I suspect that there will be a big increase in businesses willing to accept bitcoin.

An interesting article in Forbes (http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2015/06/28/so-greece-has-imposed-capital-controls-too-bad-its-just-for-the-normal-people/) makes the point that the rich and the smart money left Greek a few months ago, and it is Joe Sixpack that is trapped and going to get shafted.

The only solution offered for this problem is to insist in future that politicians and bankers behave. Bitcoin is not mentioned. Take your pick, who do you trust? - political behavior modification or the blockchain? Alexis Tsipras or Satoshi Nakamoto?

Ponzi
Scam
MtGox
Not backed by anything
No "Full faith and credit"
Can't pay taxes
Money Laundering
Drugs
Silk Road
DPR
>50%
Gold
Executive Order 6102

Ok, now that is out of the way, we are ready to discuss the issue at hand.

https://chillingeffects.org/

,,,those who have been forgotten.

Robert Louis Stevenson describes the White attitude towards Asians in his book "Across the Plains", his account of a train journey in America. Based on his telling, I expect that vigorous affirmative action is needed to uplift such a downtrodden ethic group.

"Despised Races

Of all stupid ill-feelings, the sentiment of my fellow Caucasians towards our companions in the Chinese car was the most stupid and the worst. They seemed never to have looked at them, listened to them, or thought of them, but hated them a priori. The Mongols were their enemies in that cruel and treacherous battle-field of money. They could work better and cheaper in half a hundred industries, and hence there was no calumny too idle for the Caucasians to repeat, and even to believe. They declared them hideous vermin, and affected a kind of choking in the throat when they beheld them. Now, as a matter of fact, the young Chinese man is so like a large class of European women, that on raising my head and suddenly catching sight of one at a considerable distance, I have for an instant been deceived by the resemblance. I do not say it is the most attractive class of our women, but for all that many a man’s wife is less pleasantly favoured. Again, my emigrants declared that the Chinese were dirty. I cannot say they were clean, for that was impossible upon the journey; but in their efforts after cleanliness they put the rest of us to shame. We all pigged and stewed in one infamy, wet our hands and faces for half a minute daily on the platform, and were unashamed. But the Chinese never lost an opportunity, and you would see them washing their feet—an act not dreamed of among ourselves—and going as far as decency permitted to wash their whole bodies. I may remark by the way that the dirtier people are in their persons the more delicate is their sense of modesty. A clean man strips in a crowded boathouse; but he who is unwashed slinks in and out of bed without uncovering an inch of skin. Lastly, these very foul and malodorous Caucasians entertained the surprising illusion that it was the Chinese waggon, and that alone, which stank. I have said already that it was the exceptions and notably the freshest of the three.

These judgments are typical of the feeling in all Western America. The Chinese are considered stupid, because they are imperfectly acquainted with English. They are held to be base, because their dexterity and frugality enable them to underbid the lazy, luxurious Caucasian. They are said to be thieves; I am sure they have no monopoly of that. They are called cruel; the Anglo-Saxon and the cheerful Irishman may each reflect before he bears the accusation. I am told, again, that they are of the race of river pirates, and belong to the most despised and dangerous class in the Celestial Empire. But if this be so, what remarkable pirates have we here! and what must be the virtues, the industry, the education, and the intelligence of their superiors at home!"

French GDP per capita is much higher than that of Albania. But the Albanian growth rate is higher. Where would you invest?

https://www.google.com/publicd...

Presumably, if you hail a licensed taxi you have some assurance that it is insured. In case of an accident your medical and other resulting expenses will be covered, and possibly pain and suffering, regardless of who is at fault. There is no value to society at large.

In the case of an unlicensed taxi (not sure if this applies to Uber) you may find yourself in the situation of seeking compensation from a driver of limited means and hence out of luck. Pay your money and take your chances used to be the saying.

I would be interested to hear the experiences of those injured in both licensed and unlicensed taxis, and particularly Uber. That is an appropriate task for an agency, to provide useful data so we can make informed decisions.

In conclusion, I know what your response will be. Uninsured people will have to be treated at public expense. That is a outcome of prior government interference. So now that mistake has to be remedied by further interference, ad infinitem. The end result is the government telling you the size of soda you are allowed. And such a government, in different hands, can tell you who you can and cannot marry. Ok for some, but not for me.

You are correct about the US abandoning the free market. However, in many ways America is the least unfree, which is why it has the most developed economy and millions try to emigrate there. So I repeat my statement about no good examples - pick your own and I'll critique them.

Anyway, I don't care about welfare, corporate or otherwise, Uber or SJWs. It's just that if I have money to invest or choose a place to live, it is more likely to be somewhere companies like Uber are not hindered (or favored).

Just like taxis, Uber is not the only game in town. I will be quite happy if Lyft, SideCar or some other upstart competes.

If licensed taxis offer genuine value (cost, training, insurance, courtesy, redress) then they will not go out of business. If they do not, they have no place and will not be missed.

My example are indeed "off", because there are no perfect examples. Some states in the USA are ok with Uber, while at the same time enforcing "certificate of need" laws. My argument is not about socialism and/or communism vs. capitalism, is is about socialism and/or communism vs, a free market. There are varying degrees of either and I postulate that acceptance of Uber is a good indicator of local opinion, and therefore of future prosperity.

Nobody is forcing you to use Uber. On the other hand, you are being forced to use licensed taxis. So much for freedom.

The acceptance or otherwise of a market disrupter like Uber is a good predictor of the future progress and well-being of a country or locality. If statists rule and the status quo becomes a reason unto itself, then expect a drift downwards. The results are not immediate, it is a slow process. First you have France, then Greece, then Cuba, and finally North Korea.

On the other hand, if you welcome change and are willing to let the buggy whip makers perish, then you are Silicon Valley, the USA, South Korea, and more recently Albania, China and India.

I hasten to add for nitpickers that my examples are not perfect - they illustrate a trend. An once again a reminder that there is a delay between cause and effect.

Anyway, on this basis France is finished.

The option to suppress sponsor offers is not available in my Java (7.45) control panel. So the option 1 on the site you provided seems to be discontinued. This only increases the dickish factor, or have I missed something?