I agree 100% with the sentiment "If geriatrics in DC can stop bitcoin, then bitcoin was doomed to begin with." Yes the FUD is dumb. I'm not worried about bitcoin in the slightest.

At the same time, I enjoy contributing to open source code and would encourage others to do so as well. I like attending conferences with like minded individuals, in public. I'd like more broad support for these things. Pardon me if I don't roll over while being branded as a money transmitter for writing code. I'd like to promote living in a free and open society and I'd rather not be passive in the face of horribly invasive laws just to prove that my protocol can "take it."

I have nothing to prove here. The work behind bitcoin, LN and nostr stands on its own. If it's all the same, I'd like my society to come along for the ride rather than die a slow, misguided, painful death. Perhaps society chooses the latter anyway, in which case bitcoin will be fine. But in the spirit of open-source collaboration I'm going to point out some terribly flawed reasoning behind a dumb idea when I see it. I do this for the sake of others who may be beholden to its outcome.