~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SANDY SANDFORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C'punks, I'm stymied. I keep arguing the real world, and everyone responds as though this were a MUD game. David Merriman wrote: If the escrow agent has a reputation for reliability, honesty, integrity, etc, then the nature of the transaction is irrelevant.... I'm sorry, but this is patently ludicrous. This is not a MUD or MOO. We're not talking about game theory and the "iterated prisoner's dilemma." This is about the real world. I could cite hundreds of examples where folks don't think "the nature of the transaction is irrelevant." Tree huggers won't buy from McDonalds, irrespective of quality, because Mickey D's "encourage the destruction of the rain forests." Gun nuts won't do business with Taco Bell because it's owned by Pepsico, and they've supported gun control. There are "green" shoppers and "investors of conscience." Hell, Duncan won't even buy the fine chickens produced by Foster farms because Foster is in bed with the Klintones (well not literally... well maybe). The burden of proof is on those who would tell us that human nature will change over-night when crypto-anarchy comes on line. People *do* care about the morality of those with whom they do business. I see no reason to believe that will change. Anonymous murder for hire, is not easy. It isn't going to be any more a threat under crypto-anarchy than it is now. Please, let's get out of this Tabloid, the-sky-will-fall mind set. It's going to be okay. S a n d y Who is signing off this thread. What's coming is coming, no matter what we do or say. History will have the last word. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~