dollarlayermustardoverlordI'm not even sure what he did should be a felony, let alone life in prison-worthy
Really? He facilitated the means for over 1 million illegal transactions (many of them drug transactions, but some firearm and other illegal goods/services transactions as well).
If he got a year in prison for each transaction, he'd be looking at 1 million years in jail. RIP.
I didn't say I'm not sure what he did that IS considered a felony, I said I wasn't sure what he did that SHOULD be considered a felony.
I don't believe that drug transactions should be illegal, so there you go.
I also don't believe in layering separate offenses on top of one another in that manner to create mandatory sentencing minimums.
dollarlayerBut then there was also the whole thing about him hiring a hitman...
Like I said, I don't want to rush to judgment on that point until I have more concrete evidence. Obviously, if he really did plan the murder of six people or whatever that that's a much more serious offense.
dollarlayermustardoverlordwell, we don't give the goldman sachs or bear stearns board life in prison, and they ultimately caused hundreds of times more damage in human cost, so I think we have a bit of a double standard here.
Well, I do partially agree with you. I think many of the executives at goldman sachs should be in jail for fraud and other illegal market manipulation part of which contributed to the huge global financial crisis. But I wouldn't directly compare the crimes of the silk road guy with goldman sachs. Last I heard, I don't remember goldman sachs direct involvement in 1 million illegal drug and firearm transactions.
These large financial institutions have so much wealth and influence in the government they can get away with almost anything. I remember a quote from a financial expert at the BBC. "Governments do not rule the world. Goldman Sach's rules the world." It's sad but there is some truth to that statement.
I feel like you are somewhat confusing the "is" of my statement with the "ought".
Aside from the things companies like Goldman Sachs did that are almost certainly illegal even in a ridiculously deregulated market, I think the financial crisis has objectively led to more damage to the world at large than Silk Road. And as I previously stated, those drug transactions should not have been illegal so there you go.