Author Topic: Jackboot state asserts dominance over individual's liberty  (Read 2159 times)

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Human Snorenado

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http://www.wired.com/2015/05/silk-road-creator-ross-ulbricht-sentenced-life-prison/

Looks like it really doesn't pay to create a dark web drug market, brehs
yar

Kara

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Re: Jackboot state asserts dominance over individual's liberty
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2015, 06:10:53 PM »
Life without parole? lol fuck off.

brob

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Re: Jackboot state asserts dominance over individual's liberty
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2015, 06:20:53 PM »
Sarah Jeong wrote about this case for forbes

It's hilarious/insane/great.

Tasty

  • Senior Member
Re: Jackboot state asserts dominance over individual's liberty
« Reply #3 on: May 29, 2015, 06:24:12 PM »
I don't see the justification for this kind of sentence unless they're factoring in the contract killing allegations.

That's exactly what they did. Speculation is they couldn't charge him with it because it could be entrapment, but the contract killing stuff was made admissible for this trial.

Dude's a scumbag.

Human Snorenado

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Re: Jackboot state asserts dominance over individual's liberty
« Reply #4 on: May 29, 2015, 06:41:52 PM »
The prosecution even just asked for 20 years; judge went all out, because reasons I guess.
yar

seagrams hotsauce

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Re: Jackboot state asserts dominance over individual's liberty
« Reply #5 on: May 29, 2015, 06:44:45 PM »
Life without parole? lol fuck off.
Is that remotely surprising though?

benjipwns

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Re: Jackboot state asserts dominance over individual's liberty
« Reply #6 on: May 29, 2015, 08:02:02 PM »
Quote
In the world you created over time, democracy didn’t exist.
wat

Quote
Silk Road’s birth and presence asserted that its…creator was better than the laws of this country. This is deeply troubling, terribly misguided, and very dangerous.
lol, at least she's honest



Also, DARK WEB DARK WEB DARK INTERNET DARK WEB, this case is really a viral advertisement for CSI:CYBER.

WEDNESDAYS ON CBS.

spoiler (click to show/hide)
Maybe, I dunno when it's on.
[close]

Tasty

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Re: Jackboot state asserts dominance over individual's liberty
« Reply #7 on: May 29, 2015, 08:26:06 PM »
Don't do the crime if you can't do the time. :ufup

chronovore

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Re: Jackboot state asserts dominance over individual's liberty
« Reply #8 on: May 30, 2015, 12:11:57 AM »
 Sentencing is in line with the crime. There is no way in hell that the state is going to tolerate competition from other, non-state entities using murder to protect its own business interests.

Joe Molotov

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Re: Jackboot state asserts dominance over individual's liberty
« Reply #9 on: May 30, 2015, 12:31:54 AM »
He was just helping concerned patriots who needed someone to assist them in standing their ground.
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HyperZoneWasAwesome

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Re: Jackboot state asserts dominance over individual's liberty
« Reply #10 on: May 30, 2015, 02:18:15 AM »
isn't there a chance that the poor, still kinda evil schmuck can get his sentence reduced on appeal?

I mean, its not like he won't have time to prepare for it.

Great Rumbler

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Re: Jackboot state asserts dominance over individual's liberty
« Reply #11 on: May 30, 2015, 09:23:21 AM »
isn't there a chance that the poor, still kinda evil schmuck can get his sentence reduced on appeal?

Sure, there's always a chance, but I don't think the Supreme Court currently structured would be inclined to give him that.
dog

Am_I_Anonymous

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Re: Jackboot state asserts dominance over individual's liberty
« Reply #12 on: May 30, 2015, 09:43:33 AM »
Let's See..

Created the market for obtaining class 1 narcotics.

had tons of minors as clients

Moved tons of acid, coke, Etc

Hired a hitman.

Yup to tried to stop the next guy from doing this you had to throw the book at him.

0 fucks given. Enjoy prison.
YMMV

benjipwns

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Re: Jackboot state asserts dominance over individual's liberty
« Reply #13 on: May 30, 2015, 10:32:24 AM »
Created the market for obtaining class 1 narcotics.

...

Moved tons of acid, coke, Etc
:noooo

zomgee

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Re: Jackboot state asserts dominance over individual's liberty
« Reply #14 on: May 30, 2015, 01:19:13 PM »
I saw a great comment on Ars and I posted it on GAF about the sentencing for just one of his convictions:

If you look at the Sentencing Guidelines (http://www.ussc.gov/guidelines-manual/guidelines-manual) for Continuing Criminal Enterprise based on the fact that:

1) he was convicted of the Continuing Criminal Enterprise (http://www.ussc.gov/guidelines-manual/2014/2014-chapter-2-d#2d15),

2) he had no prior criminal history (http://www.ussc.gov/guidelines-manual/2014/2014-chapter-4#4a11) and

3) he never took responsibility for the charges at trial (http://www.ussc.gov/guidelines-manual/2014/2014-chapter-3#3e11)

Then, the recommended sentence is 360 months (30 years) to life (http://www.ussc.gov/guidelines-manual/2014/2014-chapter-5#5asentab).

And that's just for one of his convictions. When combined with his other convictions, that's probably why she gave a life sentence. Not saying I agree but it looks like federal guidelines dictate some of this.
rub

seagrams hotsauce

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Re: Jackboot state asserts dominance over individual's liberty
« Reply #15 on: May 30, 2015, 06:50:07 PM »
Was he convicted of hiring a hitman though?
It hasn't gone to trial, and probably won't, thanks to the spectacularly named and disappointingly incompetent Special Agent Mark Force.

Barry Egan

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Re: Jackboot state asserts dominance over individual's liberty
« Reply #16 on: May 30, 2015, 07:53:58 PM »
What is Ross being punished for?

Is Ross' "real crime" -- the thing he is being ruined for selling drugs? The disproportionately harsh sentence says no, especially in light of the fact that Ross himself did very little trade. Is Ross' "real crime" killing people? No -- he did not do that, nor was he tried for that.

So why is Ross really being punished?

Set aside for a moment the sophist words of the judge in her sentencing act; table the immense corruption involved in the prosecution of Ross; I ask you that, just for a moment, you listen to the content of the behavior of the people working to ruin Ross. Forget the words. Listen to the acts.

Note how they inexplicably disallowed Ross vital legal defenses; note the use of the testimony of a known thieving and extortionist cop; note how they sullied Ross' reputation publicly prior to the trial, so as to make a fair trial impossible. Note the disinformation surrounding the case, especially how many people falsely believe that Ross is being punished for murder. Note, in sum, how the actions of the people working to ruin him are not consistent with prosecuting either of these crimes.

If you do that, the truth becomes immediately crystal-clear: "None of you shall ever think about willfully disobeying us. If you do, you will be the next one we'll ruin."
Yes, the one thing Ross is being punished for -- which is consistent with the callous, unjust, egregious and deceitful behavior of those ruining him publicly -- is willful disobedience (also known as insubordination).

Why?

There is one idea every prospective or active ruler understands better than any other: where no one obeys, no one rules. This is a millennia-old principle of archist rule. If there is one thing that the rulers who want to stay rulers cannot allow, is for the ruled to flaunt their disobedience of the rulers' orders. That is especially so when that disobedience is principled and deliberate.

This is why, when the ruler finds himself challenged, he cannot afford to give a shit about justice or even the appearance thereof. He must, ruthlessly and at all costs, force the insubordinate to subordinate... else the ruler finds himself not a ruler anymore. The more effective the insubordination, the more fear must be struck into the ruled, the crueler and more painful the punishment must be.

This fact of rulership explains why the harshest punishments are reserved for insubordination to the rulers, which in turn answers the question of why Ross was given such a disproportionately cruel sentence relative to other drug sellers. Two hundred years ago, the more belligerently the abolitionist Negroes defied their Masters, the harsher and more publicly the Masters punished them. Similarly, Lenin would order people beheaded and their heads displayed in public squares. Today's U.S. society sees perpetual rape cages as the maximum tolerable punishment, so that's what Ross gets. But make no mistake: if Ross had lived just a few hundred years ago, his punishment would have been public gutting and exsanguination.

(Some of you likely noticed the astonishing parallels between Ross' predicament and an abusive parent raging at their kid "you are grounded forever!" or brutalizing their kid, as reaction to the kid's insubordination. I agree. Be that as it may, that's probably a topic for a different conversation.)

Once one understands what was at stake for the rulers if Ross had succeeded, one understands why Ross being ruined was a foregone conclusion from the outset.

Unfortunately for the rulers, it's too late, as others have already decided to follow Ross' insubordinate footsteps. Short of sudden total despotism, I don't see how the rulers will preserve their grip long-term.


Am_I_Anonymous

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Re: Jackboot state asserts dominance over individual's liberty
« Reply #17 on: May 30, 2015, 07:58:54 PM »
TL/DR

Fuck him. You know what he did and what he was responsible for.
YMMV

benjipwns

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Re: Jackboot state asserts dominance over individual's liberty
« Reply #18 on: May 30, 2015, 08:04:24 PM »
Quote from: reddit ancap
Set aside for a moment the sophist words of the judge in her sentencing act; table the immense corruption involved in the prosecution of Ross; I ask you that, just for a moment, you listen to the content of the behavior of the people working to ruin Ross. Forget the words. Listen to the acts.

Note how they inexplicably disallowed Ross vital legal defenses; note the use of the testimony of a known thieving and extortionist cop; note how they sullied Ross' reputation publicly prior to the trial, so as to make a fair trial impossible. Note the disinformation surrounding the case, especially how many people falsely believe that Ross is being punished for murder.
I CAN'T DO BOTH OF THESE THINGS

EDIT: Why is the ancap reddit page banner orange and black?

Not that those flag colors aren't stupid.

seagrams hotsauce

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Re: Jackboot state asserts dominance over individual's liberty
« Reply #19 on: May 30, 2015, 09:28:23 PM »
 :dead :dead :dead

Joe Molotov

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Re: Jackboot state asserts dominance over individual's liberty
« Reply #20 on: May 30, 2015, 10:19:54 PM »
Was he convicted of hiring a hitman though?
It hasn't gone to trial, and probably won't, thanks to the spectacularly named and disappointingly incompetent Special Agent Mark Force.

Jean-Claude Van Damme is Special Agent Mark Force in MAXIMUM FORCE: MARKED FOR JUSTICE.

This time...it's not going to trial.  :gun :gun
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Kara

  • It was all going to be very admirable and noble and it would show us - philosophically - what it means to be human.
  • Senior Member
Re: Jackboot state asserts dominance over individual's liberty
« Reply #21 on: May 30, 2015, 11:48:58 PM »
Quote from: reddit ancap
Set aside for a moment the sophist words of the judge in her sentencing act; table the immense corruption involved in the prosecution of Ross; I ask you that, just for a moment, you listen to the content of the behavior of the people working to ruin Ross. Forget the words. Listen to the acts.

Note how they inexplicably disallowed Ross vital legal defenses; note the use of the testimony of a known thieving and extortionist cop; note how they sullied Ross' reputation publicly prior to the trial, so as to make a fair trial impossible. Note the disinformation surrounding the case, especially how many people falsely believe that Ross is being punished for murder.
I CAN'T DO BOTH OF THESE THINGS

EDIT: Why is the ancap reddit page banner orange and black?

Not that those flag colors aren't stupid.

There's a labor theory of value (black-orange is mutualism) joke to be made here but I'm too spent to make it.