At first glance, the statement “Bitcoin can reduce racism” seems silly, if not downright insulting to those who have been victims of racism. And it assumes that an open source protocol, completely indifferent to the vagaries of human emotion, can have any impact whatsoever on reducing racism, one of the most despicable expressions of human emotion.
I understand that (as much as I can as a white guy), but just follow me. While Bitcoin itself may not be able to reduce racism, what about the concept of a ‘Bitcoiner’? Can identification as a Bitcoiner reduce racism?
The work of Harvard political science professor Robert Putnam suggests that this may indeed be the case.
When Putnam wanted to write his now best-selling book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Communityhe wanted to prove that diversity is inherently a good thing.
However, his research proved otherwise.
The data showed that diversity harms civic life because it can lead to distrust between groups of different ethnicities and races. Putnam explained that humans are programmed with ingroup and outgroup biases, causing us to favor those we identify with and remain wary of those with whom we do not.
His research showed that it is only when we discover we have something in common with someone outside our race, ethnicity, or even gender that we begin to associate them with our own group, and that once we discover we have something in common, diversity becomes a strength . That could be anything from being part of the same religion, playing on the same softball team or liking the same music.
What are the implications of this for people who identify as Bitcoiners? Can Bitcoiner Help Its People Overlook Racial Differences?
While the answer to this question varies from case to case, it’s hard to imagine that it wouldn’t have some impact. After all, Bitcoiners have aligned incentives, right?
We’re all working toward hyperbitcoinization, or at least we share some of the same values: belief in hard money, belief in the right to transact without permission, belief in the right to be financially self-sovereign.
Knowing that we have these things in common creates a bond between us and helps us trust each other more. When we trust each other more, we are more likely to work together. And it is precisely by working together that diversity becomes a strength.
This is not to say that some who identify as Bitcoiners do not still have racist tendencies. But there’s something to be said about the idea that the things that unite us are stronger than the things that divide us, and when you look at the idea of being a Bitcoiner through that lens, it’s hard to deny that the association won’t have that. some impact on reducing racism.