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El Salvador abandons Bitcoin as legal tender

(ticotimes.net)
927 points smallerfish | 2 comments | 04 Feb 25 00:00 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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starspangled ◴[04 Feb 25 00:51 UTC] No.42925817[source]▶
It's interesting and nice to see how progressive and creative El Salvador has been. Some failures are perfectly understandable when one is willing to try new things. Their approach to crime is another thing that comes to mind that was lambasted and ridiculed by the "international community" and "experts". Yet in the space of a single decade they went from murder capital of the world to safer than New Zealand (in terms of homicide rate), which is just staggering.

I love that they are innovating and experimenting and trying their own things, and don't let the stuffy pompous status quo hold them back.

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threeseed ◴[04 Feb 25 01:12 UTC] No.42926051[source]▶
> nice to see how progressive and creative El Salvador has been

Alright so let's have a look at these progressive/creative approaches: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_El_Salvador

(a) Mass arrests of anyone who merely had a gang tattoo, (b) Jailing of children, (c) Security cameras everywhere, (d) Inhumane treatment of prisoners.

Trashing human rights is always effective but hardly creative nor progressive.

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1. mvdtnz ◴[04 Feb 25 01:52 UTC] No.42926495[source]▶
a - gang tattoos mean gang involvement. Let's stop pretending otherwise.

b - I'm not sure what you think you're reading but that article points to the scourge of gangs and their impact on children. I only skimmed it but I couldn't see anything in that article about detaining children.

c - So?

d - Gang members in places like El Salvador victimise communities. They are a scourge. I will not accept the humanizing of them - they are parasites. I absolutely support Bukele's policies to rid the country of them. I hope he keeps going.

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2. venatiodecorus ◴[04 Feb 25 06:15 UTC] No.42928709[source]▶
gangs are a symptom just like drug abuse, which they are also entwined with. striking out at gangs without addressing the issues motivating people to join them is just punishing poverty on both ends. the state has let you down, you feel the need to take survival into your own hands, and then are punished for that.

by no means am i excusing the violence that gang perpetuate, but i am unconvinced that enough people simply want to live the gangster lifestyle that gangs can sustain themselves outside situations of extreme poverty.