"In circumstances where Bitcoin is being targeted, some persons advise against worrying about it by arguing that Bitcoin cannot be stopped; while I can understand the logic of their reasoning, may adopting this advice lead to bad implications in the long run?"
Andreas M. Antonopoulos responded with the following:
Indeed, I agree with that point of view. But, I feel that the phrase "don't worry, Bitcoin is unstoppable" should not be used as an excuse to do nothing. Rather, it implies that causing damage to Bitcoin is difficult from both a technological and a social standpoint.
At the moment, the vast majority of Bitcoin-related attacks are of a social type, such as media campaigns, propaganda, tax legislation, accounting requirements, and banking system constraints. These assaults are not geared against the actual protocol or miners, and they are ineffective in the long term because Bitcoin has survived each one.
The idea that Bitcoin is unstoppable provides a more compelling narrative, making it more desirable to individuals. As a result, saying "don't worry, Bitcoin is unstoppable" serves a function. When attacks on Bitcoin fail, the perception of its unstoppability becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
But, if we see specific attacks on the mining or network protocol, or moves to ban Bitcoin, we will need to make technical improvements. To fight these assaults, we would need to implement these changes as developers, or as node operators, to embrace them. There are several technical changes that might be done to Bitcoin in order to make it more discreet, protect it from attacks, and improve its anonymity and privacy.
Because there is currently no such thing as a want attack, there is currently no such thing as a desire attack. There is no need to construct defences when attacks fail.
This is not to say that there are no defences against such attacks or that people will simply sit back and do nothing.
Beyond simply saying "don't worry, Bitcoin is unstoppable," it is critical to organise against any attempts to impede Bitcoin. While Bitcoin's unstoppability is important, it does not mean that we should not take action if someone tries to stop it.
Source:
aantonop, 1 April 2023, "Attacks on Bitcoin? Don't Worry; Bitcoin is Unstoppable! (But that doesn't mean we'll do nothing)", 