Just in case any of you are wondering who Ross is ...<p>He created the Silk Road, a popular online exchange for illegal drugs, and prosecutors alleged that he paid $730K to try to kill six people. (He was not, however, charged with attempted murder. Instead, he was charged and convicted of money laundering and drug offenses.)<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Ulbricht" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Ulbricht</a><p>EDIT: I just want to make completely clear that I didn't post this info in an effort to discredit his essay's argument, which is that the U.S. prison system is in need of drastic reform. I agree wholeheartedly with that. I just wanted to give some context, because I didn't know who he was, and the "Who is Ross?" section of the freeross.org site makes it seem like he's an angelic Boy Scout philanthropist sweetheart.
I’ve thought the punishment of Ross was extremely too harsh: life in prison without the possibility of parole. I know the government paints this picture of him as a major drug smuggler, but I think we in the tech world are smarter than that and realize creating a platform is different than selling. After all, are EBay and Amazon liable for all the counterfeit things on their page? Should Bezos go to jail?<p>I also think the Silk Road story would be a fascinating 2-season, 20 episode series on Netflix. Read the story linked below for a great 2 hour read.<p>- <a href="https://www.wired.com/2015/04/silk-road-1/" rel="nofollow">https://www.wired.com/2015/04/silk-road-1/</a>
> Imagine the worst torture you can think of that doesn’t leave the victim disabled, something you can’t deny is cruel: burning, flogging — take your pick. If the victims themselves would prefer this torture to imprisonment, the inescapable conclusion is that prison is worse, even more cruel. I, and every prisoner I have asked, would prefer any amount of pain and cruelty, for a limited duration, to the years and decades we’re forced to spend here—spirits crushed, hope abandoned, relegated to irrelevance.<p>People will say they choose all sorts of theoretical punishments that have no chance of happening. In reality, I doubt very many people would actually go through with it if actually given the chance.
The ever-interesting thing about Ulbricht – every thread devolves into a discussion on whether he "paid someone to murder someone else".<p>Every stitch of evidence says he did. Defenders will make two claims: 1. he was never charged – despite the fact the schemes were absolutely a part of the conspiracy charges he was convicted of or 2. the evidence was planted!<p>The first fact being provably untrue and the second being impossible to disprove.<p>Prison is a dark, and horrendous existence. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I would spend a lifetime avoiding it. I believe in rehabilitation and remorse. I don't believe in "throwing away" people who make mistakes.<p>But once you've decided that the death of one person is worth less than the "value" of your business, a business specifically designed to thwart obvious laws for your own profit, I have a hard time finding sympathy for you, beyond the basic sympathy I'd extend anyone who is being forced to live with the consequences of their actions.
I agree the punishment is to harsh for drug smuggling, but if he did attempt to murder six people, then it's not. He should have his day in court for attempted murder.
My "favorite" thing about the case was how the feds found him buying a fake id in a "random" customs check. I'll bet you there was some parallel construction going on.<p>FWIW I have a hard time having sympathy for a drug kingpin hacker doing hard time. Mess with the best, die like the rest.
> I don’t claim that we don’t need to keep some people separated from free society.<p>Like people who contract the murders of other other people, in order to keep their criminal empire, with zero remorse or appreciation what they have done? Exactly.
Reading this, it sounds like he is not pleading not guilty, but rather saying whatever has been done but blah blah I don't deserve this. Reading into his thought process feels very dark, I may be reading too much here but there almost seems to be some subtle undertones of vengeance and encouraging (maybe his past friends) to help seek revenge to what happened to him.