zlacker

>>uptown+(OP)
That seems way too harsh to me. I have strong opinions on the US War on Drugs and it's failure to meaningful deal with drug use/abuse in the USA. And I feel even worse about how it's spilling out into the rest of the world as we go "global" with everything.

I can't say I know every detail of the case but I don't recall anyone getting killed or even hurt by Mr. Ulbricht so in my mind the punishment does not fit the crime. IMHO the death penalty should be off the table completely (go Nebraska!) and life in prison reserved for only violent offenders. You can argue that he enabled people to harm themselves but I think that's stretching it. If people want to take drugs, even take too much drugs their going to get it somewhere. If drugs were legal and treatment of abuse the focus instead of punishment Silk Road wouldn't have existed in the first place.

>>smhend+v1
He allegedly hired someone to kill multiple people, by the way.

http://www.wired.com/2015/02/read-transcript-silk-roads-boss...

I agree with you that drug trafficking is way overprosecuted, but...

>>icelan+r2
What is really interesting about this transcript is the people are named in full, with some addresses and other details (married, etc.) The hits, I'm assuming, were fake because the contact was undercover, but what happened with the targets? Did the one threatening him have to play along and no longer send the threatening e-mails once the undercover told him the job was done? Were they prosecuted in any way?

>>nazgul+K8
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/04/how-the-feds-stag...

They staged torture and murder to satiate Ulbricht's need to clean up loose ends.