Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon • Hacker News Board

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#891

Post by pg5 » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 6:09 PM UTC

bko wrote: post #230

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…

Ross Ulbricht was not sentenced for murder-for-hire charges. Those allegations were used to deny him bail and influenced public perception, they were not part of his formal conviction or sentencing. He was convicted on non-violent charges related to operating the Silk Road website, including drug distribution, computer hacking, and money laundering. Does this change your opinion of sentencing being well-deserved?

Couldn't you buy stuff on Silk Road that would ruin your life, like meth or heroin? If true, not exactly a victimless crime to run the site.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#892

Post by lulznews » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 6:10 PM UTC

Trump haters in absolute shambles here.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#893

Post by snakeyjake » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 6:10 PM UTC

Libertarians are the cheapest fucking buys of all time.

They will sell their souls to a man who would grind them into a paste and sell that paste as a protein snack to his cultists-- in exchange for a hollow, symbolic win that either impacts them in no way whatsoever or maliciously hurts people they don't like.

At least with other political groups you have to, you know, BRIBE them.

Libertarians are so used to receiving absolutely nothing that they will mistake the scent of a steak for a full meal.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#894

Post by trey-jones » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 6:10 PM UTC

smeeger wrote: post #838

_yb2s wrote: post #798

I feel torn about this because it seems there was good evidence for attempted murder- and I cannot understand why they never tried him for that (seemingly larger) crime. However, for the crime he was actually found guilty of, the sentence was unfair and unreasonable. It seems they unethically sentenced him for crimes he was not even ever charged with. I'd also argue he almost certainly saved a huge number of lives wi…

the benefit wasnt really unique to silk road or ross. it was just a very convoluted, roundabout demonstration of how safe drug use can be when its done in the right environment. legalization would be even safer…

Safer for buyers and users I guess. Based on being able to smell marijuana coming from so many car windows just walking around town, I'm not sure it would be safer for the public. I'm not anti-legalization by the way - I think it's similar to gambling: a mixed bag.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#895

Post by Karrot_Kream » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 6:12 PM UTC

dredmorbius wrote: post #877

gigatexal wrote: post #632

What’s the overall take of HN here? Was the government overstepping? Is everyone supporting this undoing of his sentence? Are we generally pro free drug trade? Or are we more anti-FBI?

The overall take of HN is that a sober discussion of this situation isn't possible on this site.

This wasn't the case in the older thread. I've seen you mention that you think HN hasn't changed that much but I think juxtaposing this comment thread against the older one is illuminating. HN has drifted more toward a general news site than anything particular special. Like most news sites, comments are characterized by short, overly emotional comments that argue in borderline bad faith. Comments aren't particularly interested in discussion but instead just cathartic emoting.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#896

Post by hluska » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 6:20 PM UTC

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…

This is unrelated but you just did a wonderful job of explaining why I love history so much. There’s something so exciting (to me) about deeply researching an event, going to where it happened and seeing the land (or library) come alive with images of the past.

Good writing!

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#897

Post by ChoHag » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 6:21 PM 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…

[dead]

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#898

Post by jjallen » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 6:26 PM UTC

So if you start a website and facilitate thousands of drug deals and get lots of people to ask the president to pardon you, and you’re white, you can get a pardon. But for everyone else you can’t. Even if you’re in prison for possession of drugs for more than ten years.

Also if you try to overthrow the government you get pardoned which I would have guessed approaches treason.

These are pardonable offenses and conditions.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#899

Post by munificent » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 6:27 PM 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…

> getting prostitutes off the streets.

By this, do you mean "reducing the total amount of prostitution occurring" or "making prostitution less visible"?

Your third paragraph implies the former, but I suspect the answer is actually the latter. There is probably less total prostition now, but what's there is more visible.

You talk about "increased crime" in reference to pimp shootouts, but you know prostitution and sex trafficking are crimes too, right? If thousands of women and girls are suffering but you can't see it because it's all organized online, that's not necessarily better.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#900

Post by Henchman21 » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 6:29 PM UTC

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…

Literacy and nuance is hard with written words — especially when a large chunk of your audience is either a non-native English speaker or and Adderall addict. I feel like this community is heavily laden with both, and surely there must be some significant overlap between those groups.

In other words, it was too well written