The biggest issue today is that users aren't choosing, the number of users who trust themselves to "choose" are few, most are deferential to people they perceive as knowing more than them. This is natural, its an instinct that makes the division of labor innate.

This human nature though leaves a vulnerability that's exploited time and again throughout history, symbols of authority, institutions, will be usurped.

This is Bitcoin Core today, where salaried developers anointed by an opaque cabal of NGO's have created a political battlefield over the default behaviors of the many, having only been able to do so based upon a legacy they themselves had no hand in building.

Whether you're an ossifist or an expressionist, this symbol of authority works against your interests and shouldn't be acceptable to you. Archiving Core is one thing every Bitcoiner should agree upon. #966918

Good discussion on this came up again yesterday: #1232615

I really appreciated the perspective in this piece (also, thanks for linking to the "part 1" which was something I had not read before either).

I am a generally hopeful and optimistic person. As such, I agree with this seemingly reckless statement

This is such a big statement. My inner Grinch says, but the people are retarded. Look at democracy's horribly checkered track record.

But there is a difference, as you point out

Democracy does very little "accepting responsibility for one's choices." In fact it feels like democracy is about making other's accept responsibility for one's choices.

Bitcoin, on the other hand, is voluntary and is not imposed on anyone. Maybe this is enough of a difference that it makes all the difference.

This is one of the most hopeful statements I've read in a good while. It certainly describes the kind of world I want to live in. Well said.

The ideas are right, but the framing can tempt people back into thinking Bitcoin needs formalized governance structures. It doesn’t. It just needs individuals running nodes and enforcing rules.

Everyone loves to talk about “Bitcoin governance,” but here’s the uncomfortable truth: governance in Bitcoin isn't about making the smartest or most efficient decisions it’s about preserving the messy, decentralized freedom that makes censorship impossible.

If you think Bitcoin can be both tightly optimized and remain censorship-resistant, history says otherwise. Every human system that traded individual autonomy for “better coordination” eventually got captured. Whether it was the printing press under licensing laws, radio under state control, or the internet under corporate platforms — the story repeats.

Free users and free software are not abstract ideals. They’re the only reason anyone can still transact on Bitcoin without permission. Strip away one, and you don’t get a slightly weaker Bitcoin — you get no Bitcoin at all, just a glorified database waiting to be censored.

The irony? The real threat isn’t governments. It’s us — developers, businesses, influencers — pushing for changes that make nodes harder to run, transactions easier to filter, or governance more “streamlined.” Convenience is the Trojan horse.

The question isn’t “who gets to decide for the network?”
It’s: “what must we refuse to compromise, even if it slows us down, costs more, or looks inefficient?”

If you can’t answer that, you can’t protect Bitcoin.

Nice article, I hope we can at least take some lessons from it. What is clear is that the over reliance on "rough consensus" is not scaling well, and it is questionable if it ever did. It's next to impossible for what you call "the free user" to follow along with the relevant stuff anymore. Too many forums, too many people trying to capture their audience, and few resources capable of distilling what the respective developer groups want and intend. In my view this makes multiple implementations inevitable. I just hope this doesn't lead to serious breakages down the road that might lead to trust being broken in a serious way.

Free users and free softwares services are going to disappear soon, most services becomes paid services.

You as a dictator-wannabe who mutes and blocks people in telegram groups because they share their opinion on your brainless fart illogical ideas, you are the single last person to write an essay on governance.

(best 10 sats spent for something good)