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Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

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Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#351

Post by cogman10 »

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 wish instead of criminalizing addiction we'd fund harm reduction centers and rehabilitation services.

I would much rather the police be focused on stopping violent crime rather than these victimless crimes.

Legitimizing drugs/prostitution makes is easier to regulate and ultimately make safer. Shoving this stuff into a black/gray market is what ultimately creates violent crime.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#352

Post by golly_ned »

zanek wrote: post #327
steve_avery wrote: post #55

Well, I think that justice has been served. The feds' prosecution of Ulbricht was the epitome of throwing the book at someone to make an example, when the government's case was pretty flawed, in my opinion. 10 years is enough time to pay the debt of running the silk road. I am glad that Ulbricht has been pardoned and I feel like a small iota of justice has been returned to the world with this action.

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills reading the comments on this thread. Multiple teenagers (one in Australia) died from the drugs distributed on Silk Road. Ross was ok with selling grenades, body parts, etc on there. But everyone is saying he served his time ???

He wasn't dealing them. He's not exactly culpable for the effects of his platform any more than Zuckerberg is responsible for mass hate speech coordinated by third-world dictators or Evan Spiegel for facilitating millions of nude images of children and teenagers.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#353

Post by arp242 »

ionwake wrote: post #206

[flagged]

Aaron tried to give the world free access to information for no personal gain.

Ross ran an online marketplace for drugs and other illegal materials for personal profit.

The life sentence was ridiculous, but they're not he same at all.

It's the difference between Chelsea Manning or Snowden leaking state secrets and someone who sells on state secrets to the Russians or Chinese.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#354

Post by nick3443 »

wolfgang42 wrote: post #173

Tangentially related: I had the disconcerting experience of reading a Wired article about his arrest[1] while unknowingly sitting about six feet from the spot where he was apprehended. When I read that the FBI agents had stopped at Bello Coffee while preparing their stakeout, I thought, huh, interesting coincidence, I just had a coffee there. Then Ulbricht walked into the public library and sat down at the table dire…

You did a Boondock Saints!

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#355

Post by tocs3 »

EricRiese wrote: post #332
paulsutter wrote: post #262

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wait, you were reading about his arrest while he was being arrested? That article was written after his conviction?

Plot twist: wolfgang42 is Ulbricht

Clearly time travel. He had brought the article back in time so he could read it as it happened.

By the way, I thought the post was written well. It did take a little thinking but it was an interesting take.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#356

Post by rib3ye »

cogman10 wrote: post #351
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 wish instead of criminalizing addiction we'd fund harm reduction centers and rehabilitation services. I would much rather the police be focused on stopping violent crime rather than these victimless crimes. Legitimizing drugs/prostitution makes is easier to regulate and ultimately make safer. Shoving this stuff into a black/gray market is what ultimately creates violent crime.

> I wish instead of criminalizing addiction we'd fund harm reduction centers and rehabilitation services.

We tried that in SF, I was a supporter. Seeing it first hand with a with a family member in public school flipped me. Dumping money into people who aren't ready to convert back into tax payers (even in the most basic sense) while schools got the back burner was enough. Not to mention the tents.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#357

Post by liquidify »

tdb7893 wrote: post #194
BurningFrog wrote: post #92

Keep in mind that he spent 11 years locked up. He's not getting off lightly!

I'm just shocked it was a full pardon instead of a commutation or something. I don't think the US is gaining a ton from keeping him locked up but he still did run an organization he knew was used for selling drugs and other illegal things and a full pardon for that seems weird. I feel like I mainly heard people talking about commuting his sentence

He built a website. He didn't dictate how people used it. That was the point. He was charged as a drug kingpin with mobster era consequences. His sentence didn't fit whatever crimes he did or didn't commit.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#358

Post by sidibe »

77pt77 wrote: post #303
sidibe wrote: post #294

The sympathy for this guy from so many of you makes me sad. The messages show he wanted and thought he was getting people murdered. But that's perfectly OK because it was actually the evil FBI he was talking to!

Surely you must understand that he was also white and solid middle class. And he was able to code sloppy LAMP code.

Ah I hadn't seen his photo. Could have been me after a night of drinking, lets not ruin the poor guys life just because of a few callous decisions.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#360

Post by jyap »

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…

His original sentence was life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

So you can’t agree with the original sentence and then say he “absolutely deserved to be released.”

Without the chance of parole, a pardon from the president is one of the few ways he could get out of jail.

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