I recently stumbled upon a rather interesting article on Reddit by the username /u/tnethacker that highlighted a story of an individual who was traveling internationally from Manchester back to San Franciso. This traveler, by the name of Dobby Barker, was stopped while being processed by TSA security and temporarily detained and questioned regarding his Bitcoin withholdings.
Dobby, as per the YouTube video he was kind enough to share, recants that TSA detained him without adequate purpose and against his will, all because they thought they saw "Bitcoin" in his luggage while being processed.
Let that sink in for juuuust a moment. They thought they saw Bitcoin. How can one see a digital currency running on a decentralized platform all around us? Does TSA have a new type of Backscatter machine that would make Superman's And his X-Ray vision jealous?
Apparently, what the TSA agents saw was his sweatshirt that had the Bitcoin logo on it. They were most likely prepped on the basics of cryptocurrencies and the importance of questioning how much fiat travelers are bringing with them internationally, but these agents clearly were way over their head...
Bitcoin, and the rest of the cryptospace, is growing so exponentially fast that organizations such as TSA haven't had a chance to catch up and fully understand the environment, and that scares the shit out of them. They fear what they don't yet understand, and especially what they can't control.
Therefore, Dobby was pinpointed based on his sweatshirt (and likely his sarcastic demeanor) and given the ol' rundown. Hoping his lack of knowledge on travelers rights and TSA's advantageous position of power was enough, these agents pushed their boundaries to acquire what they wanted.
This scares the shit out of me. Here we are, with this game-changing Robinhood technology, that could upset the global economy in ways the internet bubble couldn't even dream of. We're virtually taking the power back from organizations, banks, and governments and putting our money, rights, and freedom back into our hands. However, with this act, you can almost certainly expect backlash in every conceivable way.
Be prepared to see infringed upon. Be prepared to see Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies question and completely misunderstood. Be prepared to protect your investments and your virtual money.
The technology is coming. It won't be stopped. It will hit this world whether it is ready or not.
Share your comments with me. How do you see this transition of power playing out? How will Big Government push back? Do you think the TSA agents were in the right? Leave a message