Senseless tragedy has struck the Western world again -- this time in a city that has become one of the hotbeds of the cryptocurrency revolution.
On Monday morning, a man drove a van onto a busy sidewalk near downtown Toronto, Canada, killing 9 pedestrians and injuring 16 others. According to CNN, officials are stating that the man, who has been arrested, intentionally ran over people in his path for almost a mile before stopping.
Not much has yet been revealed about the perpetrator's identity or motive, but there is a link between this attack and cryptocurrency that no media outlet has been willing to point out.
Just like in New York City, London, and Nice, a lone individual has easily committed mass murder without using the tool that most people connect with mass murder -- a firearm.
Political movements around the would have sought to increase gun control in an emotional attempt to save lives... and yet not one firearms restriction in the United States, Canada or Europe could have prevented the carnage that played out today.
Legislators and law enforcement can do nothing to stop a crazed individual from buying, renting or stealing a car and driving it through a crowd of pedestrians.
All of their attempts to stop violence by controlling non-violent human behavior will be in vain.
The same is true with cryptocurrency.
Legislators and law enforcement around the world have tried to stop people from trading in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Steem and other cryptocurrencies. Their alleged motive? To prevent these tools from being used to sell illicit drugs, launder money, hire hitmen, and traffic in stolen goods.
But even if every government created laws prohibiting cryptocurrencies, it would not stop any of these illegal activities from occurring. Criminals would use cash like they have been doing for centuries... the same cash these governments manipulate every day... the same cash that multinational banks like HSBC have used to launder drug money.
When established authorities claim that restrictions on non-violent activity are necessary to protect us from criminals, all we have to do is open our eyes. Then we will see that many of these claims are as transparent as the blockchain, and as dangerous as a speeding vehicle.
Sources:
Toronto van attack: (https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/23/world/toronto-collision-pedestrians/index.html)
HSBC drug money laundering: (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hsbc-usa/hsbc-draws-line-under-mexican-cartel-case-after-five-years-on-probation-idUSKBN1E50YA)