Source: Coindesk
By George Kaloudis
原标题：What Bitcoin and the American Dream Have in Common
Compiled by: BitpushNews Mary Liu
To describe America, poet Walt Whitman said: "I am large, I contain multitudes."
What a cliché: the land of the free, the home of the brave, the city upon the hill.
Times have changed, and the country (and the people who make it up) have changed enough that these words now sound trite and ironic, like the motto on the American seal, which has changed from “Out of Many, One” to the frankly perplexing “In God We Trust.”
What has not changed, at least in name, is the famous phrase: the American Dream, which teaches people that anyone can achieve success through sacrifice, talent, hard work and perseverance, not just luck.
However, the American Dream means different things to different people. I am a first generation Greek American, so for me, the American Dream means using the resources at my disposal, the sacrifices my grandparents made, and moving their children away from home to become the “migrant generation.”
The so-called American Dream, whose America is it and whose dream is it?
For those who immigrated to the United States from Britain ten generations ago, was it the American Dream?
Is this the interpretation of the American Dream for those who immigrated to the United States from Ireland five generations ago, whose ancestors came to the United States on slave ships?
maybe not.
But this ambiguity is not a problem; it exists in many important ideas: democracy is one example. Just because there is no broad, universal consensus defining an idea doesn’t mean it has no meaning.
There are some fundamental principles embedded in these ideas, and as illogical as it may sound, this is how Bitcoin and the American Dream come together.
Bitcoin’s “cliché”
Some people say: Yes, I know Bitcoin!
Common responses include: Bitcoin solves XXX problem, Bitcoin is synonymous with XXX hope, You don’t understand, Bullish numbers go up, It’s fun to be poor.
Comparing Bitcoin to the American Dream may seem cliché, but from my perspective, the similarities are clear.
On the surface, Bitcoin and the American Dream go hand in hand. Success through “hard work”? That’s exactly how Bitcoin mining works: the more work you put in, the more rewards you get.
We can ask more questions.
Is Bitcoin peer-to-peer electronic cash? Is Bitcoin digital gold? Is Bitcoin a store of value? Can Bitcoin enable the clean energy transition? Will Bitcoin use up all our water? Will the Bitcoin protocol lead to more ransomware? Can Bitcoin empower individuals in oppressive regimes? Will Bitcoin weaken the Federal Reserve? Will Bitcoin make you bankrupt? Will Bitcoin make you rich? Is Bitcoin an inflation-resistant currency? Is Bitcoin a Ponzi scheme?
The answers to these questions depend on who you ask. Bitcoin and the American Dream are therefore more similar than they appear on the surface.
Bitcoin means something different to me as a fully banked US citizen with access to just about any financial product I can think of and a relatively stable local currency.
But for Afghan woman Roya Mahboob, Bitcoin means something different, as she uses Bitcoin (along with other technologies) to help Afghan girls overcome gender inequality and gain education.
Bitcoin also means something different for Argentines and Venezuelans facing hyperinflation.
All of these implications are true of Bitcoin. Bitcoin is “all-inclusive” and can accommodate a wide range of users. Allowing these users to transact without permission is the essence of Bitcoin as a peer-to-peer electronic cash system.
Bitcoin enthusiasts agree that Bitcoin can mean many things, just as Americans agree that the American Dream (and America) can mean many things.
One thing is certain: just as Americans are bound together by the American Dream, the spirit of Bitcoin, the freedom to transact, binds Bitcoin enthusiasts together.
The cynical side...
I have intentionally avoided the above question because it is the most pressing issue for both the United States and Bitcoin right now.
Is the United States controlled by Wall Street "capital"? Is this true for Bitcoin?
George Carlin once said on his talk show: "It's called the American Dream because you have to dream about it to believe it."
In his view, the country has long been exploited by "capital". To some extent, I am also a bit cynical. Consumerism and dollar hegemony make me, an American, embarrassed.
Hunter S. Thompson, the father of gonzo journalism (a style of writing that deviates from traditional journalism and is characterized by exaggeration, boldness, and subjective sarcasm), expressed a similar view in his famous book "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey into the Heart of the American Dream."
His argument is clear from the title: Las Vegas, as a center of gambling and entertainment, is a caricature of American extravagance and consumerism, both of which (along with the drugs featured prominently in the book) threaten to tarnish America's reputation.
As for Bitcoin, currently, institutions such as BlackRock, the world's largest and most mainstream financial company, are selling Bitcoin in a form that has been "beautified" by institutions through US spot ETFs.
Bitcoin, an idea and an asset, was born in the ashes of the great financial crisis as a rebellion against the Icarian behavior of financiers addicted to leverage and synthetic derivatives that caused the crisis. Now, these same institutions are also promoting the purchase of Bitcoin. Has Bitcoin become controlled by capital interests?
Perhaps, at least in part.
That said, I believe one of the best parts of being an American is being able to openly complain about America, and this is also one of the best parts of being a Bitcoin user, accepting criticism is the key to progress.
Finally, happy birthday, 248-year-old America!