Response to Charles Hoskinson's Thoughts on Ross

This is SO not what I wanted to be my first post on Steemit. But after a disturbed night's sleep I can't in good conscience not respond. So here it is, my response to Charles Hoskinson's post:

https://steemit.com/philosophy/@charleshosk/my-thoughts-on-ross

"Now enter Ross Ulbricht the dread pirate roberts. He isn't a very nice person. No one running a drug cartel really is a nice person.""

As Lynn, Ross's mother, stated in her comment to your post:

"Since you don't know him, I don't see how you can say he isn't a nice person. There are 100 letters by people who DO know him personally saying the opposite, and in fact point to many acts of compassion and kindness: https://freeross.org/100-letters-text/?v=7516fd43adaa
I also don't understand how creating and running a voluntary website is equivalent to "running a drug cartel." And of course, since Ross didn't have a fair trial you actually do not know the extent of his participation.
Also, Ross is not, and never has been, a programmer. And your depiction of his motivation is inaccurate."

You stated in response to a comment:

"My opinion comes from the facts presented at the trial and my readings in the media.""

At the same time that you seem to be advocating a rejection of state control over this issue, you are giving credence to the arms of power that extend said control?

"Ross chose to work in a field that is dangerous, invites harmful characters and requires extralegal enforcement of agreements. Whether you like Ross or not, you have to concede that running criminal enterprises doesn't exactly reward being nice.""

No, we don't have to concede this point.

There are plenty among us who have received felony convictions for being precisely too "nice" as you say, or even too naive. I even know people who have taken on felony sentences to protect those whom they love from having to go to prison and the resulting consequences to their lives (and the lives of their families) after having "served" their time.

"For example, if someone steals from you, then who do you call? How do you address blackmail or threats? You can't call the police, there are no contracts or courts to fall back on. You have to embrace violence or threats. This is why black markets are so harmful to society. When the government creates them, they are forcing that sector to embrace violence and antisocial behavior."

One does not always have to embrace violence or threats. It's precisely in this context where I came to appreciate more humane ways of dealing with such issues. There are plenty of "powerful" people working in the black market who embrace and enact the ideals of nonviolence. Ways of doing so range from the application of shunning, to the workings of councils (do you really think that there are not networks, emphasizing the importance of one's word, in these realms?), to the philosophical position of residing to "shit happens" and getting on with life.

"Ross's contribution was organizing a marketplace to reduce the harmful side effects of black markets. He was harshly punished by the state for it. The purpose of this article is to point out the hypocrisy of this act."

Some walk their talk, and it ends up marking them as criminals in the eyes of mainstream society. I don't know anything about him on a personal level, but your choice of attacking Ross Ulbright's character gave me no new insight about him or the subject in question, but it told me a great deal about you.

In one swoop you've just implied that those who serve time for nonviolent drug offences are not only not "nice" people, but that they embrace violence, threats, antisocial behavior, and are harmful to society, and worse, you've done so under the pretext of supporting their cause.

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*image from krnl at steemimg.com