December 26th today, and I am in the solitude of my own home, watching Salvation episode 9 or 10, while writing here. The series gives a clear picture of what many people think government is typically like: intrigue, double-dealing and self-interest. But let's not kid ourselves: we all know that any individual or group will act out of self-interest. Those with more power will just be able to do it on a far grander scale. But like one of the Jedi knights said in Star Wars: "There's Always a Bigger Fish!"
What we do know is that secrecy is a surefire sign of something afoot, and unraveling it is what some people feel is their contribution to making this world a better place. I greatly admire these people, whether they be hackers, whistleblowers, artists, or many other ordinary people working together towards any project that will make this place a better world.
Crypto-currency in my opinion is one of those projects, but like any tool, it can be used for good and bad. And of course, politics is going to focus on the bad aspects of its use, because they won't be able to control it! And very Synchronous, the dad on Salvation talking to his hacker son said: "Government needs resistance to keep its power in check, and it takes a lot of courage to stand up to that power!"