Robin van den Heever

Software Engineer

[Robin van den Heever @TangibleSystems]

@simonateba @HillaryClinton Evil

[Robin van den Heever @TangibleSystems]

@Tysenberg @HeatherEHeying @michaelshermer Refining a viewpoint is not mutually exclusive from religion or the belief in a god. In fact truth is a seminal part of Christianity, and the purpose of science is to find the hidden truths in the universe

[Spike Cohen @RealSpikeCohen]

This is Ross Ulbricht. 10 years ago today, Ross was arrested for creating a website.

If the government gets their way, he'll die in prison.

Ross is serving a double life sentence plus 40 years for, again, creating a website.

If that sounds ridiculous and infuriating to you, keep reading.  It gets worse.

Ross created a website called Silk Road, which he designed to be a free market, secure, anonymous marketplace.  It used Bicoin for payment, and utilized a system called Tor which allowed buyers and sellers to access it anonymously and without any trace.

An avid libertarian, Ross prohibited anything being sold on Silk Road that violated the Non-Aggression Principle.

This included stolen items, counterfeit/fraudulent items, child p**n, assassinations, etc.

A devout believer in nonviolence, Ross also prohibited the sale of weapons.

Many items that were sold on Silk Road were legal, and a third-party study of the site inventory by Carnegie-Mellon University concluded that the drugs most commonly sold were small amounts of cannabis. 

Most importantly, Ross was not convicted for selling, buying, or being in proximity to any of the items that were sold on Silk Road, legal or illegal.

He was convicted for what others did on the site.

Imagine if Elon, or Zuck, or any of the other owners of web platforms were charged for what other people did on them.

On October of 2013, Ross was arrested by the FBI and charged with money laundering conspiracy, computer hacking conspiracy, fake ID trafficking conspiracy and narcotics trafficking. (Ross did not actually launder money, hack computers or sell illegal items himself. These charges were based on what users listed on the site.)  

After his arrest, the prosecution fraudulently alleged that Ross attempted to have several people killed, but never charged him for this at trial, and his supposed "victim", Curtis Green, publicly stated that those allegations were false. He is a fervent supporter of Ross.

Despite the fact that these false, unproven allegations were never prosecuted, the federal government used them in the media to paint Ross as some kind of violent criminal kingpin, despite the fact that he was nonviolent and lived a very meager life, living with 3 other roommates in an apartment.

The FBI also seized over 144,000 Bitcoin that they found in a shared wallet on Ross's computer, which today is worth over $3.8 billion.

During Ross's trial:

- Evidence and testimony showing that multiple people ran the website was banned from being discussed at trial.

- Ross's defense team was not allowed to cross-examine the prosecution's witnesses or present their own witnesses

- Key exonerating evidence was blocked by the judge

- The prosecution was permitted to allege to the jury that Ross had hired hits on people despite never charging him with this or allowing him the opportunity to defend himself against the allegation

The jury found Ross guilty on all charges, and the judge sentenced this first-time, nonviolent person to double life plus 40 years without parole.

After Ross's trial, two of the key investigating federal agents were convicted on corruption charges related to Ross's case. Their existence was hidden from the jury during trial.

Despite all of this, Ross’s conviction was lost on appeal, and the Supreme Court refused to hear his case.

There is no other way to say it: Ross was railroaded by a corrupt federal government that wanted to make an example of him and steal his Bitcoin.

During his 10 years in prison, Ross has continued to be a model citizen, teaching classes and tutoring his fellow inmates and helping them to earn their GEDs.  He has also completed several educational programs himself and has never received a single disciplinary sanction.

Ross Ulbricht is a peaceful, nonviolent man who has never harmed anyone and whose only "crime" was to create a website that other people used to sell drugs that shouldn't be illegal in the first place.

And for this, he's already spent a decade in prison.

If he is not pardoned, or his sentence commuted, he will die there.

That is unacceptable, and it is long past time for Ross to be set free.

Obama could have set Ross free with the stroke of a pen, but he wouldn't.

Neither would Trump.

Neither has Biden.

Let's replace them with someone who will.

Ross, I am sorry for what you're going through, and I will not stop fighting for your freedom until you're back home where you belong.

Free Ross Ulbricht.

[Liz Churchill @liz_churchill10]

If a former Nazi was the first Head of the UN…and a former Nazi was the first Head of NATO…is it really hard to believe that Klaus Schwab…the son of a Nazi…is posing as the ‘Fourth Reich Leader’ to rule over our World?

[TaraBull @TaraBull]

What's going on at the border is not by accident, it's by design.

Should illegal immigrants be given voting rights?

[Robin van den Heever @TangibleSystems]

@ggreenwald The next step will be to enforce social media sites to share revenue from posting links to these podcasts (like the Joe Rogan Experience) whereby restricting their influence

[Dr. Simon @goddek]

I'm afraid that's their plan.

[Alexandros Marinos 🏴‍☠️ @alexandrosM]

Sorry Elon, but you need to understand what's happening. I have defended you from day 1, but there are subtleties at play you don't see yet. I hope you will.

You've made a massive sacrifice in taking on Twitter. The Twitter files may be the best thing for free speech in the last few years. Things on the platform are much better today than they were when you took over.

However, there are still random suspensions going on. I was suspended in January for jokingly suggesting we should "tar and feather" a friend of mine.

Many people still go missing and we don't know what happened.

What's more, your war with Substack is dumb beyond belief. X is not suitable for long form essays, at least not yet. Substack links being deboosted is demoralizing for people like me who built a presence in both platforms. Why are you forcing me to choose between two good platforms?

I see X, substack, and Rumble as three platforms that are grappling with the same problem. Rumble appears to be a lot more consistent about defending its creators right to speak (e.g. shutting down access to France instead of banning RT). X has not figured that problem out yet.

The problem, I worry, is not that you don't believe in free speech. I believe you feel it in your bones. However, I worry that your competitive streak is getting the better of you. You cannot own free speech, and the idea of an "everything app" sounds like a prison to many many people given what happened the last few years.

What I, and many others, would like to see, is simple declarative statements about what the rules are, and some way to trust that they will be followed consistently.

You said Alex Jones can't come back because you perceive what he said on another platform to be unforgivable given your experience with your firstborn. Your feelings are understandable, and many of us, parents also, share your revulsion. But you know that freedom of speech is for the people that say things we don't approve.

If your feelings can act as justification for enforcement of rules, you have to understand many of us have trust issues. It is scary as hell to build on a platform that can suspend you without recourse, while allowing others to post your home address with no action (this happened to me last January).

For better or worse, @chrispavlovski doesn't feel like he will suspend my Rumble channel without explanation. And I do understand that X is a much larger ship that takes time to turn around. We are all here and are all with you. But we are also not blind to the ghosts in the machine that still constrain us every single day.

I believe in you, and most of all your ability to make mistakes and learn from them. I still think the odds are you'll come to understand all this in time.

And while not every problem can be solved in a day, you can choose to make an alliance between platforms that support a minimum standard, including free speech, today. (And yes, that includes freedom of reach for the lawful but awful). Rumble, Substack, and X should be preferentially integrated with no barriers between them.

Yes, there is a chance those platforms may compete with different offerings. But you have said many times that moats are for losers, and speed of innovation is the only moat that matters.

So lets see some friendly competition, and above all, let's unleash the power of unfettered human collective sensemaking.

X is still where the arena is. Let's keep it that way.

[Robin Monotti @robinmonotti]

PHYSICS NOBEL PRIZE 2022
SIGNS CLIMATE DECLARATION:
THERE IS NO CLIMATE EMERGENCY ‐ CLAUSER & a global network of over 1,609 scientists and professionals has prepared this urgent message:

Natural as well as anthropogenic factors cause warming

The geological archive reveals that Earth’s climate has varied as long as the planet has existed, with natural cold and warm phases. The Little Ice Age ended as recently as 1850. Therefore, it is no surprise that we now are experiencing a period of warming.

Warming is far slower than predicted

The world has warmed significantly less than predicted by IPCC on the basis of modeled anthropogenic forcing. The gap between the real world and the modeled world tells us that we are far from understanding climate change.

Climate policy relies on inadequate models

Climate models have many shortcomings and are not remotely plausible as global policy tools. They blow up the effect of greenhouse gases such as CO2. In addition, they ignore the fact that enriching the atmosphere with CO2 is beneficial.

CO2 is plant food, the basis of all life on Earth

CO2 is not a pollutant. It is essential to all life on Earth. Photosynthesis is a blessing. More CO2 is beneficial for nature, greening the Earth: additional CO2 in the air has promoted growth in global plant biomass. It is also good for agriculture, increasing the yields of crops worldwide.

Global warming has not increased natural disasters

There is no statistical evidence that global warming is intensifying hurricanes, floods, droughts and suchlike natural disasters, or making them more frequent. However, there is ample evidence that CO2-mitigation measures are as damaging as they are costly.

Climate policy must respect scientific and economic realities

There is no climate emergency. Therefore, there is no cause for panic and alarm. We strongly oppose the harmful and unrealistic net-zero CO2 policy proposed for 2050. If better approaches emerge, and they certainly will, we have ample time to reflect and re-adapt. The aim of global policy should be ‘prosperity for all’ by providing reliable and affordable energy at all times. In a prosperous society men and women are well educated, birthrates are low and people care about their environment."

[Robin van den Heever @TangibleSystems]

@historyinmemes The Guillotine

[Robin van den Heever @TangibleSystems]

@KevinNaughtonJr I have so many I should apply for a guest spot on Sheldon Cooper's fun with flags

[DC_Draino @DC_Draino]

Working out at the gym this morning and a follower came up to say hi

He served in the Navy, is now 24 years old, and a very fit guy

Told me they forced him to take Moderna - he resisted but didn’t want to get discharged so he complied

Got myocarditis.

Navy discharged him anyway b/c his heart is so damaged

He’s applying for VA disability benefits and he said they’re pushing back on his vax injury saying it’s “not service related”

WHAT

This is the most heartbreaking and infuriating story I’ve heard in a long time

Not only have thousands of soldiers been severely injured by Biden’s unnecessary vax mandates, but now the VA is playing games with their livelihoods

Seeing the heartbreak in this guy’s eyes changed me

I’ll make this a core issue going into 2024 and beyond

We can’t un-inject these brave Americans, but we can certainly pay them for their injuries acquired against their will in service of our country

[David Sacks @DavidSacks]

Globalists can’t see an American border to be defended, only a NATO border to be constantly expanded.

[Tom Luongo @TFL1728]

Oh no, we see them Mike, you are just looking in the wrong place...Hint: a 73 Year Old Man who just got his first job.

[Alexandros Marinos 🏴‍☠️ @alexandrosM]

The media very rarely lies, entry 6,237

[Michael Shermer @michaelshermer]

Astonishing admission from the pioneer of research on implicit bias/bigotry/racism, Mahzarin Banaji, that DEI training programs don't work & even hurt. Racist attitudes still exist but much improved since 60s & most don't act on them anyway. End DEI now.
https://t.co/rNWWNYe0Ie

[Tucker Carlson @TuckerCarlson]

Criticize the drug companies, question the war in Ukraine, and you can be pretty sure this is going to happen.

[TaraBull @TaraBull]

Top 10 headlines the media didn't tell you this week, Repost & FoIIow for more.

10. CIA paid off analysts to say COVID didn't originate in the Wuhan lab.

9. California Senate Approves $300
Weekly Checks for Unemployed Illegals.

8. Maui residents say the government is working on deeming Lahaina a 'natural disaster' area in order to take their land.

7. Senator Warren threatens to lnvestigate Elon Musk for following government orders, not providing Starlink to Crimea, avoiding escalating war.

6. Election software used in 36 states have contracts with a hidden clause that allows election staff to 'override' results of an eIection.

5. Federal judge declares Biden’s program for “undocumented immıgrants” ILLEGAL.

4. Hunter Biden lNDICTED on guŋ charges after sweet heart deal falls through.

3. Electronic voting machines expert says Georgia counties destroyed 1.7 million ballot images and drop box surveillance videos in violation of the law.

2. Albuquerque Federal Judge BLOCKED New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s suspension of the 2nd Amendment in the state.

1. Pennsylvania judge grants 'presidential immunity' for President Trump to address the integrity of our election without liability, further proving Fani Willis' case has no merit.

If you appreciate this Top 10 recap, remember to Repost and FoIIow me for another week in a clown world 🤡🌎

[Tom Luongo @TFL1728]

trying to foment WWIII just like they did in 1917 and 1940. Nothing changes at GCHQ. This is NOT our fight, though the Brits desperately want us to fight it for them.

https://t.co/gyRKdvG2sF

[Robin van den Heever @TangibleSystems]

@slashdot "quotes a report from CNN" Ahem....