Ross Ulbricht? He was given a life sentence without possibility of parole for the heinous crime of operating a website that facilitated peaceful transactions between consenting adults. Meanwhile, murderers, rapists, and con artists get off with almost nothing.
From a libertarian perspective, it is obvious that no one should go to prison for facilitating peaceful transactions among consenting adults. But Ulbricht’s grossly disproportionate punishment should give pause even to supporters of the war on drugs.
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Silk Road not only protected consumers against the risks of arrest and black-market violence. It also protected them against rip-offs through an escrow system that delayed payment until shipments were received.
In contrast with the potentially lethal uncertainty regarding drug composition that users typically face as a result of prohibition, Silk Road offered some assurance that buyers were getting what they expected.
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As Forrest saw it, these benefits magnified Ulbricht’s offenses because Silk Road encouraged drug use by making it less dangerous and more convenient. Even if you are sympathetic to that view, a life sentence for a first-time, nonviolent drug offender is hard to fathom, let alone justify. It was far more severe than the sentences imposed on other Silk Road defendants, including people who actually sold drugs, as opposed to assisting those transactions.
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Forrest also seemed to believe that Ulbricht’s libertarian views, to which she repeatedly alluded, were relevant in determining how many years he should serve. As you might expect, she said his moral opposition to drug prohibition “provides no excuse.” But she also thought it was “notable” that “the reasons you started Silk Road were philosophical,” adding, “I don’t know that it is a philosophy left behind.”
Hopefully that gives some context, but please read the article if what I’ve quoted interests you.
I absolutely abhor Trump, but I also believe that Ross Ulbricht should be free and that we should have a path to legal consumption of recreational drugs.
I think its slightly dishonest to frame this as him simply “creating a website”. He created a marketplace to sell drugs on, I just don’t understand the sympathy. I feel bad for low level drug dealers in jail, this guy not so much.
I would agree it could’ve been handled differently, same with every other aspect of the war on drugs. But celebrating this guy is a step too far for me.
Fair enough. The way I see it though is he made the drug trade incredibly safer because there were forums dedicated to drug testing, the stuff you got. You didn’t have to meet up with people in shady back alleys to purchase the drugs. So reduction of violence occurred, etc.
He was never formally charged with those, and the court dismissed those charges years later due to lack of evidence. So either he did not do it, or the US government in all its power could not find out that he did it.
I did some reading and because he was never indicted for them for the trial, I don’t believe they’ve been dismissed, at least based on my quick research.
I wonder what the statute of limitations is, and what this pardon is for and if a prosecutor still thinks those are indictments worth pursuing.
Why are people in support of this guy?
Ross Ulbricht? He was given a life sentence without possibility of parole for the heinous crime of operating a website that facilitated peaceful transactions between consenting adults. Meanwhile, murderers, rapists, and con artists get off with almost nothing.
Here’s an article about it by libertarian-leaning magazine Reason, and some quotes:
Hopefully that gives some context, but please read the article if what I’ve quoted interests you.
I absolutely abhor Trump, but I also believe that Ross Ulbricht should be free and that we should have a path to legal consumption of recreational drugs.
He was at least accused of putting out contracts to have people killed. 🤷♂️
What about what your mom does, down by the docks at night?
He was never formally charged, and the charges were dropped years later due to lack of evidence.
Edit: https://reason.com/2018/07/25/ross-ulbrichts-murder-for-hire-charges-d/
Because he was put in jail for over a decade for creating a website and he was made an example victim of the failed drug war.
I think its slightly dishonest to frame this as him simply “creating a website”. He created a marketplace to sell drugs on, I just don’t understand the sympathy. I feel bad for low level drug dealers in jail, this guy not so much.
I would agree it could’ve been handled differently, same with every other aspect of the war on drugs. But celebrating this guy is a step too far for me.
Do you know what a website is? I guess we should shut down Facebook because of crimes facilitated thru them?
No, because Facebook is not explicitly designed for the sole purpose of illegal transactions. Very clear difference.
Fair enough. The way I see it though is he made the drug trade incredibly safer because there were forums dedicated to drug testing, the stuff you got. You didn’t have to meet up with people in shady back alleys to purchase the drugs. So reduction of violence occurred, etc.
He tried to put out contract killinga on people, though, right?
That isn’t selling drugs online for crypto.
He was never formally charged with those, and the court dismissed those charges years later due to lack of evidence. So either he did not do it, or the US government in all its power could not find out that he did it.
I did some reading and because he was never indicted for them for the trial, I don’t believe they’ve been dismissed, at least based on my quick research.
I wonder what the statute of limitations is, and what this pardon is for and if a prosecutor still thinks those are indictments worth pursuing.
https://reason.com/2018/07/25/ross-ulbrichts-murder-for-hire-charges-d/
Yeah, but dropped isn’t dismissed. I can’t tell who is saying they dismissed the charged, a judge or a prosecutor.