Alex Gladstein: Bitcoin, Authoritarianism, and Human Rights | Lex Fridman Podcast

Alex Gladstein is the Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation and the Oslo Freedom Forum. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
- Stripe: stripe.com
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- Codecademy: codecademy.com and use code LEX to get 15% off
- NI: www.ni.com/perspectives
- Eight Sleep: www.eightsleep.com/lex and use code LEX to get special savings
EPISODE LINKS:
Alex's Twitter: / gladstein
The Little Bitcoin Book: littlebitcoinbook.com/
Human Rights Foundation: hrf.org/
PODCAST INFO:
Podcast website: lexfridman.com/podcast
Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2lwqZIr
Spotify: spoti.fi/2nEwCF8
RSS: lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/
Full episodes playlist: • Lex Fridman Podcast
Clips playlist: • Lex Fridman Podcast Clips
OUTLINE:
0:00 - Introduction
1:34 - Universal human rights
15:34 - Authoritarianism
25:44 - AIs impact on civil liberties
37:07 - Edward Snowden and government surveillance
40:46 - Money
44:59 - Bitcoin
1:00:46 - Government response to Bitcoin
1:11:17 - The blockchain
1:16:40 - Can Bitcoin fail?
1:19:31 - Bitcoin scams
1:23:16 - Patriotism
1:25:39 - Human Rights Foundation
1:30:13 - Conflict with China
1:33:03 - Corporate accountability
1:48:25 - Garry Kasparov and the HRF
1:53:34 - Journalism, conversations, and truth
2:00:48 - Alex's book recommendations
2:08:54 - Attacks on Bitcoin
2:10:34 - The future of humanity
2:14:55 - Advice for young people
2:26:12 - Meaning of life
SOCIAL:
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- Medium: / lexfridman
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- Support on Patreon: / lexfridman

[@lexfridman]

Here are the timestamps. Please check out our sponsors to support this podcast. 0:00 - Introduction & sponsor mentions: - Stripe: stripe.com - Paperspace: gradient.run/lex to get $15 credit - Codecademy: codecademy.com and use code LEX to get 15% off - NI: www.ni.com/perspectives - Eight Sleep: www.eightsleep.com/lex and use code LEX to get special savings 1:34 - Universal human rights 15:34 - Authoritarianism 25:44 - AIs impact on civil liberties 37:07 - Edward Snowden and government surveillance 40:46 - Money 44:59 - Bitcoin 1:00:46 - Government response to Bitcoin 1:11:17 - The blockchain 1:16:40 - Can Bitcoin fail? 1:19:31 - Bitcoin scams 1:23:16 - Patriotism 1:25:39 - Human Rights Foundation 1:30:13 - Conflict with China 1:33:03 - Corporate accountability 1:48:25 - Garry Kasparov and the HRF 1:53:34 - Journalism, conversations, and truth 2:00:48 - Alex's book recommendations 2:08:54 - Attacks on Bitcoin 2:10:34 - The future of humanity 2:14:55 - Advice for young people 2:26:12 - Meaning of life

[@applecider001]

Great podcast when was this recorded?

[@mkjyt1]

thanks lex!

[@cengizinceoglu2671]

Lex it would be huge if you could get Putin on!! 😉 You would be a legend. Love the podcast man, keep it up.

[@onisimcoroama5994]

you should get Edan Yago on your podcast Lex. He has such profound views on Bitcoin and social implications of Bitcoin. It would make a great podcast. Check his interview on Altcoin Daily. Such profound ideas are worth diving into.

[@MattyMooreChannel]

Thank You, Lex and Alex! It feels like it will not be long, until the UK, and other countries, join that list of countries Alex is helping! Do You Want This To Stop? kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJuZnpSkhqqDn5I

[@ProLeagueOfLegends]

What a wonderfully succinct guest. I love how direct and expressive this guest was with his insights but breezed thru these complex discourses with out ever feeling circular.

[@TOMinPDX]

He's very well know and respected in the bitcoin community. 👍

[@chelseaandhobbes]

Both inspiring, eloquent and articulate men who give me hope and make me want to learn and be a better person. Really grateful for Lex Friedman, his podcast and his guests .

[@matthewmcclure1364]

Agreed!

[@zach8564]

REKT

[@ericoelchicorico2929]

I have watched 50+ of your podcasts now and one of the key themes which keeps recurring is that authoritarianism is something that just won't go away. For every increase in technology which brings advances in living standards and even more innovation, there is an additional incentive to control others. Every day it becomes more obvious who the villains are, and those trying to ban and control information are never the good guys. I feel solace in the idea that many of the people who listen to this podcast are or will be the architects and protectors of liberty in the new authoritarian surge. Look around the world, there is no where else to go. This is it. Thanks for another great production.

[@kimberlymcgill5558]

👏🕊☮️

[@kyleganse4978]

Very good comment! Thank you for this post. The battle between control and freedom(good vs evil) is eternal.

[@lairdgordonmcdoodle228]

I disagree these guys & their listeners are blind to certain dangers. This isn’t the last bastion of resistance. I’m not sure if there is one. If there is, it would be found in the dissident sphere just right of center. To be certain, there are several pockets of authoritarian thought in this sphere. But it is not an organized monolithic movement. It is more like a free exchange of ideas. No issue or ideas is left off the table. This isn’t true in every dissident discussion. But all discussions taken as a whole nothing is left off. Others such as the IDW give lip service to the idea that nothing is left off the table but in the end items are banned from their discussions.

[@Tieno]

your comment made me think of Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot speech.... kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3-kn5mIna2cq80

[@mbessle5102]

Not obvious to half of those in Western democracies. They welcome the loss of freedoms with welcome arms.

[@PianoCat-Music]

would love to see Andreas Antonopoulos on this podcast

[@alexh4595]

He would be fantastic. IMO he did the most in terms of education around bitcoin in the early days. Great teacher.

[@Louisswann1324]

Make it happen Lex please!

[@IamColt13]

100%

[@motopolak]

+1. Definitely would like to see him on.

[@ArroganceClause]

Im glad Lex had this guy on to check the blind technooptimism a lot of his guests share. As a person building AI for the future, it makes me scared to see Lex not take seriously all the ways this can go wrong

[@RubSomefastOnIt]

Can go VERY wrong when your enforcers no longer question the morality or reason behind their orders...

[@intfamous4001]

Lex is too optimistic and hopeful, I mean his main philosophy is "Love", so what can you really expect lol. I still like his podcasts and the discussions he brings to the table, but yeah his optimism is annoying at times. Too awe struck by everything, not everything is "amazing", there's a lot of stinking shit in this world as well and AI could easily lead us down a sewer too

[@Apostate1970]

Lex is a blind techno-optimist pretending not to be.

[@ArroganceClause]

@@Apostate1970 I tend to agree. His best reason consistently seems to be that he has "hope for humanity"

[@Matt-gl5fj]

I am increasingly annoyed by his view that evil is too stupid to end the world. Does he not know whats going on around him? Even after hes had on north korean defectors. His ignorance to this issue is maddening.

[@cooper3790]

When you listen to a fellow BTC that has been down the rabbit hole you can hear it in their voice. Especially when it comes to the incentives that drive adoption. The Trojan horse analogy is perfect and I’ll have to steal that for sure!

[@jimbosaurusrex4028]

Yep, you can hear it in a bitcoiners voice that has had their realization moment.

[@ArroganceClause]

Yes except the Trojan horse was a bad thing for the people who accepted it

[@stacknsat]

@@ArroganceClause it takes over the financial systems and check them to stay fair. Btc is also called the truth machine.

[@ArroganceClause]

@@stacknsat sounds like a cultish belief. Truth machine?

[@AtariM216]

@@ArroganceClause Because it's exchange can be tracked.

[@greenspand]

Your podcasts have enriched my life by a messure of N. From psychedelics to linear Algebra, AI, neuroscience, philosopy, aerospace, crypo, your series is an encyclopedia. Thank you Sir for your tremendous exigence.

[@weert7812]

Man, given the light of recent events you need to re-interview Alex. Great interview!

[@Sang0glenE]

Indeed! I got the impression this interview has been recorded before the whole El Salvador events, very much to say about authoritarians embracing FGU technology eheh

[@alexisjuillard4816]

jones?

[@cto6623]

As an Australian resident, we are currently experiencing Authoritarianism on an unprecedented scale. Why was this not talked about?

[@Justin-ph6rx]

Condolences to the country of Australia and its residents

[@randomrandom316]

Because according to Alex there is a good kind of Authoritarianism and the one Australia has is the good kind of Authoritarianism. He does not believe right to not be discriminated is a fundamental right, he does not even want to ponder over the oligarchical control over free speech that effectively a half dozen companies are able to exercise, do you think he cares about violation of liberty and privacy that Australians are facing? I feel really bad for Australians and I hope you guys are able to arrest this free fall into a dystopian totalitarian state that those in power there are trying to create and hopefully other countries and people also talk about what you guys are going through.

[@Col-T-Invest]

@@Justin-ph6rx Thank you. It has been pretty mind blowing! The toughest thing is to keep your head together when some of the authoritarian actions are just so triggering. Meditation has been key.

[@Col-T-Invest]

@@Laocoon283 Haha. Fair call.

[@osirisgolad]

Lex does mention in the intro that this was recorded "a while ago" because he thought he'd lost the audio but then rediscovered it, so this may be many many months or even over a year old by now.

[@MA-wn5ci]

Damn! I’m glad you found the audio! This was the final piece missing in placing the BTC puzzle together. You MUST get Michael Saylor on! We need to hear him answer your line of questioning. Love to see a different side of him.

[@gigahertz_1911]

Surprised it hasn't happened already tbh

[@unclejimbog]

Very well said Alex! Loved that you were able to cover how Bitcoin is decentralized through the fact that almost everyone can easily run a full node and verify the rules of the protocol. It was absolutely inspiring to see so many human rights activists begin to see that Bitcoin is a tool for access to freedom at Oslo this year. Thank you for all you do!

[@brandnbrando9766]

Lol, you should probably dig deeper into BTC mining since mining btc as an individual is not profitable.

[@unclejimbog]

@guttergrown was here A Bitcoin node doesn't mine Bitcoin. It just downloads each new block and therefore allows you to broadcast and verify transactions. As Alex noted, it only costs about a $150 of hardware to run a node and "be your own bank". By comparison, it would cost like $5000 to run an Ethereum node on AWS. Engineering/design tradeoffs.

[@unclejimbog]

@@brandnbrando9766 A Bitcoin node doesn't mine Bitcoin. It just downloads each new block and therefore allows you to broadcast and verify transactions. As Alex noted, it only costs about a $150 of hardware to run a node and "be your own bank". By comparison, it would cost like $5000 to run an Ethereum node on AWS. Engineering/design tradeoffs. Mining is completely different and is done with specialized ASIC machines.

[@unclejimbog]

@guttergrown was here The incentive for running a node is simply to not need permission from anyone else's node, to complete/sign a transaction... Making for a very powerful tool for any human rights activists or people with authoritarian governments! Also, since so many people run a Bitcoin node, the rules of the protocol (for example 21mil cap) cannot feasibly be changed, since you'd have to ask every node to change the code they run.

[@unclejimbog]

@guttergrown was here you use a node to actually use Bitcoin - to be your own bank. Otherwise you are using someone else's node and may have to be permitted to use their node. To "use" Bitcoin, may mean constructing a transaction, signing or confirming a transaction, verifying the transaction on the blockchain, verifying the issuance schedule of the Bitcoin rewards to miners (aka the Coinbase), verifying that Bitcoin has a finite supply of 21 million. There is no BTC reward for running a node. The "reward" or incentive is to be able to access a free open source monetary network without needing a trusted 3rd party or to be permitted by anyone else.

[@ChuckSilva]

I was blown away with this Alex Gladstein podcast Lex. I learned so much from your interview. Especially the discussion of the basic foundations of a Liberal Democracy (and how bitcoin could (will according to him) forge basic freedoms around the world. It's interesting that since this podcast was made China has banned Bitcoin? I'll look forward to following Alex. As usual you are a superb host Lex! One of the best! I've been following you for years. Thank you! (and I do listen to the adds at the beginning) With LOVE, Chuck.

[@danoprea3066]

Yeah, he's a champion of free speech, but he's cool with deplatforming. In other words, he's fine with some free speech as long as it fits the narrative. Typical mainstream "liberal" mindset. These liberties are literally no different than those afforded in the communist regime I grew up in.

[@factd00d253]

@@danoprea3066 He said that private corporations have the right choose to host who they want. Likewise another company has the right to open up and host what they ban if there is demand for that content. That's about as free as it gets lol.

[@nilskp]

@@danoprea3066 he's clearly not "cool" with deplatforming. But also believes that property rights are important, and so if you own a platform, your property, you can decide what you allow. It would take coercion to change that, which is worse.

[@THESEADOG82]

@@danoprea3066 you are right! I got this from him also

[@edfridovich9707]

Voluntaryism is the evolution of humanity .. It is the increase of consciousness and reasoning .. The next step in humanity

[@its4you984]

I see that too and I see five reasons bringing that to reality - Rationalization and machinalization (the need of human work for money becomes every day more and more obsolete) - universal basic income (the need to earn money becomes obsolete) - Bitcoin (will bring up much more wealthy humans because expropriation through central government and inflation stops. This will bring the potential again for humans not doing work for money, but for meaningful activity which brings innovation and so on) - renewable energies. (energyprice is zero with renewables. There we do not pay for energy, but for technology. So price becomes lower and lower. Everything is done with machines. So crucial part of price drops. Which makes humans richer because renewables bring also the democratization of energypolitics) - meditation (there is a lot crap going on in meditationtechniques and a lot superstition mixes in, but there are good methods too and science is helping. So when "man is a wolf to man" no more, than this brings crusicial potential for the human mind which has the potential to help humanity rise

[@jennyadee913]

Yes, agorism can be achieved but requires a rejection of technocracy by enough people to sustain itself. Katherine Austin Fitts recommends cash Fridays ,crypto , local cooperation and most importantly banking locally. Stop financing the enemy by banking with and using credit cards with the bad guys.if enough of us implemented these minuscule changes we can rock the boat and be instrumental in taking back our sovereignty.

[@quietlike]

one day these "free society" people will realize a free society can't co-exist with a state... One day..... For now, they still think govt is a "necessary evil." They will point out its flaws, but they still try to solve them with force

[@kyleganse4978]

@@its4you984 I like this vision of Society. You should check out data unions in place of UBI. It has been kicked around instead of state UBI, but data unions owning collectives of robots or data and and are paid based on this. All wonderful ideas! The deflation of energy prices and goods due to technology advancing gives me great optimism. Just need to balance the ecosystem before climate change resets the game board LOL.

[@dustinnewberry1629]

“I’m not saying they’re lies, look into it” 😂 you gotta love Lex, he’s hilarious.

[@gigahertz_1911]

Timestamp?

[@vincentsnow8436]

Letting idiots down gently is an art form, takes someone with a giant heart to do this.

[@siavash1523]

Great Interview. Thank you Lex. Alex Gladstein is such a wise and well-spoken activist. His Ideas about Bitcoin is just spot on! I agree. Bitcoin is Hope

[@namastestx]

Bitcoin is poison to the people....watch and learn.

[@johnnypopstar]

Congratulations. You've now been poisoned. Try not to spread it to anyone else, yeah? Bitcoin is anything but fucking "hope"

[@jasonjacobson2089]

Thank you Lex! I have learned so much from your podcasts. They are amazing!

[@PlantForge]

Alex is doing good work. I absolutely believe that a fair, decentralized, global monetary network is objectively beneficial for humanity. There is an enormous body of evidence to support this assertion. As an aside, Lex, I'd like to see Michael Saylor or Andreas Antonopoulos on your podcast. Both have tremendous credentials and insight into the bitcoin network. Thanks for your stellar work and open mind.

[@quietlike]

Micheal saylor is just a btc maxi. He don't know shit, he just has money and buys btc. You don't need to be a genius for that. Get someone who isn't just some btc hype man and understand the entire industry, and how it'll change the world -DAOs, NFT-IRL connections, and all other realms of reality crypto touches. Im sick of people thinking Saylor has some great perspective. He's just an evangelist. I could go up there and say the same shit he would. Andreas and others would be much better tbh

[@tearnfourstar]

@@quietlike I agree that Andreas would be a much better guest for a format like this. But you can't deny Saylor's depth of knowledge for someone who's not even been in the space for 2 years

[@quietlike]

@@tearnfourstar he's still isnt bringing anything new to the space. He only been around 2 years, exactly. Three are plenty of better people to talk about btc.

[@PlantForge]

@@quietlike Michael Saylor has perspectives that I’ve never heard and high level credentials to back his thinking and claims up. He has an engineering degree in aeronautics and astronautics as well as degree is the history of science and technology. He has the perfect knowledge base for understanding bitcoin in ways that others don’t. He’s also an author who has written about technology networks. You are selling him short.

[@quietlike]

@@PlantForge with all that and he's a btc maxi? He cant see the value in other cryptos with that wealth of knowledge? I personally haven't seen him say anything that someone else hasn't already said. Maybe I missed something, but Im not impressed

[@imerovislam]

Thank you for speaking about the Uyghur genocide we need more people like him!

[@darkmythos4457]

BTW, maybe having Andreas M. Antonopoulos is a good idea since Alex mentioned his book.

[@timpeterson175]

This would be great!

[@bobsondugnutt7526]

I second this. I've checked out some of his Q&A sessions and he is hilarious and extremely knowledgeable.

[@JonLarson90]

If he doesn't have Andreas, then Lex is a fucking poser.

[@spiritusinfinitus]

I think it may need to be a 8 hour video if Lex and Andreas get talking. I best stock up on snacks.

[@kamimuras.9209]

Every single guest of his podcast seems getting relaxed and excited enough to frankly express his (or her) opinions. Great job! From Japan

[@alexisjuillard4816]

yes, they are the incarnation of a newer more progressive open wave of scientists, i can see that in academia here in Paris and feel it though the internet. we still have some more conservative old school scientists -probably the same type as those who look down on this podcast and mock people like lex. i feel with the internet the refreshment rate of science will increase lol science is a beautiful mindset which isn't new (think of carl sagan, richard feynmann etc) but is now becoming the norm. wonderful

[@charliec3241]

Please have this man back on soon. Amazing conversation.

[@user-md4wb4nb1g]

Bitcoin has no Top , Cause Fiat has no bottom .

[@youretheai7586]

Bonds are what back fiat currency. Nobody even knows who Satoshi is! Lol. I respect your opinion but I'm not going to invest in the enslavement of what is basically an ASI God created by whom I'd speculate to be CERN.

[@richardwilliams4669]

Very happy you found this episode. This one was great!

[@praveenmj1]

Wow. People who value Freedom get it so well. Only Proof of Work is HOPE and FREEDOM and CENSORSHIP RESISTANT! Hats off to Alex Gladstein.

[@Jaymz001]

We need this guy in Australia

[@Col-T-Invest]

Yes we do! Hope you are doing well despite the recent lack of freedoms.

[@kiddogonzalez4408]

This guy really gets it, very smart dude, mainly about the cuban/dictatorships of the world/bitcoin thing. Loved the interview, keep it up Lex, spasibo

[@zodiackwolf]

Lex you've been cracking more jokes lately you wise guy!! hahaha, thank you for everything you do.

[@braer240]

Who else fills their missing joe rogan podcasts with lex Fridman? So glad you were able to fill his spot. Because I’m not getting an entire new app just for one podcast.

[@lost.projects387]

Wish more NGO’s had leadership with who could think and speak with this kind of clarity. Thanks for getting this guy on Lex, it’s extremely important to support the work of people like this.

[@tearnfourstar]

What a wonderful and inspiring conversation! I'm 1hr40 in and I feel like I could listen for at least a few more, great job Lex + Alex

[@bjgut]

world needs more alex

[@allankrusell6887]

Lex, I cant thanks you enough for all your podcasts.

[@Grubbygund]

Thanks Lex! Alex Gladstein is very brave and comes out to speak out about oppressive governments! There’s not enough talk about how bitcoin promotes democracy, we need more of this! Coming from a city that’s been oppressed by dictatorship governments, it’s very good to get Alex’s perspective on it!

[@Luid101Clips]

At 1:33:03 You basically describe reddit. It's a federated social media system where you choose which subreddits to subscribe too. And in my experience, it's very very NOT toxic. It's I think the direct opposite of Twitter. People who actually know what they are talking about, discussing topics without malice. Even with politics.

[@viceversa7245]

On our good days at least lol

[@ErnestoEduardoDobarganes]

Great insights from Alex into his work and the HRF views !

[@garo921]

Excellent. Gladstein is a deeply valuable voice

[@lolasaint7370]

Alex Gladstein is such a Bright Brave Man ,! His ability to penetrate countries and offer people information of Encouragement and Hope is truly Heroic !! Blessings !

[@youretheai7586]

I've learned a lot about what money is and how it works by looking into the field of "Numismatics". I firmly believe that through studying monetary history a person will become equiped with a wealth of knowledge and wisdom that will free them from authoritarian oppression. Redundancy is divine so don't put all of your eggs in one basket! Also, Maybe I'm just tired but Alex looks like he's animated with CGI or something...

[@rowdyzack5914]

Yeah, they only had enough money to make one robot for this show

[@youretheai7586]

@@rowdyzack5914 I read your reply and where you typed "robot" I saw "Reboot" and remembered how amazing that TV show was! I need some sleep. Lol

[@nuznikas]

His sleep patern is haos

[@kadeemk4679]

@@youretheai7586 😆😆 yo that old school toonami line up was the shit

[@AbeVonDoom]

@@youretheai7586 fuuuuck i miss that show it was so good haha

[@dustinseth1]

36:50 - “You’re not gonna be sent to a prison camp because of your beliefs or what you say about the government” Nonviolent 1/6 protesters have been in solitary confinement for 9 months or so.

[@Dee-Eddy]

Which ones?

[@jamesrmore]

And “stamp collectors”. Brilliant, succinct conversation, well thought out . Much love Lex!

[@thesiegfried]

Lex, you said the interview was recorded some time ago. Could you give us the rough date (e.g. in what month/year)? For me it would be helpful to know, what had happened in the world before and what came after. From some of the statements I can infer that it probably was this year, but not sure.

[@daviddorf]

Currently watching you on Brave 👍🏻

[@invisibleazn9330]

He forgot, freedom to protect oneself and the tools you feel are best to accomplish this.

[@invisibleazn9330]

@@Ivansthename "mUh poHleeCe WiLL pR0tek me....D3FuNd dUh poHleeCe!!!"

[@invisibleazn9330]

@@aldoushuxley5953 u gonna predator drone someone standing right next to you? Also, those things are controlled by idiots....Biden just droned a bunch of innocent kids thinking they were taliban....DERP.

[@Ksje1]

Thank you Lex! Inspiring stuff

[@user-kb1pj7iu6j]

These are the kinds of conversations the younger generation needs to hear, Thanks!

[@aaron6787]

8:23. Private companies get to make up their own rules for what's allowed... I've heard this argument before. It falls apart when you consider the idea that any company could arbitrarily deny service to people because of race. Anyone in a moral society would object to this. You can't just censor people because their views dont align with your own, else everything is fair game. We got to level the playing field for everyone. No exceptions.

[@Slashtivist]

Bruh he sounded like he did not know a damn thing about Authoritarianism Lexs last friend Michael Malice would wipe the floor with that clown

[@420construction]

I would argue that Facebook and sites like that have become the New town Square

[@bobsondugnutt7526]

It's clear this gentleman is passionate about Bitcoin and as a Bitcoin maxi myself, I agree to the extent it could be helpful to the world. But man, I see what people say about Bitcoin maxis. The impact of the subject matter shouldn't preclude just having some fun and cracking a joke. Otherwise people feel alienated. Nic Carter was much more down to earth.

[@PlantForge]

Nic Carter is a gem. Alex is more like an AI than a person. He is extremely knowledgeable and efficient but doesn't have a lot of personality.

[@alexgladstein5136]

@@PlantForge Nic Carter is definitely a gem! Also, how do you know I am not an AI? :)

[@PlantForge]

@@alexgladstein5136 lol you’re so sharp I can’t quite tell. I appreciate all that you do and you are undoubtedly a gem in your own right. Thanks for all that you do.

[@stevejenisch9153]

why is Alex so much more enthusiastic talking about Bitcoin than human rights?

[@bobwmcgrath]

Big tech companies are so intertwined with government that they should be held to higher standards.

[@mukymuk3]

I have to strongly disagree with Alex's position on deplatforming not being a violation of free speech just because the oppressor is a private company rather than a government. The manifestation of power is not limited to physical force. Monopolistic economic force can be just as deadly and Big Tech has it plenty of it. Individual freedom must be held superior to corporate freedom. Yes, a gun to the head is a different thing from having your account deleted, but tyranny starts small and grows exponentially.

[@scenicvalleyshrooms]

When a private company engages in governing speech via censorship they have become a government. It's simple.

[@spirobel]

@@blombidobadila8084 so where is the deplatforming for all the people that support vaccine mandates? Forcing people to take part in a medical experiment is the epitome of tyranny.

[@marcanton5357]

If you consider the ethnicity of the speakers, then you understand why they want to maintain freedom of platforming for the people they agree with, and deplatform all opponents. Even in advocating for freedom for "others", there's self-interest at the top.

[@doubledutch1988]

@@blombidobadila8084 In what way was Trump Authoritarian? From any perspective what he did while in office was the opposite? Less regulation, lower taxes, was attempting to give more power to the states effectively reducing federal power? Love or hate his policies but this is not tyranny in any form

[@spirobel]

@@blombidobadila8084 thalidomide was not an experiment as well. until it was. Nobody is being forced. People just get fired and lose their livelihood.

[@proto7688]

Freedom of self defense , unlike UK where you goto jail for defending against an attacker ...

[@bautistabaiocchi-lora1339]

Same thing in Argentina. You will go to jail for killing/hurting a thief, intruder, assailant, etc

[@proto7688]

@@bautistabaiocchi-lora1339 so crazy

[@quietlike]

Same in the US (in some states). Places where you "stand your ground" is ridiculed.

[@pierregodeau4286]

Great interview. Very interesting. Such important subjects. Thanks Lex.

[@yiannigeorgantas1551]

I love Gladstein's pragmatism.

[@jmac3327]

Always at somebody else's expense.

[@yiannigeorgantas1551]

@@jmac3327 yep, the state's expense.

[@PlantForge]

Lex there are tens of millions of people (if not an order of magnitude more) who are absolutely certain of American ideologies, politics and the American monetary and economic systems. Why doesn't that overwhelming certainty trigger you in the same way as the bitcoin proponents? Seems there is a biased disconnect there. If you study the bitcoin network for 100+ hours you will come away with a high degree in confidence in the system. That is where the confidence in bitcoin comes from, education.

[@Ian-pu4ut]

Thanks Lex for bringing such an interesting person

[@decentri777]

OMG fascinating. Love you guys.

[@joefanningartist]

It's great to finally have Satoshi Nakamoto on the podcast, what a treat, what an amazing human being

[@NirvanaSOAD960960]

This guy isn’t even close to being Satoshi. He’s a very positive figure in the bitcoin space but he is no more Satoshi Nakamoto than you or I.

[@joefanningartist]

@@NirvanaSOAD960960 Only Satoshi Nakamoto would know that for sure, 🤔😯OMG! That means that your Satoshi Nakamoto! 👾🤑🎎🔐⛓️🐧

[@mdom0277]

What a fantastic podcast! I love most of what Alex Gladstein said. I have to say, though, that sometimes he has this habit of applying his political science background to a computer science attribute and you can tell he's running with it as if it is the gospel truth. I think time will tell that he wasn't exactly correct on Ethereum and other chains, but that he generally has a good grasp of the political and human rights implications of Bitcoin as a whole.

[@space_2597]

Ethereum is a premined scam. And don't pretend to know computer science 😂😂😂

[@mrvincentmontoya]

31:10 - Love that! I've been imagining chaotic feeding systems for awhile now. 32:00 ...What!?! That is some Black Mirror BS right there!

[@vivekpetrolhead]

I want to learn to speak like Gladstein. So precise.

[@timregalado1677]

Lex, I'd love for your next crypto related interview to be with Alex Chepurnoy. If you remember, Charles Hoskinson mentioned him and his project, Ergo, on your podcast. I think Alex would be a fantastic interview candidate because 1) Ergo's focus is on privacy, fairness, and open source development and 2) his native language is Russian and we would LOVE to hear you two conduct this whole thing in your first language.

[@journeytothevoid2899]

18:02 We make fun who we think is in power like politicians, however, big business, banks etc. will not tolerate exposure to their transgressions.

[@marcanton5357]

And it's a particular ethnic group the speakers belong to whom buy the politicians with money made in big business and banks, so yea you are right the unmentionable do not tolerate transgression.

[@marymannis1656]

Today is my first listen. Much has happened, geopolitically, since this conversation, I can imagine in ways neither man would have predicted. It seems that every iteration of a liberal democracy on this planet is in escalating danger - some named here perhaps even already close to Extinction. This is an excellent conversation to archive and listen to again in 2 years. Let's see which way the chips have fallen by then.

[@kadeemk4679]

Any vid on Space, Consciousness, Psychedelics, Bitcoin, and Crypto is an instant click and like for me 😬😁👍🏾

[@johanngambolputty5351]

On the topic of giving up freedom/data for the sake of convenience, enabling monopolies, and fighting that with openness and decentralisation, I would love to see a discussion on open source and Linux.

[@Pearse551]

that was a powerful one

[@Dyas777]

Alex speaking about checks and balances system reminds me the movie Shooter

[@stacypastry2440]

I love how Lex puts in the the thumb nail pics and never even mentions it. So many creators say they will and don't deliver.

[@davidwashington4282]

Lex, here is a challenge for you: Make a podcast and DO NOT mention Elon musk. Good luck ^^

[@mikefleming5247]

Bitcoin is a network protocol, not an application. Why has nothing replaced http in 30 years?

[@SampadMohanty7]

HTTP has underwent transformation. HTTP is not the same it was 30 years ago. Also just because one kind of system didn't need replacement, doesn't mean a different kind of system won't need.

[@mikefleming5247]

@@SampadMohanty7 It's evolved but is basically the same. The point is that no replacement has come along because there is an entire ecosystem built on top of it and relying on it. You can't yank it away. The same is happening with Bitcoin. And in the same way you only need one http, you only need one crypto.

[@franciscoossandon3790]

Excelent conversation Lex. This guy has really clear ideas about how society should be and I agree with him.

[@GT-fj4jc]

Followed Alex for a long time, truly a modern hero

[@anki7704]

So this guy, Alex, went to Ethereum and no one could give him an answer as to the inflation rate AND all other cryptos are a scam. That is some in-depth, analytical research right there. Truly amazing!

[@tearnfourstar]

He could haven given a more in depth answer for sure, but there's a lot of background knowledge into consensus mechanisms, POW etc. needed to understand the reasoning and would've lost a lot of the listeners. Also it's impossible at this point given there are thousands of other coins out there.

[@alexgladstein5136]

I didn't say "all other cryptos are a scam" -- I think it's remarkable that Bitcoin is the only digital asset that has an uncorruptible monetary policy. That's the real revolution IMO. But feel free to disagree.

[@marcio18704]

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[@marciana8100]

I was experiencing lapses in putting enough work into trading, and my job made it nearly impossible for me to earn. Until I came across Rowe Edward who turned my life around, I'm so grateful👏👏

[@marcosinforzato]

Indeed Rowe Edward is one of the best traders in the crypto world; I have made so many profits from trading with his recommended strategy

[@marcosinforzato]

EDWARDROWE.............te le gr@m

[@mark80112]

more people like Mr Edward would make this world a better place

[@massiel80]

He is a trusted man, I have never seen anyone that has anything bad to say about Rowe Edward

[@jewellsclothing]

New favorite podcast love the discussions

[@robertb8713]

u should have Alex on again, talk about wef/imf. How they work the world

[@mateuspaes]

Long overdue! Great interview, great conversation, great guest and great insights. Now that's a guest Rogan is missing out on!

[@verafleck]

When you say Snowden, don´t forget Julian. Free speech?

[@carpo719]

I like the word 'franchise' when speaking of twitter being regional :D Excellent chat, and appreciated.

[@B3nkeii]

I found my new sensei, Lex Fridman.

[@mateosantiago5742]

Great video, I want to wake up one morning and find out my portfolio is $1,000,000. I know it's possible

[@willowjames7039]

This is really depending on your investment curve. Just invest wisely!

[@jacknoah8022]

Recently i inv"""ested in both stock and crypto but currently I believe crypto is doing more better!!

[@sofiaemilia3695]

Plan your Investment with good portfolio manager and I can assure you that in few weeks your account will be more than you dream

[@adeleadele752]

Do you know anyone that can help? I'd really appreciate if you can share your broker contact info?

[@sofiaemilia3695]

Grey Thomson trading services help me trade and my crypto has been rising massively.Text him directly via what App, tell him I referred you so he replies your message

[@staninjapan07]

Thank you both very much. 2:36:30 We are not descendants of apes, Lex. We are common ancestors. Yes, that is a touch pedantic.

[@jaeminjeremyjung6688]

Thank you for the great talk about bitcoin/digital and human rights. This is exactly what I was thinking about. I can agree with freedom, liberty, human rights, children rights, free society. The talk is very understandable in my perspective. Wish to see you soon. My question was: Can bitcoin penestrate into North Korea as a tool of human rights protection? Fact 1: South Korea government and non-ESG corporations are exporting drones and accumulated weapons to Poland (guess where it goes?)

[@jasons4425]

This conversation blew my mind Thank you :)

[@ronjrivers]

At 58:42 he suggests that Bitcoin is a means of escaping the control of small groups of people over the monetary supply. 60 people own 25% of the BTC. Maximalists all share the same ambivalence to how deeply a BTC global currency would entrench inequity.

[@jezza10181]

Extremely interesting podcast this, truly excellent, one of the most engaging I have seen in a long time.

[@draztiqmeshaz6226]

When I close my eyes I hear Ed Norton talking.

[@cranksinatra3591]

I wonder if Alex has read anything by Curtis Yarvin and what he thinks since Yarvin's theories fundamentally states the opposite of his view that countries like the US are less oppressive than "2-stroke" regimes like North Korea.

[@alexgladstein5136]

@Vebunkd You guys should go live in North Korea for a bit then get back to us

[@NZarboristBryce]

Litecoin and Digibyte are original UTXO blockchain cryptocurrencies, like bitcoin, forked to be faster, and cheaper transactions while the mining is more decentralized. Not to be over looked. Bitcorn is cool too..

[@zeewtube01]

This talk was amazing, Thanks.

[@Maronijogurt]

what a talk, thanks for sharing these thoughts!

[@rapauli]

brilliant and important discussion. Thanks.

[@S54VR6]

Alex hates the word “crypto”. Bitcoin only.

[@prhasn]

Bitcoin is a man-made religion at this point.

[@S54VR6]

@@prhasn no, it’s verifiable truth in a world full of falsities, manipulation, deception, lies, consumerism, hate and greed. And your statement makes no sense. All religions are man made. Faith is NOT religion. Key difference.

[@borischum5733]

Freedom of speech is essential for knowing what other people are thinking, for knowing wtf they're up to!

[@warzonekills6437]

Would u provide Maasaai with phones to be capable store the bitcoins?

[@Charles-hy2ek]

Lex sounds so naïve compared to Alex, what Lex you don't wanna piss off the Chinese, why not dig deeper into what's going on with the Uyghurs?

[@carrito1981]

Best parts of these are when the speaker eloquently shoots down the obvious pro-right wing conspiracy nut stuff. Alex Jones? Really Lex? What's next? Dinner with flat-earthers? XD

[@dimebucker2]

Lex is easily dazzled by charisma it seems, can lead him off track sometimes..

[@mdom0277]

A podcaster who makes an effort to talk to people who he doesn't agree with? How weird and unusual. I only like to listen to people exactly like me or who always agree with me on podcasts and nothing else!

[@MarkEngelstad]

@@mdom0277 you are steelmanning the argument.

[@anchorschmidt]

I'm a bit confused regarding Bitcoin. Doesn't Cardano also have finite supply? Why is Bitcoin the only crypto with a finite supply

[@MostIntelligentMan]

he has no idea about all crypto world, just dumb bitcoin maximalist

[@7_Hats]

Theres a few that have fixed supply, and there will be more in the future. This guys way too confident for being so poorly informed. lol

[@chrishayes8012]

Alex Gladstein is an amazing human being.

[@timealchemist7508]

Kind of humorous to hear the internal struggle this guest has with his love of Liberty and human freedoms… but clearly left leaning views when it comes to modern monopolistic censorship.

[@julius43461]

I have various struggles myself. I am basically a progressive, who respects reality enough to understand that progressive ideas are horrible if implemented. Also, as much as I like individualism, I believe it is corruptive for the group, and I believe it can be too much of it.

[@TheSpiralout11235]

He is staunchly against government censorship, and supports new solutions not based on corporate ad revenue maximizing algorithms.

[@sithstalker770]

Ikr?

[@sirreginalddukeofchutney234]

I suspect it says more about how closed minded you might be if this is the only perspective you can extrapolate from their censorship dialogue. Do you have the perfect ideology on the subject? If so, please enlighten us. You must have something you want to get off your chest. Let’s see if your take is any more or less humorous. I’m not trying to be a jerk. I honestly want to know your point of view.