Delivered 02/09/19 Manchester, New Hampshire
“The Federal Reserve system relies on the force of government to maintain its monopoly power on the issuance of money. This is how all central banks maintain their control. Without the state’s involvement, people would be free to use whatever currency they like. Historically this was gold. If the founders of the fed tried to do what they did w/o the Federal Reserve Act legislation, and later the Brenton Woods agreement, they would have failed miserably. No one would have bought into their system.
“In fact, this is the beauty of libertarianism. The people are free to choose what system they want. No need for one size fits all government solutions. If you want to use a debt based inflationary monetary system, go right ahead, doesn’t affect me so long as you don’t try to force me to use it as well.” [1/30/2013]
Do you know who this is quoting?
No, that was inmate 18870-111.
Born March 27 1984, Ross William Ulbricht came to libertarian thought through the writings of Mises, Konkin and the Ron Paul Revolution of 2007-8.
I believe most people now know that Ross, along with a friend created an online marketplace called The Silk Road. Things that libertarians, anarchists and voluntaryists believe the government should not have their hands in (many of us believe the government shouldn’t exist), were traded. Mostly recreational “drugs” in small amounts.
What was the currency of the Silk Road? It was something very few people were talking about at the time, this thing hardly anyone, even people using it and continuing development on it, really understood. It was Bitcoin.
And when I say they didn’t understand it, I mean it’s potential impact. The Silk Road, in my opinion, and the opinion of people I respect, is what put a charge into a phenomenon your grandmother now may ask you about over the dinner table.
Let me be clear, IMO, and in the opinion of people I respect when it comes to the Ross case, Ross came on the radar of the State, was targeted and railroaded because of this “alternate currency” outside of their monopoly.
As painful as this is, I want to read the charges he was convicted of:
- Distributing OR aiding and abetting the distribution of narcotics. (Aiding and abetting means knowingly assisting in the commission of a crime, even if he didn’t actually commit the crime. Distribution requires a concrete involvement in the transfer of drugs.)
- The distribution of controlled substances intentionally accomplished by means of the Internet.
- Conspiracy with others to violate narcotics laws. A conspiracy exists if two or more persons, in any manner (whether they verbally agree or not) “come to a common understanding to violate the law.”
- Engagement in a continuing criminal enterprise (kingpin charge). This requires that the defendant committed a series of federal narcotics offenses with five or more people whom he organized supervised, managed and from whom he received substantial profit.
- Conspiring with others to commit OR aid and abet computer hacking.
- Conspiring with others to traffic in fraudulent identification documents.
- Conspiring to commit money laundering.
First, notes on the above charges:
- Regarding charge 4, the kingpin charge: the government failed to identify five people who were organized by the accused.
- Regarding Charge 5, no hacking was proven and no one came forward to say their computer was hacked from software sold on Silk Road
*Italicized above are notes from an article on The Libertarian Republic website*
Most people who followed this case from afar may comment, “wait, he hired hit men to have people killed. I saw it on the news, Andy Greenberg at Wired magazine wouldn’t lie to me!”
Yeah, they did. Thankfully that charge has now been dismissed with prejudice. But it’s too late. Anyone who takes to social media to advocate for Ross’ clemency has this false charge, this creation of the State to demonize a young man, thrown in their face.
Nobody wants to hear that there were two federal agents, one of which, DEA agent Carl Mark Force, was the lead undercover agent in the case against Ulbricht, and had high-level access to administrative functions of the Silk Road, including the ability to manipulate logs, chats, private messages, posts, account information and bank accounts.
Does anyone know what happened to Carl Mark Force and his fellow agent Shaun Bridges? Why?
A case in which the lead investigators were both imprisoned for corruption in regards to their actions has the man at the head of their investigation serving life +40 years without possibility of parole.
A documentary has been released in six parts on YouTube entitled: Railroaded – The targeting and caging of Ross Ulbricht. – which was made from information that is in the public. There is way too much to hit here, but you will be blown away by what you don’t know…and how the lies just continue despite the truth being out there. But that sounds like the State, doesn’t it?
Please listen to, read or watch that documentary. If you have any doubts they will be cleared up. What you have been told is a lie.
And please, please sign the petition linked at the top of the page at freeross.org. Those petitions do an incredible job of drawing attention to wrongs that have been done
I have come to know Lyn through her being on my podcast 3 times now, private messages, and finally being able to meet and talk to her here at Liberty Forum 2019. I am up here as an emotional mess not solely because of my Libertarian beliefs of “no victim, no crime,” but because the facts tell me an innocent man has been wronged.
No matter what you think of this president, Donald Trump, he is the only president in my lifetime who has gone beyond paying lip service to criminal justice reform, to actually acting upon it. Alice Johnson should never have spent a day in jail, and Ross shouldn’t have either.
Please donate to this worthy, and truly libertarian cause. And please get educated on Ross’s case, tell others, and ask them to donate and sign the petition to get Ross clemency.
Thank you!
