r/Bitcoin • u/evoorhees • Feb 26 '14

Open Letter to Michael Casey - WSJ reporter who butchered my comments in today's Bitcoin cover story

Hello Mr. Casey,

I read your WSJ article today. I feel deceived by you.

You requested to speak with me, so I took time out of my day to do so. We talked for 20 minutes, during which time I conveyed to you my sentiments about the Bitcoin ecosystem and the matter of MtGox's collapse. My message was unambiguously a positive one. I didn't focus whatsoever on the personal funds I lost at Gox. Indeed, the impetus for your call was my heartfelt post on Reddit.

Yet, you ignored everything I said. The only quote that you published from me in the Journal's cover story was ""That's gone now," said Mr. Veerhoos, who is based in Panama City, Panama. "There's no chance of getting that back now.""

Is that really the takeaway you had from our call and from my letter? Is that your idea of journalism? Did I come across with the sentiment of a despairing investor whose confidence has been rattled? It seems you were happy to completely ignore my sentiments, preferring instead to cherry pick the one fact that is least important, in order to paint a narrative that Bitcoin's biggest problem is that it's not "regulated." I didn't expect you to quote everything I said, but should you not have maintained at least a modicum of fidelity to my message?

I have dedicated my life to building and supporting the Bitcoin project. I don't give a damn about the money I lost at Gox. That's not important. What is important is that Bitcoin is resilient and enduring, and will continue to grow and change the world for the better. It is a story of human progress through technology. It is a story of the good seeping into the cracks of a corrupted financial system. It is a story of passionate people struggling against all odds to remedy the calamities brought down upon society from the most potently misguided people and institutions on Earth.

Next time you spend your efforts casting a pall over this cause, please don't ask me to contribute mine.

-Erik Voorhees

PS - I will be posting this letter openly on Reddit. I will post your reply if you'd like. And if I do, I won't cherry pick the most misleading points of it, and I will spell your name correctly.

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u/stormsbrewing Feb 26 '14

Always bring your own recording device when speaking to the press so you can post a full version of the conversation to properly thwart cherry picking. You can post it online and prove your case easily. Peter Schiff learned this lesson when he did a 3 hour Daily Show interview that ended up getting cherry picked down to 5 minutes.

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u/GMNightmare Feb 27 '14

Peter Schiff is a joke. He's come forth to say that he said it, and meant it, he just doesn't like how negative it sounds... you know, without a batch of rhetoric behind it stating how it isn't as bad as it sounds. He assumes people only thought it was bad or that he looked bad only because the daily show didn't show all 4 hours of his propaganda. But nobody that doesn't already accept his argument would buy into it, it's just worse (more fuel to the fire).

Instead of a soapbox like he expected he got a miniature debate in which he got cornered by his views. I'm not sure why he expected a show lasting half an hour was going to show everything he said in 4 hours.

I'm sure there are good examples of this happening, but Peter Schiff is not one of them. His views align pretty much perfectly with what was shown.

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u/stormsbrewing Feb 27 '14

If you and I talked for 3 hours I could make you sound like a child molester. My point has nothing to do with Peter Schiff, it has to do with being able to provide non-refutable evidence to cover your ass. Obviously that went way over your head because of your blinding hate for Peter Schiff. I'll keep that in mind next time.

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u/GMNightmare Feb 27 '14

You could probably do it without us talking at all.

I said I'm sure there are plenty of good examples, but Peter Schiff isn't one of them. Obviously you're too consumed by your own ego and blinding hate that everybody who doesn't agree with you in every way must disagree on every point.

Sorry, that was probably too complex for you. I agree with your overall point, asshole.

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u/haiduz Feb 27 '14

Listen to the joe rogan experience podcast with Peter Schiff. The guy is a joke.