“But it’s against the law to do that” isn’t an argument for what something is or isn’t. In the same way that the value and representation of dollar bills and the currency they are tied to is governed by a system of law (a “protocol” if you will), Bitcoin also blah blah blah.

Don’t get me wrong: printing physical coins representing Bitcoin wallets is retarded.

My actual point is that cash is also intrinsically problematic for many similar (and sometimes identical reasons). If the government can void the value of your cash, then it isn’t really yours. And they can. If they can print more at will and dilute the pool, having your cash in your mattress doesn’t protect it’s value either. And they do.

Again, a much more fundamental issue when discussing what BTC is or isn’t, isn’t generally people’s misconceptions about BTC. It’s that their frame of reference, being fiat currency, is already intrinsically flawed. People actually believe their cash is their money, and it isn’t.