Об Silk Road

[kiwiserg]

Ну вот и Латынина высказалась. http://www.novayagazeta.ru/columns/60432.html. Изложила официальную версию, приправив нравоучениями типа "преступление не окупается" и "прикидывался либертарианцем, а сам киллеров нанимает!". И это - единственный росийский журналист, хотя бы

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[hodja]

The rest is a matter of technique. Footmen followed him to the internet café, technicians connected to his VPN, found the server, copied the content (For the jury: A million drug addicts have registered on the website. Three millions worth of bitcoins have been confiscated)

And finally, the drug lord himself was arrested, in the science fiction section of a public library.

Why does the imaginary blackmailer assassinated by an imaginary hitman need a wife and three kids? For the Senator. He asked for a punishment that'd teach the rest. But what if the jury takes mercy of the idealist geek? How about an ice-cold mastermind that orphaned three innocent children? That is why this detail was inserted into the email of the "blackmailer" and why all the details were asked in the email by "tough guys". The feds surely had a good laugh reading "he is married with 3 kids" in Ulbricht's email. He swallowed it; hook, line and sinker! Now the jury won't spare him for sure.

Yup, he swallowed it. Hook, line and sinker, like a real loser.

But why? Isn't the guy supposed to be smart? Smart he is. But also gullible. A nerd. A geek. He took everything that was written him at face value. The thought that this particular person, your conversation partner, is simply and brazenly lying apparently has not crossed his mind. It is not customary to lie on American campuses. Among law enforcers of the entire world it is customary, however. It is part of their job. Thus, the pros have pulled a fast one on the amateur. "For we have been brought up in faith since childhood and are powerless in the face of lies." [translator's note: quoting "Circles in Sand" by Felix Krivin]

Yeah, but the blood! (More precisely, ketchup, but he believed it to be blood.) Why murder? There are multitudes of bloodless means of protection against aggression, aren't there? Alas, all these means are effective only if escalation to the extreme -- to death -- is possible. We do not think about it, as protecting us is the cops' job. But Ulbricht had to think, as cops were not protecting him. He needed protection from them. And for this protection he is going to be tried.

For the enjoyment of "libertarianess" Latynina. She reports us with schadenfreude that Ulbricht has lost. Crime did not pay. He could have, like, become a billionaire like the rest, while he made a meager 80 millions, like a real loser. :)

Has he lost? Personally -- yes. He lost his freedom and maybe his life. He's going to be tortured to death by felons for the password to his stash of bitcoins making him the first billionaire murdered in an American prison.

If he lucks out, he is going to live approximately like he lived before. He has shared his apartment with roommates, now he is going to share his cell with jailmates. He read books from a public library, now he is going to read books from a prison library.
Yachts and private jets? He needs none of that, as difficult as it may be to grasp for Latynina's favorite heroes. All his possessions were a laptop and a bag with clothes.

All he needed was his cause. And his cause is alive and victorious. :) [translator's note: "Lenin has died, but his cause is alive and victorious" was ostensibly proclaimed by Stalin at Lenin's funeral.]

His mistakes -- accounted for and analyzed by knowing people. The results are published for all to see: http://shadowlife.cc/2013/10/tracking-the-silk-road-lessons-for-darknet-services/

In the vandalized site's stead two new ones have opened (no links, sorry :)). If necessary, two hundred more will open, as the template for the website is available over the internet, complete with tor and bitcoin integration.

The exchange rate of bitcoin is a quarter above that before the vandalism. Bitcoin benefits from any publicity. :)

So thank you, Ulbricht! And rays of diarrhea to all "libertarians" and bitcoiners not suffering from that dogs' disease, gratitude.