Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon • Hacker News Board

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#81

Post by threeseed » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 1:15 AM UTC

trillic wrote: post #66

cakealert wrote: post #57

I wonder if he is going to be able to launder and cash out whatever crypto he squirreled away. His finances are probably going to be closely watched. Starting a business that accepts crypto payments is going to be a tell.

If he’s smart he’ll go Jordan Belfort style and make money with book, speaking, and movie deals.

That's the old way of doing things.

Now it's all about podcasts, energy drinks and crypto coin rug-pulls.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#82

Post by bb88 » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 1:15 AM UTC

duxup wrote: post #73

bb88 wrote: post #68

Genuine question: Of all the people to pardon, why him?

[flagged]

Why now, and not 4 years from now when Trump is about to leave office?

How do republicans in Idaho (who don't even have medical marijuana on the books), defend Trump pardoning someone convicted of drug trafficking?

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#83

Post by TeaBrain » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 1:15 AM UTC

maplant wrote: post #5

I had no idea this was a campaign promise. Why? I don’t understand.

Crypto currency proponents benefit from the existence of dark net marketplaces because they are some of the main places for the non-speculative use of crypto currencies. I think Ross and his pardon represent a sort-of metaphor in crypto-currency proponents' eyes for the government's toleration of these dark net crypto marketplaces.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#84

Post by llamaimperative » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 1:15 AM UTC

rhabarba wrote: post #22

anotherhue wrote: post #4

Paraphrasing an aphorism I saw elsewhere: "Crime is legal now".

Providing online forums is legal now.

Given there are at least thousands if not millions of people who "provide online forums," and pretty much this single one is in prison, I have to wonder if there's something unique about this case?

I don't know anything about this guy. Is there really nothing unique about his case?

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#85

Post by bobxmax » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 1:16 AM UTC

gWPVhyxPHqvk wrote: post #78

[flagged]

Drug dealers, cop killers and family members. America's institutions continue to devolve into a cruel joke.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#86

Post by hilux » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 1:16 AM UTC

wumeow wrote: post #51

[flagged]

[flagged]

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#87

Post by juniperus » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 1:16 AM UTC

fzeroracer wrote: post #61

[flagged]

Most libertarians considered the Silk Road a place to buy psychedelics like LSD or mushrooms or experimental synthetic drugs (not that these don’t come with numerous risks). Not a bulk heroin warehouse. So the perception is different from that of a wholesale fentanyl clearing house.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#88

Post by qqqult » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 1:16 AM UTC

kevinsync wrote: post #54

I have nothing in particular to say about the dead comments in this very young thread, but they're sort-of-interesting comments to have been killed so quickly! Is it due to HN policy? I guess they're subjective and ideological, and prone to starting arguments rather than debates. Maybe "Please don't use Hacker News for political or ideological battle. That tramples curiosity." or "Please don't pick the most provocati…

Nothing wrong with HN in particular. Every polarising discussion on a platform with moderation or up/down voting system ends up this way. This structure is fantastic for technical discussions just not amazing for politics

Removing moderation or voting systems (simple chronological comment sorting) creates another set of issues so this problem can't be solved without entirely changing discussion formats

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#89

Post by macinjosh » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 1:17 AM UTC

I am happy to see that Trump is a man of his word. I voted for him just because of this campaign promise. I would have voted for almost anyone who promised this.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#90

Post by llamaimperative » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 1:17 AM UTC

_yb2s wrote: post #49

maplant wrote: post #5

I had no idea this was a campaign promise. Why? I don’t understand.

Trump went around to a huge number of niche communities and promised to fix their core concerns in exchange for their support. The crypto and libertarian communities are obsessed with freeing Ulbricht. It was honestly a brilliant strategy, and probably the reason he won. Ironic that an authoritarian fascist was able to get elected by enlisting the help of anti-authoritarian communities with a single issue promise.

> Ironic that an authoritarian fascist was able to get elected by enlisting the help of anti-authoritarian communities with a single issue promise.

Ironic? It's the oldest trick in the book bro