Aaron Swartz

garo · 2013-01-14, 21:29

As many of you may already know Aaron Swartz committed suicide on Friday. This was a case of prosecutorial overreach made suspicious by the fact that Aaron was an "incovenient" person who rubbed the US government the wrong way in his defence of civil liberties. The message being sent by the various arms of the US government is this in a nutshell: Commit fraud worth billions as a banker, get away scot-free. Download academic journals that consist of papers written by people who get zero compensation: be threatened with 35 years of jail time.

If you are a US citizen, please consider signing this petition:
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/pet...paign=shorturl

Dubslow · 2013-01-14, 21:52

I would prefer to sign the petition for the removal of the fellow who's letting those banks off.

Stargate38 · 2013-01-14, 23:33

Why on Earth did he do that?! :( Also, When in the entire universe are we going to have time machines that can go backwards? It better be within my lifetime!

NBtarheel_33 · 2013-01-14, 23:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by garo

As many of you may already know Aaron Swartz committed suicide on Friday. This was a case of prosecutorial overreach made suspicious by the fact that Aaron was an "incovenient" person who rubbed the US government the wrong way in his defence of civil liberties. The message being sent by the various arms of the US government is this in a nutshell: Commit fraud worth billions as a banker, get away scot-free. Download academic journals that consist of papers written by people who get zero compensation: be threatened with 35 years of jail time.

If you are a US citizen, please consider signing this petition:
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/pet...paign=shorturl

cf. Budd Dwyer, 1980s Pennsylvania Comptroller of the Treasury who ended up shooting himself in the face on live TV.

Always easier to catch 1,000 little fish (and make examples thereof) than one or two big, dangerous fish, like, say, I don't know, Attorney General Eric "Fast and Furious" Holder.

Very sad.

davar55 · 2013-01-15, 19:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stargate38

Why on Earth did he do that?! :( Also, When in the entire universe are we going to have time machines that can go backwards? It better be within my lifetime!

Ten years from now, when you solve the time barrier problem,
send it back to yorself.

Stargate38 · 2013-02-10, 14:40

I still don't know why he killed himself. Please tell me why!

fivemack · 2013-02-10, 14:54

Aaron Swartz killed himself because he wasn't ideologically prepared to plea-bargain, and the set of crimes for which he'd be prosecuted if he insisted on going to court had sentences adding up to a lifetime in prison, which he wasn't willing to face.

2013-01-14, 21:29	#1
garo Aug 2002 Termonfeckin, IE 2²×691 Posts	Aaron Swartz As many of you may already know Aaron Swartz committed suicide on Friday. This was a case of prosecutorial overreach made suspicious by the fact that Aaron was an "incovenient" person who rubbed the US government the wrong way in his defence of civil liberties. The message being sent by the various arms of the US government is this in a nutshell: Commit fraud worth billions as a banker, get away scot-free. Download academic journals that consist of papers written by people who get zero compensation: be threatened with 35 years of jail time. If you are a US citizen, please consider signing this petition: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/pet...paign=shorturl

2013-01-14, 23:33	#3
Stargate38 "Daniel Jackson" May 2011 14285714285714285714 2³×83 Posts	Why on Earth did he do that?! :( Also, When in the entire universe are we going to have time machines that can go backwards? It better be within my lifetime! Last fiddled with by Stargate38 on 2013-01-14 at 23:35

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2013-01-14, 21:52	#2
Dubslow Basketry That Evening! "Bunslow the Bold" Jun 2011 40<A<43 -89<O<-88 3×29×83 Posts	I would prefer to sign the petition for the removal of the fellow who's letting those banks off.

2013-02-10, 14:40	#6
Stargate38 "Daniel Jackson" May 2011 14285714285714285714 2³×83 Posts	I still don't know why he killed himself. Please tell me why!

2013-02-10, 14:54	#7
fivemack (loop (#_fork)) Feb 2006 Cambridge, England 2³·11·73 Posts	Aaron Swartz killed himself because he wasn't ideologically prepared to plea-bargain, and the set of crimes for which he'd be prosecuted if he insisted on going to court had sentences adding up to a lifetime in prison, which he wasn't willing to face.