This guy just said the quite part out loud while speaking on the record with a journalist.
The Folding Ideas video made a pretty compelling case that it's all about finding new avenues to bring actual currency into the ecosystem so the grifters/money launders/big time criminals can cash out and leave the greater fools stuck with something they can't easily liquidate.
I don't doubt that this utterly convoluted scheme to distribute wallets to individual truckers who have no idea what to do with them and probably aren't able to turn them back into real currency is a feature, not a bug.
Leopards, face, etc.
[edit] I guess he tweeted it. He still said the quite part out loud.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 10:13 AM on February 16, 2022 [11 favorites]
He still said the quite part out loud.
I'm assuming you mean the quiet part?....
I'm just sitting back and hoping I get to see the cryptocurrency bros and the antivaxxers take each other down over this.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:22 AM on February 16, 2022 [10 favorites]
I'm assuming you mean the quiet part?....
I'm just sitting back and hoping I get to see the cryptocurrency bros and the antivaxxers take each other down over this.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:22 AM on February 16, 2022 [10 favorites]
Use Shamir Secret Sharing (SSS) to split the bitcoin key into 5 parts, 3 of which are sufficient to reconstitute it.
Distribute the 5 parts to 5 volunteer groups. Each independantly encodes theirs onto the covid-19 spike RNA sequence, encases it in lipid nanoparticles, and visits each trucker in turn, injecting them with their bitcoin key.
posted by joeyh at 10:24 AM on February 16, 2022 [44 favorites]
Distribute the 5 parts to 5 volunteer groups. Each independantly encodes theirs onto the covid-19 spike RNA sequence, encases it in lipid nanoparticles, and visits each trucker in turn, injecting them with their bitcoin key.
posted by joeyh at 10:24 AM on February 16, 2022 [44 favorites]
great, we end up with the worst possible hybrid of The Matrix and Lord of the Rings?
I want off the ride!!
posted by elkevelvet at 10:26 AM on February 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
I want off the ride!!
posted by elkevelvet at 10:26 AM on February 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
If the distribution is to more than 50 people, the planning document states, then volunteers will follow a complex process of creating a wallet on a smartphone, recording the seed phrase, sending a small amount of Bitcoin to it, and then erasing the wallet, with another volunteer restoring the wallet and following the same procedure, transferring the full amount, and erasing it again.
I just made myself nauseous thinking about everything that will go wrong with the whole thing just at a technical level - let alone all the people based issues.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 10:30 AM on February 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
I just made myself nauseous thinking about everything that will go wrong with the whole thing just at a technical level - let alone all the people based issues.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 10:30 AM on February 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
This is crazypants in so many ways. Each trucker has to have their photo taken and posted online to receive it. 50% expected loss from corruption. Destroying the printer. Creating and destroying wallets for each person. Giving bitcoin, which can't be used to buy stuff, but can be turned into money via an exchange. Money that, if the government freezes bank accounts, immediately gets frozen and inaccessible.
I know the purpose of this is to shill bitcoin, but it really shows the predatory nature of right-wing mutual aid. The ethos of this is just so off. If you legitimately wanted to help the truckers for whatever reason, you could walk around in Ottowa with a couple guards and envelopes of cash. But instead, they try to rope people who are legitimately screwed into their ponzi scheme, make them dependent on a tech or resource that serves to make the donors rich, and laugh all the way to the bank. Vulture charity in full swing.
posted by Philipschall at 10:34 AM on February 16, 2022 [49 favorites]
I know the purpose of this is to shill bitcoin, but it really shows the predatory nature of right-wing mutual aid. The ethos of this is just so off. If you legitimately wanted to help the truckers for whatever reason, you could walk around in Ottowa with a couple guards and envelopes of cash. But instead, they try to rope people who are legitimately screwed into their ponzi scheme, make them dependent on a tech or resource that serves to make the donors rich, and laugh all the way to the bank. Vulture charity in full swing.
posted by Philipschall at 10:34 AM on February 16, 2022 [49 favorites]
A t-shirt cannon full of loonies is a better plan.
posted by cmfletcher at 10:48 AM on February 16, 2022 [15 favorites]
posted by cmfletcher at 10:48 AM on February 16, 2022 [15 favorites]
Joke's on you though, because I minted an NFT of that exact phrase, which means I own it and will soon be sending out invoices every time someone uses it.
The only difference between this and a copyright holder sending a takedown notice / bill is that one is appealing to laws created and backed by a government and the other is a game of Calvinball where you say "I call anybody who says 'Dunning-Krugerands' has to pay me 10 Dunning-Krugerands" and they respond "First you gotta burn a forest to prove you really said that," and when you burn the forest they respond, "Okay, we agree you said it." And then nobody sends you any Dunning-Krugerands.
posted by straight at 11:04 AM on February 16, 2022 [25 favorites]
The only difference between this and a copyright holder sending a takedown notice / bill is that one is appealing to laws created and backed by a government and the other is a game of Calvinball where you say "I call anybody who says 'Dunning-Krugerands' has to pay me 10 Dunning-Krugerands" and they respond "First you gotta burn a forest to prove you really said that," and when you burn the forest they respond, "Okay, we agree you said it." And then nobody sends you any Dunning-Krugerands.
posted by straight at 11:04 AM on February 16, 2022 [25 favorites]
Or they could meet at the Shrine of the Silver Monkey and divvy up there.
posted by 7segment at 11:04 AM on February 16, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by 7segment at 11:04 AM on February 16, 2022 [2 favorites]
“ visits each trucker in turn, injecting them with their bitcoin key”
Rectally, of course.
#RamRanch
posted by cybrcamper at 11:06 AM on February 16, 2022 [4 favorites]
Rectally, of course.
#RamRanch
posted by cybrcamper at 11:06 AM on February 16, 2022 [4 favorites]
A t-shirt cannon full of loonies is a better plan.
Please disambiguate. Was that a reference to launching Canadian currency or the participants?
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 11:11 AM on February 16, 2022 [14 favorites]
Please disambiguate. Was that a reference to launching Canadian currency or the participants?
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 11:11 AM on February 16, 2022 [14 favorites]
Yes, someone mentions that joke at least once in every single crypto thread.
Which, if you hadn't noticed before, you'll find yourself noticing all the time now. This is known as the Baader-Mining Rig phenomenon.
posted by cortex at 11:18 AM on February 16, 2022 [44 favorites]
Which, if you hadn't noticed before, you'll find yourself noticing all the time now. This is known as the Baader-Mining Rig phenomenon.
posted by cortex at 11:18 AM on February 16, 2022 [44 favorites]
Characterizing this as a strike is pretty misleading.
posted by asnider at 11:20 AM on February 16, 2022 [11 favorites]
posted by asnider at 11:20 AM on February 16, 2022 [11 favorites]
“Fact: It is legal to give bitcoin to law-abiding citizens. This is what we will do.”
Oh yeah and that "plan" is exactly what I see in my mind when I think about perfectly normal, law-abiding people distributing financial aid to their fellow law-abiding citizens. Yep. Totally normal. Totally legit, 100%.......
The process of actually putting the envelopes in people’s hands will involve videoing protestors’ faces, which the planning documents admits is “not good for privacy”
Y'think? "Hey everybody, we're gonna help the truckers! All you have to do is film yourself distributing funds to terrorists—be sure to get a good close-up—and then post it to social media. Any questions?"
Of course, any devices used in the process must be destroyed, such as the printer for the paper seed phrases.
Ah. Good. Fighting that whole "unnecessarily wasteful" stigma I see. And, again, totally normal. Why, I myself had to make a few unexpected bank transfers this week and I've already been through three phones, two printers, a pager and an 8-track cassette player, for some reason. Nothing says "totally legal action" quite like destroying everything used to carry it out.
posted by theodolite: Actually, if you'll give me a moment, I can explain why it's a good thing that this exciting new currency requires you to gather an assortment of true crime supplies to destroy a USB printer full of forbidden words
I'll admit, this part of the plan really confuses me. If I'm reading correctly, they're just using the printers to print out the passphrases? And then they need to destroy the printers so their memory can't be accessed and the passphrases recovered? Like....I don't know, maybe invest in a couple pens? Or are the passphrases encoded as QR codes or something? I guess that would make a bit more sense. Still a phenomenally stupid solution to a phenomenally stupid problem dreamt up by phenomenally stupid people. But we're talking about crypto here so what did I expect? It's my own fault, really.
posted by Mister_Sleight_of_Hand at 11:22 AM on February 16, 2022 [13 favorites]
Oh yeah and that "plan" is exactly what I see in my mind when I think about perfectly normal, law-abiding people distributing financial aid to their fellow law-abiding citizens. Yep. Totally normal. Totally legit, 100%.......
The process of actually putting the envelopes in people’s hands will involve videoing protestors’ faces, which the planning documents admits is “not good for privacy”
Y'think? "Hey everybody, we're gonna help the truckers! All you have to do is film yourself distributing funds to terrorists—be sure to get a good close-up—and then post it to social media. Any questions?"
Of course, any devices used in the process must be destroyed, such as the printer for the paper seed phrases.
Ah. Good. Fighting that whole "unnecessarily wasteful" stigma I see. And, again, totally normal. Why, I myself had to make a few unexpected bank transfers this week and I've already been through three phones, two printers, a pager and an 8-track cassette player, for some reason. Nothing says "totally legal action" quite like destroying everything used to carry it out.
posted by theodolite: Actually, if you'll give me a moment, I can explain why it's a good thing that this exciting new currency requires you to gather an assortment of true crime supplies to destroy a USB printer full of forbidden words
I'll admit, this part of the plan really confuses me. If I'm reading correctly, they're just using the printers to print out the passphrases? And then they need to destroy the printers so their memory can't be accessed and the passphrases recovered? Like....I don't know, maybe invest in a couple pens? Or are the passphrases encoded as QR codes or something? I guess that would make a bit more sense. Still a phenomenally stupid solution to a phenomenally stupid problem dreamt up by phenomenally stupid people. But we're talking about crypto here so what did I expect? It's my own fault, really.
posted by Mister_Sleight_of_Hand at 11:22 AM on February 16, 2022 [13 favorites]
Oh, come on. It's not all grift, bullshit and corruption - some of it is also money laundering.
posted by mrgoat at 11:24 AM on February 16, 2022 [23 favorites]
posted by mrgoat at 11:24 AM on February 16, 2022 [23 favorites]
I'm not the first person to use the phrase "Dunning-Krugerrands". Looks like I won't be the last, either.
I used it in a message to a one-time bandmate who was, twenty-five years ago, merely a wealthy techbro asshole and has gradually morphed into a fully-committed libertarian antivaxxer cryptocurrency proselytizer. Over the years he has twice blocked me on social media for deflating his arguments.
Recently he declared that in two years, unvaccinated semen will be worth more than bitcoin. I bowed to his expertise, suggesting he had both on his laptop.
Third time's the charm.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 11:54 AM on February 16, 2022 [112 favorites]
I used it in a message to a one-time bandmate who was, twenty-five years ago, merely a wealthy techbro asshole and has gradually morphed into a fully-committed libertarian antivaxxer cryptocurrency proselytizer. Over the years he has twice blocked me on social media for deflating his arguments.
Recently he declared that in two years, unvaccinated semen will be worth more than bitcoin. I bowed to his expertise, suggesting he had both on his laptop.
Third time's the charm.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 11:54 AM on February 16, 2022 [112 favorites]
> A t-shirt cannon full of loonies is a better plan.
Was that a reference to launching Canadian currency or the participants?
¿Por qué no ambos?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:59 AM on February 16, 2022 [5 favorites]
Was that a reference to launching Canadian currency or the participants?
¿Por qué no ambos?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:59 AM on February 16, 2022 [5 favorites]
Recently he declared that in two years, unvaccinated semen will be worth more than bitcoin.
In my wildest dreams I couldn't imagine bitcoin becoming worth so little that quickly. I doff my hat to this vision of a better world.
posted by straight at 12:16 PM on February 16, 2022 [17 favorites]
In my wildest dreams I couldn't imagine bitcoin becoming worth so little that quickly. I doff my hat to this vision of a better world.
posted by straight at 12:16 PM on February 16, 2022 [17 favorites]
cortex: "This is known as the Baader-Mining Rig phenomenon."
Minted. If you use it again you have to pay me, on the blockchain.
posted by chavenet at 12:18 PM on February 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
Minted. If you use it again you have to pay me, on the blockchain.
posted by chavenet at 12:18 PM on February 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
(Also hadn't thought to hope for FDA-approved evidence that vaccines are so safe for under-5-year-olds that we can start vaccinating sperm cells.)
posted by straight at 12:20 PM on February 16, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by straight at 12:20 PM on February 16, 2022 [3 favorites]
Sure, cryptocurrency gets a lot of flak for wastefulness but a couple weeks ago they saved the Texas grid: Biggest Texas Bitcoin Miner Shuts Down Ahead of Cold Blast
One way Ercot can try to avert blackouts in a storm is by using its so-called demand response programs, where industrial users like Bitcoin miners voluntarily agree to shut down to conserve power. Those users reduce power use if Ercot asks them to. The programs don’t come free: The grid operator pays miners when they are asked to shut down or curtail power use.posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 12:22 PM on February 16, 2022 [3 favorites]
so basically chavenet is going to pop up in this thread like a maniacal gopher and say "minted" and we are all going to owe money
when life imitates meme at an alarming rate.. getting a strong Fred Armisen vibe here :D
posted by elkevelvet at 12:31 PM on February 16, 2022
when life imitates meme at an alarming rate.. getting a strong Fred Armisen vibe here :D
posted by elkevelvet at 12:31 PM on February 16, 2022
unvaccinated semen
Aside from the obvious issue of what a great sock-puppet username this is, is that even a thing, biologically? I didn't think semen carried acquired antibody information.
posted by mrgoat at 12:35 PM on February 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
Aside from the obvious issue of what a great sock-puppet username this is, is that even a thing, biologically? I didn't think semen carried acquired antibody information.
posted by mrgoat at 12:35 PM on February 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
Minted. If you use it again you have to pay me, on the blockchain.
NFT Jokes or Joke NFT?
This timeline is confusing.
posted by bonehead at 12:36 PM on February 16, 2022
NFT Jokes or Joke NFT?
This timeline is confusing.
posted by bonehead at 12:36 PM on February 16, 2022
...is that even a thing, biologically? I didn't think semen carried acquired antibody information.
You are aware of some of the batshit crazy stuff anti-vaxxers believe, right?
posted by Thorzdad at 12:41 PM on February 16, 2022 [11 favorites]
You are aware of some of the batshit crazy stuff anti-vaxxers believe, right?
posted by Thorzdad at 12:41 PM on February 16, 2022 [11 favorites]
Recently he declared that in two years, unvaccinated semen will be worth more than bitcoin.
Without crypto, how will you be able to certify that semen is unvaccinated? Checkmate!
posted by BungaDunga at 12:45 PM on February 16, 2022 [2 favorites]
Without crypto, how will you be able to certify that semen is unvaccinated? Checkmate!
posted by BungaDunga at 12:45 PM on February 16, 2022 [2 favorites]
Minted. If you use it again you have to pay me, on the blockchain.
I went to FlavrCoin and bought the mint NFTs, the cinnamon NFTs, the lemon-lime NFTs, and the bubble-gum NFTs. Now everytime you wanna mint NFT, you have to pay me.
posted by straight at 12:46 PM on February 16, 2022 [3 favorites]
I went to FlavrCoin and bought the mint NFTs, the cinnamon NFTs, the lemon-lime NFTs, and the bubble-gum NFTs. Now everytime you wanna mint NFT, you have to pay me.
posted by straight at 12:46 PM on February 16, 2022 [3 favorites]
A t-shirt cannon full of loonies is a better plan.
Grape shot? Having trouble raising much of an objection.
posted by klanawa at 12:55 PM on February 16, 2022
Grape shot? Having trouble raising much of an objection.
posted by klanawa at 12:55 PM on February 16, 2022
Minted. If you use it again you have to pay me, on the blockchain.
I understand (stand under) that your blockchain claim is bracketed by gold fringe, and is therefore (for there) an Admiralty blockchain.
I am but a humble traveler upon the Internet, and so I do not consent to your Admiralty code-as-law.
All things minted (min-t'd) belong to me, for the minimum of t'd is D, and I am DAVE of the subtype CRYSTAL.
posted by CrystalDave at 1:02 PM on February 16, 2022 [17 favorites]
I understand (stand under) that your blockchain claim is bracketed by gold fringe, and is therefore (for there) an Admiralty blockchain.
I am but a humble traveler upon the Internet, and so I do not consent to your Admiralty code-as-law.
All things minted (min-t'd) belong to me, for the minimum of t'd is D, and I am DAVE of the subtype CRYSTAL.
posted by CrystalDave at 1:02 PM on February 16, 2022 [17 favorites]
> encodes theirs onto the covid-19 spike RNA sequence, encases it in lipid nanoparticles, and visits each trucker in turn, injecting them with their bitcoin key
I hesitate to gutter the conversation, but I think Chuck Tingle wrote this solution up previously as an nsfw. (Chuck, if you’re reading this, I see there isn’t yet one about semi trucks!)
posted by Callisto Prime at 1:36 PM on February 16, 2022 [4 favorites]
I hesitate to gutter the conversation, but I think Chuck Tingle wrote this solution up previously as an nsfw. (Chuck, if you’re reading this, I see there isn’t yet one about semi trucks!)
posted by Callisto Prime at 1:36 PM on February 16, 2022 [4 favorites]
is that even a thing, biologically? I didn't think semen carried acquired antibody information.
Are you suggesting that antivaxxers’ guesswork about biology might be incorrect? I was initially skeptical but he used ALL-CAPS, so I knew he was authoritative.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 2:13 PM on February 16, 2022 [6 favorites]
Are you suggesting that antivaxxers’ guesswork about biology might be incorrect? I was initially skeptical but he used ALL-CAPS, so I knew he was authoritative.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 2:13 PM on February 16, 2022 [6 favorites]
Trucker fiat currency wallets have metal chains, trucker bitcoin wallets have block chains.
posted by dr_dank at 2:21 PM on February 16, 2022 [8 favorites]
posted by dr_dank at 2:21 PM on February 16, 2022 [8 favorites]
Volunteers need to remain in a room until the process is complete, with no more than one person leaving at a time to use the washroom...This whole decentralized trustless cash thing seems to involve a lot of people working together in one place.
posted by Western Infidels at 3:49 PM on February 16, 2022 [14 favorites]
Did this plan start as a game of nomic?
posted by ctmf at 4:45 PM on February 16, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by ctmf at 4:45 PM on February 16, 2022 [3 favorites]
The volunteers then plan to physically destroy the printer with shears and screwdrivers, to try to prevent attackers from pulling the seed phrases out of the device memory.
It is traditional to use baseball bats in a field as a means of printer destruction, no?
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 4:45 PM on February 16, 2022 [8 favorites]
It is traditional to use baseball bats in a field as a means of printer destruction, no?
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 4:45 PM on February 16, 2022 [8 favorites]
There once were a crowd full of truckers,
Some grifters, and others, the suckers.
But who'll clean the streets,
Or the blankets and sheets,
Of the unvaxxed semen potluckers?
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 4:46 PM on February 16, 2022 [6 favorites]
Some grifters, and others, the suckers.
But who'll clean the streets,
Or the blankets and sheets,
Of the unvaxxed semen potluckers?
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 4:46 PM on February 16, 2022 [6 favorites]
This Is Just To Say
I have taken
the coins
that were in
the wallet
and which
you were probably
saving
for protest
Forgive me
they were fictitious
so sweet
and so cold
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 4:54 PM on February 16, 2022 [14 favorites]
I have taken
the coins
that were in
the wallet
and which
you were probably
saving
for protest
Forgive me
they were fictitious
so sweet
and so cold
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 4:54 PM on February 16, 2022 [14 favorites]
I'm seeing a lot of dunking on insurrectionists' dumb ideas, but what I have not seen, in comments nor in the article, is acknowledgement that these are not "striking truckers".
Regardless of how you find their physical appearance, in order for them to be "striking" they need to be employees, and there needs to be a union involved. "Wildcat" exist, but this aint that: this lot are not truckers. Actual truckers in Canada are on the job, many of them losing money trapped in long lines of idling trucks at blockaded borders: victims of 'economic terrorism' if you will.
Just because you own a truck does not mean you are a trucker. Most of the trucks involved in the 'protests' are not commercial trucks. Just because you own a commercial truck does not make you a trucker. I owned one for personal use for a few years; in the industry not all owners are also operators.
Owner-operators are usually not employees, so they can't really go on strike. Who would they strike against? They aren't employed by the Canadian government nor the government of Ottawa.
AFAIK no union is involved with or even endorses this event; the CTA and some other organizations have publicly denounced it.
These people are grifters and liars. When you repeat their lies it gives them extra cover. If you refrain from doing that, then other people who are used to opposing these folks have more room to do so.
posted by Rev. Irreverent Revenant at 4:58 PM on February 16, 2022 [47 favorites]
Regardless of how you find their physical appearance, in order for them to be "striking" they need to be employees, and there needs to be a union involved. "Wildcat" exist, but this aint that: this lot are not truckers. Actual truckers in Canada are on the job, many of them losing money trapped in long lines of idling trucks at blockaded borders: victims of 'economic terrorism' if you will.
Just because you own a truck does not mean you are a trucker. Most of the trucks involved in the 'protests' are not commercial trucks. Just because you own a commercial truck does not make you a trucker. I owned one for personal use for a few years; in the industry not all owners are also operators.
Owner-operators are usually not employees, so they can't really go on strike. Who would they strike against? They aren't employed by the Canadian government nor the government of Ottawa.
AFAIK no union is involved with or even endorses this event; the CTA and some other organizations have publicly denounced it.
These people are grifters and liars. When you repeat their lies it gives them extra cover. If you refrain from doing that, then other people who are used to opposing these folks have more room to do so.
posted by Rev. Irreverent Revenant at 4:58 PM on February 16, 2022 [47 favorites]
^ This is a good reminder for anyone who wasn't reading the other two threads where this was discussed at length
posted by some loser at 5:06 PM on February 16, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by some loser at 5:06 PM on February 16, 2022 [3 favorites]
Every time I read or hear these particular people labelled as 'truckers' or 'protesters' my brain substitutes the term 'fascists' and the motivation behind their words and actions becomes quite clear. So knowing that bitcoins et al. are being employed, let's upgrade to 'crypto-fascists' which works both ways, i.e. hiding their true intent plus being financed by computer-fraud funny money.
posted by hangashore at 5:21 PM on February 16, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by hangashore at 5:21 PM on February 16, 2022 [5 favorites]
Did I miss the part where they enable the truckers to spend the Bitcoin on stuff they need? Or...?
posted by clawsoon at 5:25 PM on February 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by clawsoon at 5:25 PM on February 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
One of the things that brought down the former Austrian federal chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, was that he sent a staffer to get the hard drives of three printers shredded, not the whole printers as they were government property. As Kurz now works for Peter Thiel, perhaps he could help them out with some tips how to physically destroy printer memory without garden shears? For a fee in bit coin of course.
posted by 15L06 at 5:58 PM on February 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by 15L06 at 5:58 PM on February 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
So who’s going to get the million if - when - virtually nobody bothers to go through this process they’ve described?
posted by Selena777 at 7:16 PM on February 16, 2022
posted by Selena777 at 7:16 PM on February 16, 2022
It is traditional to use baseball bats in a field as a means of printer destruction, no?
From the dialog the office space printer was supposed to be1 an old LaserJet which would nessitate heavy duty deconstruction. Modern consumer printers significantly less robust.
[1] The prop used was actually some flavour of Samsung. Either because it was handy or because they knew even a baseball bat would be insufficient to destroy an actual laserjet.
posted by Mitheral at 7:28 PM on February 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
From the dialog the office space printer was supposed to be1 an old LaserJet which would nessitate heavy duty deconstruction. Modern consumer printers significantly less robust.
[1] The prop used was actually some flavour of Samsung. Either because it was handy or because they knew even a baseball bat would be insufficient to destroy an actual laserjet.
posted by Mitheral at 7:28 PM on February 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
okay, all jokes aside, *why* are they not just cashing the Bitcoin out and handing out dollar bills?
-Videotape your volunteer getting 50,000 in cash-equivalent bitcoin in their wallet or whatever
-Videotape them cashing out on an exchange
-Videotape them withdrawing $50000k from a bank (or whatever the limit is) with Large People volunteering as guards. Maybe some sympathetic cops if this actually isn't illegal, and the cops aren't super active right now, right?
-Have your pre-vetted squatters in a line, count out X cash to each one
What does making a bunch of new wallets accomplish?
posted by ®@ at 7:50 PM on February 16, 2022 [2 favorites]
-Videotape your volunteer getting 50,000 in cash-equivalent bitcoin in their wallet or whatever
-Videotape them cashing out on an exchange
-Videotape them withdrawing $50000k from a bank (or whatever the limit is) with Large People volunteering as guards. Maybe some sympathetic cops if this actually isn't illegal, and the cops aren't super active right now, right?
-Have your pre-vetted squatters in a line, count out X cash to each one
What does making a bunch of new wallets accomplish?
posted by ®@ at 7:50 PM on February 16, 2022 [2 favorites]
The proletarians have nothing to lose but their block chains.
posted by interogative mood at 8:24 PM on February 16, 2022 [8 favorites]
posted by interogative mood at 8:24 PM on February 16, 2022 [8 favorites]
Truckdrivin’ fools, just use the printer to print out the money!
posted by beesbees at 1:10 AM on February 17, 2022
posted by beesbees at 1:10 AM on February 17, 2022
*why* are they not just cashing the Bitcoin out and handing out dollar bills?
Plebs cashing out destroys the grift pyramid.
posted by mediareport at 5:48 AM on February 17, 2022 [5 favorites]
Plebs cashing out destroys the grift pyramid.
posted by mediareport at 5:48 AM on February 17, 2022 [5 favorites]
If they resort to using cash, then they're admitting that there's something cash is better at than Bitcoin.
posted by RobotHero at 6:41 AM on February 17, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by RobotHero at 6:41 AM on February 17, 2022 [5 favorites]
okay, all jokes aside, *why* are they not just cashing the Bitcoin out and handing out dollar bills?
-Videotape your volunteer getting 50,000 in cash-equivalent bitcoin in their wallet or whatever
-Videotape them cashing out on an exchange
-Videotape them withdrawing $50000k from a bank (or whatever the limit is) with Large People volunteering as guards.
-Have your pre-vetted squatters in a line, count out X cash to each one
What does making a bunch of new wallets accomplish?
Your exchange depositing 50K$ in a bank account, for sure needs to be reported if it's a foreign one, not sure if it's a Canadian exchange. Then you need to cash it. And for an amount that big, you probably need to pre-arrange it with the branch.
All that might seem suspicious with your bank and with the emergency measures act in place and its provisions against financial aid to protesters they might be extra cautious. Also I don't know how your bank branch with react if you try to get video of a transaction inside it.
And finally, I don't think any of those person trust each other to go with that amount of money and do the right thing.
posted by WaterAndPixels at 9:08 AM on February 17, 2022 [1 favorite]
-Videotape your volunteer getting 50,000 in cash-equivalent bitcoin in their wallet or whatever
-Videotape them cashing out on an exchange
-Videotape them withdrawing $50000k from a bank (or whatever the limit is) with Large People volunteering as guards.
-Have your pre-vetted squatters in a line, count out X cash to each one
What does making a bunch of new wallets accomplish?
Your exchange depositing 50K$ in a bank account, for sure needs to be reported if it's a foreign one, not sure if it's a Canadian exchange. Then you need to cash it. And for an amount that big, you probably need to pre-arrange it with the branch.
All that might seem suspicious with your bank and with the emergency measures act in place and its provisions against financial aid to protesters they might be extra cautious. Also I don't know how your bank branch with react if you try to get video of a transaction inside it.
And finally, I don't think any of those person trust each other to go with that amount of money and do the right thing.
posted by WaterAndPixels at 9:08 AM on February 17, 2022 [1 favorite]
They may be trying to get around mandatory reporting for large financial transactions by breaking the transactions up into smaller amounts. It's too bad for them that structuring is just as illegal in Canada as it is in the US, at least if Wikipedia is correct. On this note I think it's worth quoting, in full, this comment from ook in the Bitfinex/Razzlekhan thread:
posted by fedward at 10:03 AM on February 17, 2022 [1 favorite]
Someday we're going to look back and wonder at the collective insanity that led us as a society to look at a monetary system where literally every transaction is recorded in perfect publicly available detail, traceable back to the very origin of the currency, and tell ourselves "you know what this would be perfect for? crime"I'm not sure how they think that their money laundering scheme is remotely going to succeed at either laundering or distribution, but then I'm not an expert in Moon Law or its new offshoot, Moon Finance.
posted by fedward at 10:03 AM on February 17, 2022 [1 favorite]
This is like the plot of a Neal Stephenson novel, after he's had multiple concussions.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 10:17 AM on February 17, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 10:17 AM on February 17, 2022 [7 favorites]
REAMDE but worse.
posted by Lexica at 3:47 PM on February 17, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Lexica at 3:47 PM on February 17, 2022 [2 favorites]
Bitcoin is not perfect for crime, but it is useful for crime; ransom victims can't get their money back if they pay in bitcoin. That does still leave the criminals with the difficult problem of how to launder the funds.
posted by mscibing at 7:13 AM on February 22, 2022
posted by mscibing at 7:13 AM on February 22, 2022
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