Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon • Hacker News Board

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#521

Post by pixxel » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 7:51 AM UTC

offsign wrote: post #487

rappatic wrote: post #164

I think his original sentence was absolutely deserved—even though the charge of hiring a contract killer to assassinate his business competition may have been dropped, I think it's clear he did many things in the same vein. Even if you support his original pursuit of a free and open online marketplace, I think most people would agree he took it a bridge too far in the end. That said, I do think he absolutely deserved…

"he took it a bridge too far" is a massive trivialization. The guy operated a marketplace for illegal goods in order to enrich himself. The illegality wasn't just incidental, it was literally his business model -- by flouting the law, he enjoyed massive market benefit (minimal competition, lack of regulation, high margins etc) by exploiting the arbitrage that the rest of us follow the rules. Said a different way, he…

> he enjoyed massive market benefit

Life imprisonment, no parole.

You have to be a complete and utter wanker to think his punishment was justified.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#522

Post by fbnlsr » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 7:53 AM UTC

This might be a minor thing, but does anyone know if a full pardon will allow him to use an electronic device or access the internet? Often times, people convicted of crimes related to an online activity are forbidden this right, and I wonder if that's the case for him, and if so, what his life would be in this day and age.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#523

Post by toyg » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 7:54 AM UTC

vvpan wrote: post #127

When Snowden, is my question. RFK put a lot of words into "if I am in charge that'll be my first thing". Yeah, he's not the president but he's also not nobody anymore.

The right gets to power and the first thing it does is to pardon its friends and allies.

The left goes into power and does basically nothing.

And then we wonder why one side is winning.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#524

Post by belter » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 7:55 AM UTC

rappatic wrote: post #164

I think his original sentence was absolutely deserved—even though the charge of hiring a contract killer to assassinate his business competition may have been dropped, I think it's clear he did many things in the same vein. Even if you support his original pursuit of a free and open online marketplace, I think most people would agree he took it a bridge too far in the end. That said, I do think he absolutely deserved…

He might even run for President....

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#525

Post by user3939382 » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 7:55 AM UTC

nostromo wrote: post #299

I think the attacks on some of these black and gray markets has increased violent crime in the real world. I wish the federal government would stop shutting them down and instead use them as tools to build cases against people breaking the law. For example, for a while most prostitution and sex work seemed to be online, on places like Craigslist right next to ads for used furniture and jobs. And it seemed to be reall…

I think you meant decreased crime, judging by the context of the rest of your comment.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#526

Post by toyg » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 7:58 AM UTC

insane_dreamer wrote: post #434

southernplaces7 wrote: post #380

For all his many defects and cloudy motives for doing it, Trump deserves applause for this. It's with actions such as this that he also shows why he's a genuine maverick of a president, with who it's genuinely possible to expect deeply unexpected actions (for better or worse). For all his talk of being progressive and cultivation of a youthful maverick image of his own, you would have never seen such a move from Obam…

> you would have never seen such a move from Obama you forgot Chelsea Manning; so I stopped reading there

Pardoning Manning while still going hard after Assange was a new level of pandering to the LGBTQ lobby. Pretty disgusting in its own right, I agree.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#527

Post by ohashi » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 8:00 AM UTC

gitaarik wrote: post #499

agentultra wrote: post #381

Is this president extremely concerned about drug dealers and gangs in the US? Why is he pardoning a drug trafficker?

Creating a website where you can trade (potentially illegal) stuff is not the same as being a drug trafficker.

Are we pretending the silk road was actually a legitimate marketplace and a few bad actors might have used it for things that break the law?

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#528

Post by pawelmurias » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 8:02 AM UTC

nostromo wrote: post #299

I think the attacks on some of these black and gray markets has increased violent crime in the real world. I wish the federal government would stop shutting them down and instead use them as tools to build cases against people breaking the law. For example, for a while most prostitution and sex work seemed to be online, on places like Craigslist right next to ads for used furniture and jobs. And it seemed to be reall…

Pimps dying is great. The government should arresting, convicting and executing way more of them.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#529

Post by toyg » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 8:04 AM UTC

dynamite-ready wrote: post #505

mmaunder wrote: post #260

I wonder if Assange will get the pardon he’s campaigning for: https://www.action.assangecampaign.org.au/

I'd wager the chances of that happening are much lower under this current administration. Surprised Biden didn't consider it though.

Neither Obama nor Biden would ever pardon Assange, because it would not win them any votes with the constituencies they are really after. At least Manning carried some trans votes.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#530

Post by sneak » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 8:09 AM UTC

offsign wrote: post #487

rappatic wrote: post #164

I think his original sentence was absolutely deserved—even though the charge of hiring a contract killer to assassinate his business competition may have been dropped, I think it's clear he did many things in the same vein. Even if you support his original pursuit of a free and open online marketplace, I think most people would agree he took it a bridge too far in the end. That said, I do think he absolutely deserved…

"he took it a bridge too far" is a massive trivialization. The guy operated a marketplace for illegal goods in order to enrich himself. The illegality wasn't just incidental, it was literally his business model -- by flouting the law, he enjoyed massive market benefit (minimal competition, lack of regulation, high margins etc) by exploiting the arbitrage that the rest of us follow the rules. Said a different way, he…

There were no victims of his conduct.

The idea that possession of drugs is or should be illegal is purely arbitrary, and is used thus to justify massive violations of human rights. It is literally insane that the state claims authority over what you are allowed to do to your own body.

No victim, no crime.