Lex Fridman Podcast

#231 – Alex Gladstein: Bitcoin, Authoritarianism, and Human Rights

Oct 16, 2021

Alex Gladstein, Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation, dives deep into the intersection of Bitcoin and human rights. He highlights how Bitcoin can empower individuals in authoritarian regimes by providing financial sovereignty, allowing them to resist government control. The conversation also addresses the manipulation of rights by oppressive governments, the dual nature of technology in society, and the need for decentralized systems to protect privacy. Gladstein calls for renewed activism against authoritarianism, illustrating Bitcoin's transformative potential for promoting freedom.

02:40:35

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Episode guests

Alex Gladstein

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Episode notes

Intro

2min

The Impact of Bitcoin on Authoritarianism and Human Rights

2min

Enthusiastic Sponsor Spotlights: Coding, Engineering, and Sleep Innovation

4min

The Rights Spectrum: From Freedom to Censorship

15min

Understanding Authoritarianism and Democracy

12min

AI, Surveillance, and the Struggle for Privacy

13min

Bitcoin: A Tool for Human Rights and Resistance

28min

Bitcoin and Human Nature: Navigating Greed and Trust

14min

The Dual Nature of Patriotism: Love and Accountability

3min

10.

The Struggle Against Authoritarianism

5min

11.

The Future of Authoritarian Regimes and Democracy

2min

12.

Censorship and Freedom in Social Media

15min

13.

Kasparov and the Fight for Human Rights

22min

14.

Empowering Futures: Finance, Freedom, and Earth

9min

15.

Navigating Conflict and Currency: The Bitcoin Paradigm

10min

16.

Exploring Ignorance and Empowerment in Authoritarian Contexts

3min

Alex Gladstein is the Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation and the Oslo Freedom Forum. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
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EPISODE LINKS:
Alex’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/gladstein
The Little Bitcoin Book: https://littlebitcoinbook.com/
Human Rights Foundation: https://hrf.org/

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OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(08:36) – Universal human rights
(22:35) – Authoritarianism
(32:46) – AIs impact on civil liberties
(44:09) – Edward Snowden and government surveillance
(47:48) – Money
(52:01) – Bitcoin
(1:07:48) – Government response to Bitcoin
(1:18:19) – The blockchain
(1:23:42) – Can Bitcoin fail?
(1:26:33) – Bitcoin scams
(1:30:17) – Patriotism
(1:32:41) – Human Rights Foundation
(1:37:15) – Conflict with China
(1:40:05) – Corporate accountability
(1:55:27) – Garry Kasparov and the HRF
(2:00:36) – Journalism, conversations, and truth
(2:07:50) – Alex’s book recommendations
(2:15:56) – Attacks on Bitcoin
(2:17:35) – The future of humanity
(2:21:57) – Advice for young people
(2:33:13) – Meaning of life

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