Surviving Capitalism – Amir Taaki

Amir Taaki is a British-Iranian programmer, entrepreneur, and political activist who is known for his contributions to the open-source software community and his involvement in various political and social movements.

Taaki was born in London, England, in 1988 and grew up in a family of Iranian political exiles. He began programming at a young age and became interested in open-source software and cryptography. In 2010, he was one of the lead developers of the Bitcoin-Qt client, which was one of the first implementations of the Bitcoin cryptocurrency.

In addition to his technical contributions, Taaki has also been active in various political and social movements. He has been involved in the Occupy movement and has worked with the Rojava Revolution in Syria, helping to build decentralized governance systems and supporting the Kurdish struggle for autonomy. He has also been a vocal critic of government surveillance and censorship, and has advocated for greater privacy and security online.

Taaki describes himself as a “hacker-revolutionary” and his work has been featured in various media outlets, including The Guardian, Forbes, and Wired. Despite his controversial views and actions, he remains a respected figure in the tech and activist communities, and his contributions have had a lasting impact on the development of open-source software and decentralized technologies.

In the interview Taaki described himself as a “hacker-revolutionary,” explaining that he sees hacking and activism as intertwined and that he believes that technology has the power to bring about social and political change.

Amir stated that he became interested in hacking and open-source software as a way to “stick it to the man,” and that he sees the development of decentralized technologies like Bitcoin and Ethereum as a way to challenge the traditional power structures and build more democratic and equitable systems.

Taaki, who is known for his contributions to the open-source software community and his involvement in various political and social movements, described how his interest in hacking and open-source software began as a way to “stick it to the man” and challenge traditional power structures. He also talked about his work with decentralized technologies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, which he sees as a way to build more democratic and equitable systems.

In addition to his technical contributions, Taaki has also been active in various political and social movements, including the Occupy movement and the Rojava Revolution in Syria. He explained that he believes the current capitalist system is fundamentally flawed and that it is necessary to build alternatives that prioritize the well-being of people and the planet over profits.

Despite the often-controversial nature of his views and actions, Taaki remains a respected figure in the tech and activist communities, and his contributions to the development of decentralized technologies and open-source software have had a lasting impact. His interview with “Surviving Capitalism” offers a fascinating glimpse into the mind and motivations of a truly unique and influential figure.