If your counterargument needs you to bring up drug cartels (and even there, for better or worse, they have physical products that actually do something for the end user) maybe your argument is not airtight.

> It's a nice sentiment about an idealistic world but ultimately meaningless beyond producing feelings of guilt for the target.

Maybe the target should feel guilty for participating and spreading this scam?

Like, if the Bitcoin fans came out and said "Look, okay, we're basically just riding this super volatile security to take advantage of normies and rubes", that'd be fine. America has a long and storied tradition of honoring conmen.

The smug bullshit though? The idea that because they got lucky with some crackpot stupid 'net token scheme (of which there have been dozens over the years) and thus are clearly so superior to the plebes actually building things and powering the economy they take for granted?

It's a racket. It's always been a racket. Don't try to act like it isn't.