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I love HN, it's one of the few places you can get reasoned conversation online. But this is one of those subjects where it gets weird. SBF was directly respon

I love HN, it's one of the few places you can get reasoned conversation online. But this is one of those subjects where it gets weird. SBF was directly responsible for millions, if not billions, of direct monetary loss to identified individuals. Yet the top comments on HN are all discussing whether incarceration is retribution, spite, deterrence, or rehabilition. The USA incarcerates people for tiny financial damages at a higher rate than anywhere else in the world. $20 of theft? 5 years away, no problem. $1 billion: well we should consider what we're trying to achieve here... If the USA is going to be consistent in sentencing then just fucking kill him. Or reconsider and free the thousands of black dudes serving ridiculous sentences for minor crimes.

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brandonmenc 3y ago
> $20 of theft? 5 years away Who in this day and age is going to jail for half a decade because they snuck a 20 dollar bill out of the cash register when no one was looking? There are almost always violent actions involved that are conveniently glossed over whenever someone bemoans “life in prison for stealing a loaf of bread!”
- shuckles 3y ago
  Nobody. Federal prisoners are almost entirely convicted of serious violent crime.
  - monocasa 3y ago
    Which is why you saw this with relatively local and state level prosecutions from 90s tough on crime policies like three strikes laws.
tredre3 3y ago
I've noticed the same trend. HN (as a collective) doesn't believe in punishing white-collar crimes with incarceration. I guess it hits too close to home.
- anon291 3y ago
  Realistically, I mainly believe in punishing violent crimes with incarceration. Most white collar criminals could be sufficiently contained with house arrest and restrictions on visits/internet access/etc. Just realistically, you can keep a financier in an apartment they pay for, but probably not a good idea for someone who's murdered and burglared.
- jojo100 3y ago
  Yeah, it clearly does. Lot of sweating collars.
thuuuomas 3y ago
It’s simple - everyone here arguing the merits of a lower sentence identifies with Sam.
anon291 3y ago
Violent crime is ultimately more than just monetary damages. Like realistically, sbf can just be kept in a fenced compound. He's shown no great violent urge. House arrest would probably serve the same purpose of removing him from the population for X years. Someone breaking into a building is a lot different. They need more security and cause more chaos.
itscodingtime 3y ago
It’s almost night and day compared to when Bob Lee was murdered and they thought vagrant or some other (insert stereotype here) was the culprit. Remember how tough on crime this crowd was then ? Remember the silence and lack of thought pieces when it turned out to be someone he knew instead of some brown person or drug addict ?
theragra 3y ago
Only one person was sentenced in us for 2008 crisis. So, consistent, as in big financial crimes are not punished, because criminals are very close to the people on top.

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brandonmenc 3y ago

> $20 of theft? 5 years away Who in this day and age is going to jail for half a decade because they snuck a 20 dollar bill out of the cash register when no one was looking? There are almost always violent actions involved that are conveniently glossed over whenever someone bemoans “life in prison for stealing a loaf of bread!”

shuckles 3y ago
Nobody. Federal prisoners are almost entirely convicted of serious violent crime.
- monocasa 3y ago
  Which is why you saw this with relatively local and state level prosecutions from 90s tough on crime policies like three strikes laws.

tredre3 3y ago

I've noticed the same trend. HN (as a collective) doesn't believe in punishing white-collar crimes with incarceration. I guess it hits too close to home.

anon291 3y ago
Realistically, I mainly believe in punishing violent crimes with incarceration. Most white collar criminals could be sufficiently contained with house arrest and restrictions on visits/internet access/etc. Just realistically, you can keep a financier in an apartment they pay for, but probably not a good idea for someone who's murdered and burglared.
jojo100 3y ago
Yeah, it clearly does. Lot of sweating collars.

thuuuomas 3y ago

It’s simple - everyone here arguing the merits of a lower sentence identifies with Sam.

anon291 3y ago

Violent crime is ultimately more than just monetary damages. Like realistically, sbf can just be kept in a fenced compound. He's shown no great violent urge. House arrest would probably serve the same purpose of removing him from the population for X years. Someone breaking into a building is a lot different. They need more security and cause more chaos.

itscodingtime 3y ago

It’s almost night and day compared to when Bob Lee was murdered and they thought vagrant or some other (insert stereotype here) was the culprit. Remember how tough on crime this crowd was then ? Remember the silence and lack of thought pieces when it turned out to be someone he knew instead of some brown person or drug addict ?

theragra 3y ago

Only one person was sentenced in us for 2008 crisis. So, consistent, as in big financial crimes are not punished, because criminals are very close to the people on top.