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Picking the wrong goalposts: instead of asking "was it a crime" those downplaying ask "is it possible that he did not understand that it was a crime", as if tha
by usrusr 4y ago
Picking the wrong goalposts: instead of asking "was it a crime" those downplaying ask "is it possible that he did not understand that it was a crime", as if that made a difference of tipping point scale. Is it possible that he did not understand? Certainly. And given the amount of self-respect depending on him not understanding perhaps even likely. Self-delusion is a powerful force. But it's the wrong question to ask of course.
On the other hand I haven't seen any media downplaying, here in Germany it's all haughty "Americans being Americans again" ("let's not talk about Wirecard for a few minutes, can we?") and what I read through the hn filter isn't downplaying either. Perhaps what you are perceiving is a subset of media motivated by the crypto angle?
- achenet 4y agoIgnorance of the law is not an excuse. The argument "I'm sorry, I didn't know rape/murder was illegal" does not have _any_ value in a court of law.
- usrusr 4y agoIt's not, but for people desperately hoping for crypto to recover, "your savings disappeared because of that crypto-bro's you trusted ignorance" is a less bad spin than "your savings disappeared because of that crypto-bro's you trusted malice"