34 votes

US President Donald Trump pardons Silk Road dark web market creator Ross Ulbricht

25 comments

  1. [2]
    updawg
    Link
    Tough on crime by pardoning people who attack cops and deal drugs. But at least he keeps his promises!

    Tough on crime by pardoning people who attack cops and deal drugs. But at least he keeps his promises!

    25 votes
    1. mild_takes
      Link Parent
      The other day he said he was cartels are terrorist organizations. I kind of agreed with that concept, but here we are releasing the silk road guy... I know its different but like, come on.

      The other day he said he was cartels are terrorist organizations. I kind of agreed with that concept, but here we are releasing the silk road guy... I know its different but like, come on.

      8 votes
  2. [6]
    l_one
    Link
    This is... an oddball one. I presume this was a promise made to garner libertarian votes? That's all I can logically derive from reading the article.

    This is... an oddball one.

    I presume this was a promise made to garner libertarian votes? That's all I can logically derive from reading the article.

    24 votes
    1. [2]
      agentsquirrel
      Link Parent
      It's also to spite NY prosecutors. Trump quote: "The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me."...

      It's also to spite NY prosecutors. Trump quote: "The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me." That's quite unprecedented for a president to call prosecutors "scum", but it seems minor considering we have a convicted rapist and felon for president....

      31 votes
      1. l_one
        Link Parent
        Ah, yes, of course. The classic 'President of the United States nullifying convictions of prosecutors he doesn't like to make their work meaningless for the sake of spite'. A time-honored...

        Ah, yes, of course. The classic 'President of the United States nullifying convictions of prosecutors he doesn't like to make their work meaningless for the sake of spite'.

        A time-honored tradition, truly.

        17 votes
    2. [3]
      updawg
      Link Parent
      Yes, he promised it at their convention.

      Yes, he promised it at their convention.

      12 votes
      1. [2]
        balooga
        Link Parent
        Trump attended (and spoke at) the LP convention? They had their own competing candidate. Why would they even invite him?

        Trump attended (and spoke at) the LP convention? They had their own competing candidate. Why would they even invite him?

        3 votes
        1. agentsquirrel
          Link Parent
          Libertarians, despite being closet Republicans who get high a lot, know they're never going to win a presidential election. Libertarians have been wanting to dismantle and destroy government for...

          Libertarians, despite being closet Republicans who get high a lot, know they're never going to win a presidential election. Libertarians have been wanting to dismantle and destroy government for decades. Trump is/was the perfect candidate to do just that. And by all accounts Trump appears to be doing everything he can to burn it all to the ground. Why Trump picked pardoning a convicted criminal who trafficked $200M+ of illegal drugs and solicited the murders of people to send a nod to the Libertarians is anyone's guess.

          11 votes
  3. [5]
    pete_the_paper_boat
    (edited )
    Link
    I thought the sentencing was a bit excessive, he was definitely turned into an example. However, it all points to Ross ultimately believing he carried out hits on people who were undermining his...

    I thought the sentencing was a bit excessive, he was definitely turned into an example. However, it all points to Ross ultimately believing he carried out hits on people who were undermining his business. He's not as innocent as people make it out to be.

    Edit; would've rather seen Snowden, but, oh well...

    24 votes
    1. [4]
      redbearsam
      Link Parent
      Precisely this. He's getting the reverse luigi treatment. I guess trying to assassinate people to protect business rather than to hold it accountable is a-okay in Donnie's book.

      Precisely this. He's getting the reverse luigi treatment. I guess trying to assassinate people to protect business rather than to hold it accountable is a-okay in Donnie's book.

      16 votes
      1. [3]
        boxer_dogs_dance
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        The biography I read of him suggested he was close to organized crime leadership. New York City real estate has a reputation for being corrupt

        The biography I read of him suggested he was close to organized crime leadership. New York City real estate has a reputation for being corrupt

        7 votes
        1. [2]
          pete_the_paper_boat
          Link Parent
          I doubt it's actually that deep. Releasing Ross isn't beneficial to anyone. (Other than Ross) Apparently he made a promise to libertarians. I really think that's all there's to it.

          I doubt it's actually that deep. Releasing Ross isn't beneficial to anyone. (Other than Ross)

          Apparently he made a promise to libertarians. I really think that's all there's to it.

          9 votes
          1. boxer_dogs_dance
            Link Parent
            The person I replied to talked about Trump being ok with hits on people to protect business. It seems consistent with Trump's character and history.

            The person I replied to talked about Trump being ok with hits on people to protect business. It seems consistent with Trump's character and history.

            5 votes
  4. [8]
    KapteinB
    Link
    I think I may have figured out his grift this time. We know the reason Trump entered the Republican primary in 2015 was to build hype around his planned TV network. But when he accidentally won...

    I think I may have figured out his grift this time.

    We know the reason Trump entered the Republican primary in 2015 was to build hype around his planned TV network. But when he accidentally won the election, he had to figure out some other way to profit of it. No problem; there are plenty of Saudi princes and Russian oligarchs lining up to launder their money with overpriced apartments in Trump towers.

    I think this time, he's doing a Bitcoin pump-and-dump. Before the election, he probably took up a bunch of shady loans to buy loads of Bitcoin, then started hyping Bitcoin. If he lost the election, he could sell his Bitcoin for a nice profit. But if he got elected, oh boy. Then he could appoint crypto-enthusiasts in important government positions, reduce regulations, and do truly lunatic things like create a strategic government Bitcoin reserve and legalise underground marketplaces for illegal drugs and unregulated weapons. And then, when the price of Bitcoin has multiplied several times over, then he sells his personal stash, at a massive profit. And probably don't even repay his shady loans.

    13 votes
    1. psi
      Link Parent
      Trump doesn't even need to do a Bitcoin pump-and-dump. He released two memecoins days before his inauguration, both of which now have markets cap measured in the billions of dollars. As the Wall...

      Trump doesn't even need to do a Bitcoin pump-and-dump. He released two memecoins days before his inauguration, both of which now have markets cap measured in the billions of dollars. As the Wall Street Journal reports,

      Critics warn the tokens erode any boundaries between the president’s political and business interests. Foreign governments or businesses seeking to influence Washington could be inclined to buy the tokens to curry favor with Trump, they caution.

      The biggest point of contention: 80% of the $TRUMP token’s supply is owned by Fight Fight Fight and CIC Digital, an affiliate of the Trump Organization that was recently registered in Delaware. Some 200 million of the 1 billion $TRUMP tokens have been released, and the rest will be sold over three years, according to the website associated with the token.

      Based on the $TRUMP token’s current price around $34, Trump’s stake in the project is worth about $28 billion, a staggering sum that could vanish just as quickly as it grew in the wild market for meme coins. The Wall Street Journal recently pegged Trump’s net worth at between $7.5 billion and $10 billion, including debt.

      6 votes
    2. [5]
      first-must-burn
      Link Parent
      I can't tell if you are serious or kidding, but everything you wrote seems on brand for this timeline.

      I can't tell if you are serious or kidding, but everything you wrote seems on brand for this timeline.

      3 votes
      1. [4]
        KapteinB
        Link Parent
        Like Trump, I'm always half-joking. If it turns out I was right, I can tell you "I told you so", and if it turns out I was wrong, I can claim it was just a joke. But for the record, I genuinely...

        Like Trump, I'm always half-joking. If it turns out I was right, I can tell you "I told you so", and if it turns out I was wrong, I can claim it was just a joke.

        But for the record, I genuinely believe he bought millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency before the election, and is now using the government to pump up the value for a quick profit.

        Of course he and his cronies also want to deregulate cryptocurrencies because it's an excellent tool for tax evasion, money laundering, and bribes.

        And it's not his only reason for running for re-election. While I genuinely believe he won the 2016 election by accident, he quickly learned to love the power, adoration, and opportunities for ill-gotten gains that comes with the office. I think he'll run again in 2028, and the republicans will let him.

        3 votes
        1. [3]
          first-must-burn
          Link Parent
          C'mon, I was just getting my blood pressure under control.

          I think he'll run again in 2028, and the republicans will let him.

          C'mon, I was just getting my blood pressure under control.

          4 votes
          1. [2]
            boxer_dogs_dance
            Link Parent
            He's old. Also the Supreme court would have to jettison a constitutional amendment. Possible but imho not likely.

            He's old.

            Also the Supreme court would have to jettison a constitutional amendment. Possible but imho not likely.

            2 votes
            1. Grumble4681
              Link Parent
              Not necessarily. Just like they're trying to do with the birthright citizenship, it may come down to wording of the amendment. I think the citizenship one has a much greater uphill battle to...

              Not necessarily. Just like they're trying to do with the birthright citizenship, it may come down to wording of the amendment. I think the citizenship one has a much greater uphill battle to contest just on the wording, to the point it shouldn't be remotely possible.

              I don't know what court cases there are surrounding amendment 22 but reading this, I can see an angle where someone would try to attack the wording.

              No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.

              So what is to stop Trump from finding someone who will run as President, and put Trump as Vice President, and then agree to step down once elected? Technically by the wording, he won't be elected to the office of President. It would be a campaign promise at that point, so whoever the patsy is that is running as President would not just be violating some back-room deal but would be violating a promise to the voters. Furthermore if Trump is popular enough and Congress stays Republican, they might even be able to impeach the President if they refused to step down.

              1 vote
    3. boxer_dogs_dance
      Link Parent
      He did, but it was also very important to him to defang the various criminal cases against him. State election fraud cases re 2020 are proceeding against his former aides but he has a get out of...

      He did, but it was also very important to him to defang the various criminal cases against him. State election fraud cases re 2020 are proceeding against his former aides but he has a get out of jail free card

      2 votes
  5. [2]
    snowgoon
    Link
    I wonder who paid for it, and how much.

    I wonder who paid for it, and how much.

    3 votes
    1. updawg
      Link Parent
      I don't think anyone paid for this one. I really think he was just keeping a promise because he thinks it makes him cool.

      I don't think anyone paid for this one. I really think he was just keeping a promise because he thinks it makes him cool.

      3 votes
  6. V17
    Link
    Man, tiger king Joe Exotic must be incredibly frustrated these days.

    Man, tiger king Joe Exotic must be incredibly frustrated these days.

    4 votes
  7. Wulfsta
    Link
    This one was not on my bingo card…

    This one was not on my bingo card…

    3 votes