Topic1: Silkroad v. The states 

Ross Ulbricht, a man who had an ambition that started with a view to revolutionizing the world, ended up being the most important figure in building the “Silk Road”, and forming a massive online community to sell products and services of all kinds. 

Silk Road was a dark web marketplace that endorsed sellers and buyers from all around the globe to sell and purchase anything you normally wouldn’t have access to; from magic mushrooms that Ulbricht himself grew and sold, to hard narcotics, contraband weaponry, and illegal services. The market’s one rule was that Bitcoin was the only acceptable currency. Other than that, anything is permitted.

He ran the site under the persona “Dread Pirate Roberts”, and frequently had to change locations by working at internet cafes in Southeast Asia, Australia, and other countries outside the States. This is due to the continuous search for him by US intelligence.

Ulbricht was under the US Drug Kingpin Statute, which is something usually reserved for cartel leaders. He was charged with conspiracy to: launder money, commit computer hacking, traffic narcotics by the means of the internet, and continuing a criminal enterprise. He was also accused of being responsible for multiple overdoses, and suicides, and turning an entire generation of teenagers and young adults into frequent drug users. But he believed that he was just the admin of a website that liberalized its users, and any mishaps that might take place were of their own doing. 

As time goes on, once criminal activities are being normalized, Ulbricht is considered to be one of the main suspects in glorifying illegal products and services, by giving people easy access to them. But is this the case? Was Ross Ulbricht an anarchist who enjoyed making money off of people’s suffering, or was he, in his own words, a revolutionary?

Topic 2: Evaluating the Viability of National Federal Agencies Against the INTERPOL for reducing criminal activity.

National federal agencies emerged in various countries to address organized crimes and national security threats that crossed state borders. The U.S. established the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the metropolitan police force founded in the UK later leading to the creation of the National Crime Agency (NCA), Germany formed the federal criminal police office (BKA). As global communication, travel, and commerce expanded, the need for more coordinated law enforcement efforts grew, prompting these agencies' development. 

However national federal agencies often face several downsides that can hinder their effectiveness. Bureaucracy is a significant issue, as these agencies can become overly complex, resulting in slower responses during crises. Additionally, jurisdictional limits pose challenges restricting their ability to operate freely in other countries. Political interference can further complicate their work, as these agencies may be swayed by political actors, leading to some arguing that these agencies wield too much power, potentially resulting in abuse of civil liberties or excessive surveillance of citizens. The CIA has been questioned several times for its ethics for example the use of torture, funding and training of groups and organizations that would later participate in killing of civilians and other non-combatants and would try or succeed in overthrowing democratically elected government, human experimentation, and targeted killings and assassinations.

 For this reason, Countries might begin to look towards Interpol for handling criminal activity, potentially shifting focus from federal agencies. As global crime evolves, reliance on international cooperation could become more prominent.