Silk Road Founder Ross Ulbricht Sentenced to Life in Prison

[1aguar]

One of the best websites that show you the basic requirements that government has, and the court cases to back it all up, is http://voidjudgments.com/. If Ross doesn't use the rich info found on this site, he loses. If he does use it, government not only loses, but also, government pays Ross for harm and damage done to him by government, including the return of all his property.

I really dare you  to try this stuff out in court someday, - best case outcome you get held in contempt before sentencing, worst case a judge angry at your shenanigans hands down a harsher sentence

They could charge you with contempt, but you can just purge yourself of that contempt.
I really dare you to ask your local courts about whether OR NOT they have EVER addressed a living, breathing American. Ask the tax authorities if YOU, a living, breathing American is liable to pay the tax.
You should be experimenting too, if it is a real DARE. Why don't you try some of this yourself? Go and get a declaratory judgment stating that the court's decisions are binding upon living beings and people.
What? You are too lazy to ask questions? Too fearful? Not sure what you'd do with THAT knowledge?
Most people will spend their whole lives defending their ignorance and will neglect to QUESTION AUTHORITY.
Why is that? You are daring BADecker to question authority, but why don't you try it for yourself?

BADecker doesn't really understand how the legal system works or any American history. I love seeing kooks on the web that refuse to pay taxes because that proves they don't understand the legal system and can't read plain English.

U.S. Constitution, amendment XVI

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.

It's ok to question authority because that allows us to reveal bad actors in the system. But when you question and find they are correct you stop questioning and accept the outcome.

That amendment did not create any new powers of taxation. You are just repeating the myth, you did not question or research anything. How do you know that the tax apples to people unless you ask?? How do you know that the courts have authority over living people unless you ask? You have to change your level of thinking and start asking questions.

[cjmoles]

There are so many other people who deserve to be punished more than Ross that get away with hurting millions and millions of people.  All the big bankers that that the US government bailed out are a few examples.  They didn't get punished at all for ruining millions of lives; in fact, the US government rewarded them for their greed and dishonesty.

What you're doing is similar to a non-visual gestalt psychology. You see patterns that aren't there and rationalize actions based on that false perception.

The earth is flat because when I stand on a beach I can see the ocean is flat. When I stand on a mountain top I see the land is flat so the earth is flat.

The individual in society is responsible for his actions. The government is comprised of all voting people in a democracy. In your mind, the government becomes an individual that can be equally judged alongside the individual.

What you should say is, we are all collectively guilty as a society of crimes far worse than the crime Ulbricht committed. Does that knowledge release the individual from the responsibility for his crime? No.

Your argument would be valid and sound, if the government were comprised of all voting people; however, it is not.  The US government is comprised of those representatives funded by the big banking moguls.  Most of the decisions made in the US are not voted on by the "people."  They are passed by those who are placed into congress by super political action committees and lobbiest backed by big money.  And, if you were standing on that "mountain top" and looking out, you'd see that for yourself.

That's the excuse the voting public uses to be lazy. I have many friends that bitch about the government constantly but ask any of them if they voted in the last election and they start giving you excuses why they were too busy. The USA has pathetic voter turn out numbers. 57.7 percent of eligible voters turned out for the 2012 elections. If you don't vote then you get the government you deserve.

I'll change the statement above to suit you. What you should say is, 57.7 percent of society are all collectively guilty of crimes far worse than the crime Ulbricht committed. Does that make him any more or less guilty or invalidate his punishment. No!

I agree.  More people need to honor their civic responsibilities and get out to vote.  But that doesn't change the fact that the laws we are forced to abide by are not subject to individual consensus.  The "people" didn't get to vote on whether or not to bail out the banking industry, congress did!  And when the voters pick up their ballots to vote for their representatives, their choices are candidate A (backed by big banks) or candidate B (backed by big banks) so whose agenda is going to be upheld in congress?  Hitting the streets in protest is where the people get heard....not in congress.  Ross got hung out to dry because he was interfering with the established economic system....pure and simple....while the big banks get paid with tax payer money, in the form of government bailouts, to steal people's homes.

[Monnt]

Why did he deserve life in prison? From what I can remember, he didn't mean for Silk Road to be for illegal things, it just turned out like that, like Bitcoin... kind of.

Even for manslaughter, you don't get life inprisonment...

[BADecker]

BADecker doesn't really understand how the legal system works or any American history. I love seeing kooks on the web that refuse to pay taxes because that proves they don't understand the legal system and can't read plain English.

U.S. Constitution, amendment XVI

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.

It's ok to question authority because that allows us to reveal bad actors in the system. But when you question and find they are correct you stop questioning and accept the outcome.

Somebody pushed an amendment through for government. So now, we see the real reason that we are fighting all over the world, and why we have garrisons in over a hundred countries. We just said that we can tax everything and everybody. So, now we can do it... because we made an amendment out of it.

Wake up and see the power of the people. The 9th Amendment still stands. We the people have the right to throw off the whole government if we want, based on the 9th Amendment if nothing else.

You want to keep slavery for yourself? Go right ahead and keep it and remain in it. You're call. But only for you.

[BADecker]

There are so many other people who deserve to be punished more than Ross that get away with hurting millions and millions of people.  All the big bankers that that the US government bailed out are a few examples.  They didn't get punished at all for ruining millions of lives; in fact, the US government rewarded them for their greed and dishonesty.

What you're doing is similar to a non-visual gestalt psychology. You see patterns that aren't there and rationalize actions based on that false perception.

The earth is flat because when I stand on a beach I can see the ocean is flat. When I stand on a mountain top I see the land is flat so the earth is flat.

The individual in society is responsible for his actions. The government is comprised of all voting people in a democracy. In your mind, the government becomes an individual that can be equally judged alongside the individual.

What you should say is, we are all collectively guilty as a society of crimes far worse than the crime Ulbricht committed. Does that knowledge release the individual from the responsibility for his crime? No.

Your argument would be valid and sound, if the government were comprised of all voting people; however, it is not.  The US government is comprised of those representatives funded by the big banking moguls.  Most of the decisions made in the US are not voted on by the "people."  They are passed by those who are placed into congress by super political action committees and lobbiest backed by big money.  And, if you were standing on that "mountain top" and looking out, you'd see that for yourself.

That's the excuse the voting public uses to be lazy. I have many friends that bitch about the government constantly but ask any of them if they voted in the last election and they start giving you excuses why they were too busy. The USA has pathetic voter turn out numbers. 57.7 percent of eligible voters turned out for the 2012 elections. If you don't vote then you get the government you deserve.

I'll change the statement above to suit you. What you should say is, 57.7 percent of society are all collectively guilty of crimes far worse than the crime Ulbricht committed. Does that make him any more or less guilty or invalidate his punishment. No!

I agree.  More people need to honor their civic responsibilities and get out to vote.  But that doesn't change the fact that the laws we are forced to abide by are not subject to individual consensus.  The "people" didn't get to vote on whether or not to bail out the banking industry, congress did!  And when the voters pick up their ballots to vote for their representatives, their choices are candidate A (backed by big banks) or candidate B (backed by big banks) so whose agenda is going to be upheld in congress?  Hitting the streets in protest is where the people get heard....not in congress.  Ross got hung out to dry because he was interfering with the established economic system....pure and simple....while the big banks get paid with tax payer money, in the form of government bailouts, to steal people's homes.

More people need to honor their man/woman responsibilities by paying taxes no longer, lawfully. If enough people did this, government would dry up and blow away.

[Blue_Tiger]

Well I guess its true: Governments can't stop Bitcoin. They can just imprison its users instead.

Sorry for your Ross.

Definitely. They can do what they want. But I think that the silk road has helped everyone that used it, IN A BAD WAY. He deserves this, so i'm kind of glad that this happened.

[gentlemand]

Why did he deserve life in prison? From what I can remember, he didn't mean for Silk Road to be for illegal things, it just turned out like that, like Bitcoin... kind of.

It was designed for drugs from minute one. That's not to say he deserved such an insane sentence though.

[QuestionAuthority]

For those interested in not paying your taxes. I'll visit you in prison and sorry I don't want to change tax law. I like having a working infrastructure. I've gotten used to streets with lights over them. lol


http://docs.law.gwu.edu/facweb/jsiegel/Personal/taxes/IncomeTax.htm

[cjmoles]

For those interested in not paying your taxes. I'll visit you in prison and sorry I don't want to change tax law. I like having a working infrastructure. I've gotten used to streets with lights over them. lol


http://docs.law.gwu.edu/facweb/jsiegel/Personal/taxes/IncomeTax.htm

Yes, there's nothing wrong with paying your fair share.  But, you'd have to admit that the tax laws in the United States unfairly tax the middle class more the upper class.  Which again points directly at the disparity in the system where webpage designers, like Ross Ulbricht, get life in prison for setting up a "dark payment system" while these rich fat cat bankers get paid to steal our homes and don't face a single day in jail!

[QuestionAuthority]

For those interested in not paying your taxes. I'll visit you in prison and sorry I don't want to change tax law. I like having a working infrastructure. I've gotten used to streets with lights over them. lol


http://docs.law.gwu.edu/facweb/jsiegel/Personal/taxes/IncomeTax.htm

Yes, there's nothing wrong with paying your fair share.  But, you'd have to admit that the tax laws in the United States unfairly tax the middle class more the upper class.  Which again points directly at the disparity in the system where webpage designers, like Ross Ulbricht, get life in prison for setting up a "dark payment system" while these rich fat cat bankers get paid to steal our homes and don't face a single day in jail!

Of course, you'd have to be blind to not see the inequities. I'm not as shocked that inequity happens as I am that this complex system works as well as it does. The US system of laws are a hodge podge of code slowly built up over generations of changes to suit changing times. I would like to see change and modernization. I'm probably more radical than you are in that regard. I would like to see a fourth continental congress and rewrite/update the current system. Too many people are afraid that we will end up with a worse system than we have now if we try. I don't think so. I don't see anything special about the original founding fathers. Our current society can duplicate their brain power. I also don't think you would see the sweeping changes that you might suggest. It would be more of a clarification of the existing laws than an entirely new legal system.

[1aguar]

For those interested in not paying your taxes. I'll visit you in prison and sorry I don't want to change tax law. I like having a working infrastructure. I've gotten used to streets with lights over them. lol


http://docs.law.gwu.edu/facweb/jsiegel/Personal/taxes/IncomeTax.htm

I will be happy to pay all taxes that are due, as long as the government pays me what THEY owe.

As far as the income tax, all receipts from that tax go towards funding federal transfer payments and interest on the national debt (Grace Commission Report); none of it goes towards what people expect to be paying for. LOL?

Now If you think that the tax code (or any code) applies to living people, then by all means pay your tribute and do NOT question the authorities. If you have doubts, then ask the question and be prepared to stand up for yourself when you get the run-around from these authorities.

By the way, to get out of prison... See Volume 1 of the Statutes at Large: An Act providing for the relief of persons imprisoned for Debts due to the United States. 5th Congress 2nd Session Chapter 49.
This act allows one to petition the Secretary of the Treasury to make a conveyance out of one's estate in order to discharge oneself from prison. The foreign de facto UNITED STATES are holding our estates in offshore mortmain accounts, that is why Social Security has been modified by the queen of ENGLAND.
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/United_States_Statutes_at_Large/Volume_1/5th_Congress/2nd_Session/Chapter_49

[cjmoles]

For those interested in not paying your taxes. I'll visit you in prison and sorry I don't want to change tax law. I like having a working infrastructure. I've gotten used to streets with lights over them. lol


http://docs.law.gwu.edu/facweb/jsiegel/Personal/taxes/IncomeTax.htm

Yes, there's nothing wrong with paying your fair share.  But, you'd have to admit that the tax laws in the United States unfairly tax the middle class more the upper class.  Which again points directly at the disparity in the system where webpage designers, like Ross Ulbricht, get life in prison for setting up a "dark payment system" while these rich fat cat bankers get paid to steal our homes and don't face a single day in jail!

Of course, you'd have to be blind to not see the inequities. I'm not as shocked that inequity happens as I am that this complex system works as well as it does. The US system of laws are a hodge podge of code slowly built up over generations of changes to suit changing times. I would like to see change and modernization. I'm probably more radical than you are in that regard. I would like to see a fourth continental congress and rewrite/update the current system. Too many people are afraid that we will end up with a worse system than we have now if we try. I don't think so. I don't see anything special about the original founding fathers. Our current society can duplicate their brain power. I also don't think you would see the sweeping changes that you might suggest. It would be more of a clarification of the existing laws than an entirely new legal system.

I support our constitution!  I don't know if it needs to go through the revisions necessary to convene a Continental Congress; however, I wouldn't be opposed to it. I think that the bigger problems the United States faces at the moment are economical....The very rich have powers that are greater than the executable powers of the constitution. I think that "the people" have forgotten, or have ignored, their duties to enforce that which the constitution enumerates.  The constitution wouldn't be the constitution without those who were willing to stand up for it.  Too many of us are being influenced by the power of the dollar to realize the injustices that are happening right before our eyes.  

I mean....life for Ulbricht for setting up an anonymous transaction service, but for those who stold millions of homes in the US, a $700B gift.  Not one person went to jail for a single day from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the American International Group, the Lehman Brothers....etc.  

[BADecker]

One of the best websites that show you the basic requirements that government has, and the court cases to back it all up, is http://voidjudgments.com/. If Ross doesn't use the rich info found on this site, he loses. If he does use it, government not only loses, but also, government pays Ross for harm and damage done to him by government, including the return of all his property.

I really dare you  to try this stuff out in court someday, - best case outcome you get held in contempt before sentencing, worst case a judge angry at your shenanigans hands down a harsher sentence

Actually, this is being done all the time. Sure, the way people are using it is open to the good graces of the courts, but the courts allow it to work because they don't want people digging in too far. If people dug in too far, they would find out how to make it work all the time, like Karl Lentz has.

----------

The fine line between common law usage, and civil law usage.

See how to make the Feds obey the law. First, watch this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twn96nj0jfw&index=10&list=PLHrkQxgz0mg6kUBciD-HIvTXByqjcIZ-D.

Then Listen to the first two audio MP3s on the right side of this page - http://www.myprivateaudio.com/Karl-Lentz.html.

Then listen to audios 01 and 02 at the bottom of this page - http://recordings.talkshoe.com/rss127469.xml.

Then contact Karl here - http://www.broadmind.org/Contact.html.

----------

http://www.myprivateaudio.com/Karl-Lentz.html = Angela Stark's Talkshoe.

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5duR4OvEHHxOSdEZhANETw = TrustInAllLaw snippets of Karl's audios.

http://www.broadmind.org/ = Karl's main page.

http://www.unkommonlaw.co.uk/ = Karl's United Kingdom page.

http://www.youtube.com/user/765736/videos?view=0&live_view=500&flow=grid&sort=da = Craig Lynch's snippets page.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOkAHRzuiOA&list=PLHrkQxgz0mg6kUBciD-HIvTXByqjcIZ-D = Ten great Youtube videos, might be the best introduction to Karl.

http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=127469&cmd=tc = Karl's Talkshoe site.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iua56K4Mysk = Karl Lentz - The Brian Bonar Incident - YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdHLHWS4gPE = Lentz-Sense - don't be a More~On - YouTube.


Other Info

http://voidjudgments.com/ = The Secret is most judgments are Void on their face and not merely voidable.

http://educationcenter2000.com/Trinsey-v-Paglario.htm = Trinsey v. Pagliaro - Attorneys cannot "speak" in common law trials if the one who is bringing the suit orders it. Holding from Trinsey v. Pagliaro: "An attorney for the plaintiff cannot admit evidence into the court. He is either an attorney or a witness."

----------

[QuestionAuthority]

For those interested in not paying your taxes. I'll visit you in prison and sorry I don't want to change tax law. I like having a working infrastructure. I've gotten used to streets with lights over them. lol


http://docs.law.gwu.edu/facweb/jsiegel/Personal/taxes/IncomeTax.htm

Yes, there's nothing wrong with paying your fair share.  But, you'd have to admit that the tax laws in the United States unfairly tax the middle class more the upper class.  Which again points directly at the disparity in the system where webpage designers, like Ross Ulbricht, get life in prison for setting up a "dark payment system" while these rich fat cat bankers get paid to steal our homes and don't face a single day in jail!

Of course, you'd have to be blind to not see the inequities. I'm not as shocked that inequity happens as I am that this complex system works as well as it does. The US system of laws are a hodge podge of code slowly built up over generations of changes to suit changing times. I would like to see change and modernization. I'm probably more radical than you are in that regard. I would like to see a fourth continental congress and rewrite/update the current system. Too many people are afraid that we will end up with a worse system than we have now if we try. I don't think so. I don't see anything special about the original founding fathers. Our current society can duplicate their brain power. I also don't think you would see the sweeping changes that you might suggest. It would be more of a clarification of the existing laws than an entirely new legal system.

I support our constitution!  I don't know if it needs to go through the revisions necessary to convene a Continental Congress; however, I wouldn't be opposed to it. I think that the bigger problems the United States faces at the moment are economical....The very rich have powers that are greater than the executable powers of the constitution. I think that "the people" have forgotten, or have ignored, their duties to enforce that which the constitution enumerates.  The constitution wouldn't be the constitution without those who were willing to stand up for it.  Too many of us are being influenced by the power of the dollar to realize the injustices that are happening right before our eyes.  

I mean....life for Ulbricht for setting up an anonymous transaction service, but for those who stold millions of homes in the US, a $700B gift.  Not one person went to jail for a single day from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the American International Group, the Lehman Brothers....etc.  

I support but don't really appreciate the current constitution. We need a new one that covers the current world we live in. Since when do we need people walking around wearing a six shooter or the government quartering solders in your barn. The document is way outdated.

Punishing Ulbricht can't really be compared to a worldwide recession. In a recession many factors come together to create an economic decline. There is no one industry or business to blame and there certainly isn't one individual to blame. I suppose you could blame most of the problem on the mortgage industry that allowed 3-1 and 5-1 arm mortgages with unbearable balloon payments to crush the banks with foreclosures but how do you punish them? That's different from punishing an individual that committed a crime against society.

[cjmoles]

For those interested in not paying your taxes. I'll visit you in prison and sorry I don't want to change tax law. I like having a working infrastructure. I've gotten used to streets with lights over them. lol


http://docs.law.gwu.edu/facweb/jsiegel/Personal/taxes/IncomeTax.htm

Yes, there's nothing wrong with paying your fair share.  But, you'd have to admit that the tax laws in the United States unfairly tax the middle class more the upper class.  Which again points directly at the disparity in the system where webpage designers, like Ross Ulbricht, get life in prison for setting up a "dark payment system" while these rich fat cat bankers get paid to steal our homes and don't face a single day in jail!

Of course, you'd have to be blind to not see the inequities. I'm not as shocked that inequity happens as I am that this complex system works as well as it does. The US system of laws are a hodge podge of code slowly built up over generations of changes to suit changing times. I would like to see change and modernization. I'm probably more radical than you are in that regard. I would like to see a fourth continental congress and rewrite/update the current system. Too many people are afraid that we will end up with a worse system than we have now if we try. I don't think so. I don't see anything special about the original founding fathers. Our current society can duplicate their brain power. I also don't think you would see the sweeping changes that you might suggest. It would be more of a clarification of the existing laws than an entirely new legal system.

I support our constitution!  I don't know if it needs to go through the revisions necessary to convene a Continental Congress; however, I wouldn't be opposed to it. I think that the bigger problems the United States faces at the moment are economical....The very rich have powers that are greater than the executable powers of the constitution. I think that "the people" have forgotten, or have ignored, their duties to enforce that which the constitution enumerates.  The constitution wouldn't be the constitution without those who were willing to stand up for it.  Too many of us are being influenced by the power of the dollar to realize the injustices that are happening right before our eyes.  

I mean....life for Ulbricht for setting up an anonymous transaction service, but for those who stold millions of homes in the US, a $700B gift.  Not one person went to jail for a single day from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the American International Group, the Lehman Brothers....etc.  

I support but don't really appreciate the current constitution. We need a new one that covers the current world we live in. Since when do we need people walking around wearing a six shooter or the government quartering solders in your barn. The document is way outdated.

Punishing Ulbricht can't really be compared to a worldwide recession. In a recession many factors come together to create an economic decline. There is no one industry or business to blame and there certainly isn't one individual to blame. I suppose you could blame most of the problem on the mortgage industry that allowed 3-1 and 5-1 arm mortgages with unbearable balloon payments to crush the banks with foreclosures but how do you punish them? That's different from punishing an individual that committed a crime against society.

See that just it!  Ulbricht got punished for what everybody else was doing in this "dark market" he created.  He was just the figurehead....So, by that logic, Ben Bernanke should be doing life in prison for allowing the banking system to create its own money and cheating the working poor out of their homes and ruining millions  lives.  Ulbricht took the fall for all the crooked stuff that went on in his market, so Bernanke should take the fall for all the crooked stuff that went on in his?

[QuestionAuthority]

For those interested in not paying your taxes. I'll visit you in prison and sorry I don't want to change tax law. I like having a working infrastructure. I've gotten used to streets with lights over them. lol


http://docs.law.gwu.edu/facweb/jsiegel/Personal/taxes/IncomeTax.htm

Yes, there's nothing wrong with paying your fair share.  But, you'd have to admit that the tax laws in the United States unfairly tax the middle class more the upper class.  Which again points directly at the disparity in the system where webpage designers, like Ross Ulbricht, get life in prison for setting up a "dark payment system" while these rich fat cat bankers get paid to steal our homes and don't face a single day in jail!

Of course, you'd have to be blind to not see the inequities. I'm not as shocked that inequity happens as I am that this complex system works as well as it does. The US system of laws are a hodge podge of code slowly built up over generations of changes to suit changing times. I would like to see change and modernization. I'm probably more radical than you are in that regard. I would like to see a fourth continental congress and rewrite/update the current system. Too many people are afraid that we will end up with a worse system than we have now if we try. I don't think so. I don't see anything special about the original founding fathers. Our current society can duplicate their brain power. I also don't think you would see the sweeping changes that you might suggest. It would be more of a clarification of the existing laws than an entirely new legal system.

I support our constitution!  I don't know if it needs to go through the revisions necessary to convene a Continental Congress; however, I wouldn't be opposed to it. I think that the bigger problems the United States faces at the moment are economical....The very rich have powers that are greater than the executable powers of the constitution. I think that "the people" have forgotten, or have ignored, their duties to enforce that which the constitution enumerates.  The constitution wouldn't be the constitution without those who were willing to stand up for it.  Too many of us are being influenced by the power of the dollar to realize the injustices that are happening right before our eyes.  

I mean....life for Ulbricht for setting up an anonymous transaction service, but for those who stold millions of homes in the US, a $700B gift.  Not one person went to jail for a single day from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the American International Group, the Lehman Brothers....etc.  

I support but don't really appreciate the current constitution. We need a new one that covers the current world we live in. Since when do we need people walking around wearing a six shooter or the government quartering solders in your barn. The document is way outdated.

Punishing Ulbricht can't really be compared to a worldwide recession. In a recession many factors come together to create an economic decline. There is no one industry or business to blame and there certainly isn't one individual to blame. I suppose you could blame most of the problem on the mortgage industry that allowed 3-1 and 5-1 arm mortgages with unbearable balloon payments to crush the banks with foreclosures but how do you punish them? That's different from punishing an individual that committed a crime against society.

See that just it!  Ulbricht got punished for what everybody else was doing in this "dark market" he created.  He was just the figurehead....So, by that logic, Ben Bernanke should be doing life in prison for allowing the banking system to create its own money and cheating the working poor out of their homes and ruining millions  lives.  Ulbricht took the fall for all the crooked stuff that went on in his market, so Bernanke should take the fall for all the crooked stuff that went on in his?

What a funny idea. I think most of the responsibility would fall on the shoulders of Alan Greenspan not Ben Bernanke but I get the idea. You can't really blame the chair of the fed because they are just appointees of the president. Knowing that, we couldn't really hold Alan Greenspan responsible we would need to punish the president that appointed him. Ronald Reagan appointed Greenspan but Reagan died in 2004 so we can't hold him responsible.

This is what I'm talking about. Why is the political appointee of a dead president allowed to sit in office as his masters bones rot in a pine box? We've learned a lot in the last couple of hundred years and the basic documents that control the country need to be updated with that knowledge. This isn't a feudal society. Very few people in this country work as trappers or hunters so why is every Tom, Dick and Harry allowed to walk around with a gun? The system of governance is outdated.

[BADecker]

For those interested in not paying your taxes. I'll visit you in prison and sorry I don't want to change tax law. I like having a working infrastructure. I've gotten used to streets with lights over them. lol


http://docs.law.gwu.edu/facweb/jsiegel/Personal/taxes/IncomeTax.htm

Yes, there's nothing wrong with paying your fair share.  But, you'd have to admit that the tax laws in the United States unfairly tax the middle class more the upper class.  Which again points directly at the disparity in the system where webpage designers, like Ross Ulbricht, get life in prison for setting up a "dark payment system" while these rich fat cat bankers get paid to steal our homes and don't face a single day in jail!

Of course, you'd have to be blind to not see the inequities. I'm not as shocked that inequity happens as I am that this complex system works as well as it does. The US system of laws are a hodge podge of code slowly built up over generations of changes to suit changing times. I would like to see change and modernization. I'm probably more radical than you are in that regard. I would like to see a fourth continental congress and rewrite/update the current system. Too many people are afraid that we will end up with a worse system than we have now if we try. I don't think so. I don't see anything special about the original founding fathers. Our current society can duplicate their brain power. I also don't think you would see the sweeping changes that you might suggest. It would be more of a clarification of the existing laws than an entirely new legal system.

I support our constitution!  I don't know if it needs to go through the revisions necessary to convene a Continental Congress; however, I wouldn't be opposed to it. I think that the bigger problems the United States faces at the moment are economical....The very rich have powers that are greater than the executable powers of the constitution. I think that "the people" have forgotten, or have ignored, their duties to enforce that which the constitution enumerates.  The constitution wouldn't be the constitution without those who were willing to stand up for it.  Too many of us are being influenced by the power of the dollar to realize the injustices that are happening right before our eyes.  

I mean....life for Ulbricht for setting up an anonymous transaction service, but for those who stold millions of homes in the US, a $700B gift.  Not one person went to jail for a single day from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the American International Group, the Lehman Brothers....etc.  

I support but don't really appreciate the current constitution. We need a new one that covers the current world we live in. Since when do we need people walking around wearing a six shooter or the government quartering solders in your barn. The document is way outdated.

Punishing Ulbricht can't really be compared to a worldwide recession. In a recession many factors come together to create an economic decline. There is no one industry or business to blame and there certainly isn't one individual to blame. I suppose you could blame most of the problem on the mortgage industry that allowed 3-1 and 5-1 arm mortgages with unbearable balloon payments to crush the banks with foreclosures but how do you punish them? That's different from punishing an individual that committed a crime against society.

See that just it!  Ulbricht got punished for what everybody else was doing in this "dark market" he created.  He was just the figurehead....So, by that logic, Ben Bernanke should be doing life in prison for allowing the banking system to create its own money and cheating the working poor out of their homes and ruining millions  lives.  Ulbricht took the fall for all the crooked stuff that went on in his market, so Bernanke should take the fall for all the crooked stuff that went on in his?

What a funny idea. I think most of the responsibility would fall on the shoulders of Alan Greenspan not Ben Bernanke but I get the idea. You can't really blame the chair of the fed because they are just appointees of the president. Knowing that, we couldn't really hold Alan Greenspan responsible we would need to punish the president that appointed him. Ronald Reagan appointed Greenspan but Reagan died in 2004 so we can't hold him responsible.

This is what I'm talking about. Why is the political appointee of a dead president allowed to sit in office as his masters bones rot in a pine box? We've learned a lot in the last couple of hundred years and the basic documents that control the country need to be updated with that knowledge. This isn't a feudal society. Very few people in this country work as trappers or hunters so why is every Tom, Dick and Harry allowed to walk around with a gun? The system of governance is outdated.

That's the point of Bitcoin. If Bitcoin were to become popular, there would be no controlling it by government. Government would lose its popularity and reduce in size. But, the beginnings of Bitcoin are now. Almost everything that has a beginning, struggles in its beginning. Ross is simply a casualty of the Bitcoin beginnings, even though he doesn't have to be.

[QuestionAuthority]

BADecker, you draw too many conclusions from things that are totally unrelated.

Even if we did revamp the government from the ground up, I would still want people like Ulbricht to be imprisoned. I might let them out of prison in their 70s because the chance of them doing much harm at that point is over. I still want controls on anyone that promotes hard drug use (directly or indirectly), weapons distribution or harms children among many others. In fact, I would drastically increase penalties for some things like cruelty to animals.

[xenotrunksx]

BADecker, you draw too many conclusions from things that are totally unrelated.

Even if we did revamp the government from the ground up, I would still want people like Ulbricht to be imprisoned. I might let them out of prison in their 70s because the chance of them doing much harm at that point is over. I still want controls on anyone that promotes hard drug use (directly or indirectly), weapons distribution or harms children among many others. In fact, I would drastically increase penalties for some things like cruelty to animals.

This is one of the reasons it would be so difficult to accomplish anything even if an attempt was made.  I would want changes in complete opposition to what you desire.

Yes, I think Ulbricht should be in prison, although mainly for charges other than the drug selling (I remember reading something about an attempt at hiring a hitman and weapons being sold on Silk Road).  We have many legal "drugs" in the US.  I do not need a nanny state to tell me which harmful drugs I'm allowed to use and which ones I am not.  They are ALL harmful to an extent and I am more than capable of weighing my own pros and cons in substance use.  The money spent on the war on drugs would be better put to use in education, treatment and addiction facilities.

It also appears from your previous posts you are in favor of tighter gun controls or even an outright ban on civilian gun ownership.  Both of which I oppose fervently.  What's the oft coined phrase?  

"If you criminalize gun ownership then only the criminals will own guns."

I know the nuances of gun control laws and consequences cannot simply be boiled down to a 2 dollar catch phrase on a NRA poster, but France has much tighter gun laws than the US and yet criminals can just as easily mow down a street of people there as they can here.

I respect your desire for change and modernization, I just think you are pulling at the wrong threads if you want to realistically bring the majority of our country behind a change.  Lobbyists, corruption, governmental transparency, the revolving door between congress and corporations, term limits for positions that have none, etc are more pressing issues that have a greater feasibility for public support.

[cjmoles]

This is one of the reasons it would be so difficult to accomplish anything even if an attempt was made.  I would want changes in complete opposition to what you desire.

Yes, I think Ulbricht should be in prison, although mainly for charges other than the drug selling (I remember reading something about an attempt at hiring a hitman and weapons being sold on Silk Road).  We have many legal "drugs" in the US.  I do not need a nanny state to tell me which harmful drugs I'm allowed to use and which ones I am not.  They are ALL harmful to an extent and I am more than capable of weighing my own pros and cons in substance use.  The money spent on the war on drugs would be better put to use in education, treatment and addiction facilities.

It also appears from your previous posts you are in favor of tighter gun controls or even an outright ban on civilian gun ownership.  Both of which I oppose feverently.  What's the oft coined phrase? 

"If you criminalize gun ownership then only the criminals will own guns."

I know the nuances of gun control laws and consequences cannot simply be boiled down to a 2 dollar catch phrase on a NRA poster, but France has much tighter gun laws than the US and yet criminals can just as easily mow down a street of people there as they can here.

I respect your desire for change and modernization, I just think you are pulling at the wrong threads if you want to realistically bring the majority of our country behind a change.  Lobbyists, corruption, govermental transparity, the revolving door between congress and corporations, term limits for positions that have none, etc are more pressing issues that have a greater feasibility for public support.

I think that we're on the same team here.  We need to start fixing our system from the top down instead of the
bottom up.  Instead of disarming citizens by attacking the Bill of Rights, disarm big money by limiting their control over the populace.  What many US citizens forget here is that the power of the US Constitution lies in the fact that the people have the power to enforce it if need be.  Bitcoin and its ability to decentralize the control of the flow of "money" is the means by which we might achieve those goals.  Instead of attacking people like Ulbricht, we should be concentrating on the solutions to fixing our corrupted economical power base.  I believe that an attack on Ulbricht is an attack on the Bitcoin community in general!