Matthew Lysiak is an investigative journalist and author of Fiat Food: Why Inflation Destroyed Our Health and How Bitcoin Fixes It. Topics we discuss are well captured by the timestamps below. Watch on YouTube or X. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast platform.
Arjun, first I want to congratulate you at choosing freedom of thought and integrity at such a young age. I had heard about you without ever reading much when Brett Hall and Naval first started posting links about air space. However, I recently listened to you Jim O'Shaughnessy's Infinite Loops. God speed young man, I wish I had your boldness and wisdom when I was your age.
I have been btc aware since 2013. I made my first large (investment level not gambling/entertainment) purchase shortly after seeing the 2017 crash was not fatal. However, I find hard core btc maxi's views such as this one inconsistent with Popperarian logic. In addition, these folks have conflicts of interest, one as content producers and 2nd by pushing people to buy btc that they presumably already have a large % of their wealth invested in. Blaming majority of modern ills on fiat and telling the masses they are victims of this great injustice and that btc is the solution is... well basically rhetoric and solphistry. Would you consider Lysiak and Ammous's consistent with your post 122: https://www.arjunkhemani.com/p/its-impossible-to-justify-predictions ? Thanks and keep up the good work.
Hello Andy! Thank you for the kind words. You haven't explained how Lysiak's argument is "inconsistent with Popperian logic". I don't think it is inconsistent with Popper's epistemology or with my post that you linked. Lysiak isn't claiming that the government wants to make people's lives miserable; rather, he suggests that it is in their self-interest to promote a narrative that ultimately harms our health. I also don't think your point about conflicts of interest serves as an argument against Bitcoin. After all, the government is incentivized to encourage the use of their currency as well.
My point COI definitely is not an argument against Bitcoin. It's amazing that this code, technology was shared with the world and it has grown to what it is today. I hope it continues to grow and has a positive effect on the world. I do think COI matters when considering the value expected to be gained from certain content creators. I do not know what will be in the headlines in the next 24-36 months, but I would wager 1 btc that btc maxi's will interpret news events as evidence of the harm of fiat and/or expected growth of btc and how btc fixes this.
This closely align swith Mr. Popper's quote in your article: "… I could not think of any human behaviour which could not be interpreted in terms of either theory. It was precisely this fact… I could not think of any human behaviour which could not be interpreted in terms of either theory. It was precisely this fact—"
Now consider Mr. Lysiak's focus on government for impacting food choices. For instance, a possible and more broad explanation for obesity would be that food is more available, affordable, and varied than ever before (also people move less). Plentiful food is good, but in a market economy producers of foods will compete for the highest profit by attempting to take more of the market share. It is not surprising that shelf stable, engineered foods out compete fresh high quality meats. However, Mr. Lysiak's view (pro bitcoin) is more specific and IMO more sophistry than reality. The government benefits by influencing folks to eat more carbs because that way it is easier to hide inflation and they can further abuse society through money printing. How seriously do people take the food pyramid? Government health guidelines also discourage overeating calories and specifically sugar, and to by more active. Which demographic do you think is more inclined to be influenced by government health guidelines? Does it match the demographics that are obese: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/php/data-research/adult-obesity-prevalence-maps.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/prevalence-maps.html ?
It appears the folks that consciously plan long term for health, and therefore are more likely to read government recommendations tend to be healthier and leaner. The obese demos appear to be people that live more in the moment, and enjoy themselves and food choices that are provided by the market without considering long term effects of food choices.
Arjun, first I want to congratulate you at choosing freedom of thought and integrity at such a young age. I had heard about you without ever reading much when Brett Hall and Naval first started posting links about air space. However, I recently listened to you Jim O'Shaughnessy's Infinite Loops. God speed young man, I wish I had your boldness and wisdom when I was your age.
I have been btc aware since 2013. I made my first large (investment level not gambling/entertainment) purchase shortly after seeing the 2017 crash was not fatal. However, I find hard core btc maxi's views such as this one inconsistent with Popperarian logic. In addition, these folks have conflicts of interest, one as content producers and 2nd by pushing people to buy btc that they presumably already have a large % of their wealth invested in. Blaming majority of modern ills on fiat and telling the masses they are victims of this great injustice and that btc is the solution is... well basically rhetoric and solphistry. Would you consider Lysiak and Ammous's consistent with your post 122: https://www.arjunkhemani.com/p/its-impossible-to-justify-predictions ? Thanks and keep up the good work.
Hello Andy! Thank you for the kind words. You haven't explained how Lysiak's argument is "inconsistent with Popperian logic". I don't think it is inconsistent with Popper's epistemology or with my post that you linked. Lysiak isn't claiming that the government wants to make people's lives miserable; rather, he suggests that it is in their self-interest to promote a narrative that ultimately harms our health. I also don't think your point about conflicts of interest serves as an argument against Bitcoin. After all, the government is incentivized to encourage the use of their currency as well.
My point COI definitely is not an argument against Bitcoin. It's amazing that this code, technology was shared with the world and it has grown to what it is today. I hope it continues to grow and has a positive effect on the world. I do think COI matters when considering the value expected to be gained from certain content creators. I do not know what will be in the headlines in the next 24-36 months, but I would wager 1 btc that btc maxi's will interpret news events as evidence of the harm of fiat and/or expected growth of btc and how btc fixes this.
This closely align swith Mr. Popper's quote in your article: "… I could not think of any human behaviour which could not be interpreted in terms of either theory. It was precisely this fact… I could not think of any human behaviour which could not be interpreted in terms of either theory. It was precisely this fact—"
Now consider Mr. Lysiak's focus on government for impacting food choices. For instance, a possible and more broad explanation for obesity would be that food is more available, affordable, and varied than ever before (also people move less). Plentiful food is good, but in a market economy producers of foods will compete for the highest profit by attempting to take more of the market share. It is not surprising that shelf stable, engineered foods out compete fresh high quality meats. However, Mr. Lysiak's view (pro bitcoin) is more specific and IMO more sophistry than reality. The government benefits by influencing folks to eat more carbs because that way it is easier to hide inflation and they can further abuse society through money printing. How seriously do people take the food pyramid? Government health guidelines also discourage overeating calories and specifically sugar, and to by more active. Which demographic do you think is more inclined to be influenced by government health guidelines? Does it match the demographics that are obese: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/php/data-research/adult-obesity-prevalence-maps.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/prevalence-maps.html ?
It appears the folks that consciously plan long term for health, and therefore are more likely to read government recommendations tend to be healthier and leaner. The obese demos appear to be people that live more in the moment, and enjoy themselves and food choices that are provided by the market without considering long term effects of food choices.