Roger Ver Doubles Donation Match for Antiwar.com to $20K

Roger Ver is an early adopter of Bitcoin and a peace advocate who puts his satoshis where his mouth is.

A few years ago he fled the state in America to live in Japan, after spending ten months in a California prison for selling pest control products without state permission papers. In a natural alliance, he’s doubled his original donation match pledge of US$10,000 to Antiwar.com to US$20,000. The donation drive is active now and will wrap on December 14.

Angela Keaton is the director of operations at Antiwar.com, which has been accepting Bitcoin donations since 2012. She shared details of both Antiwar.com’s efforts and Bitcoin’s contributions with Cointelegraph.

Cointelegraph: What do you see as Antiwar.com's greatest contribution? 

Angela Keaton: While Antiwar.com does keep the public up to date on latest news, we also keep antiwar forces focused on opposing government intervention in general. We aim to be the guiding light for the antiwar forces, so they don't get diverted into partisan political sniping, or veer off into secondary issues. Our audience not only includes activists, but influence makers, researchers and journalists, so we work to not only change minds in the long term, but in substantive changes in policy at the level where those decisions are made.

CT: What would you say to those who point out that wars were waged long before fiat currency existed? 

AK: The fiat currency is not a primary cause of wars, but merely a facilitator of wars. Prior to fiat, governments were more up front about their theft of wealth. [Inflation] is a more clever way of stealing.

CT: How can Bitcoiners spread peace within their own circles of influence? 

AK: Bitcoiners, by the very fact that they are using digital currency, regardless of ideology, are helping to make it harder to finance war. Globalize by decentralized transactions.

               “Bitcoin transactions are inherently pro-peace.”

CT: What do you believe is the single most important change that would lead to a more peaceful world? 

AK: There is not one thing. It's many changes in culture, government structure, and a psychological understanding that force—both offensive and defensive—is the last, worst resort after every other option explored.

Antiwar.com’s fundraising goal is US$80,000. Currently about US$47,000 has been donated, and Roger Ver’s match will be added to this amount. Contributors of $100 or more are offered Patrick Cockburn's latest book, The Jihadis Return.

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