I am seeing a number of comments at other web sites suggesting that new black market web sites will develop to replace the government shutdown of Silk Road. Not so fast.
It appears that the government may have been monitoring Silk Road activity for more than a year.
What is to say that future web sites will not be monitored? Further, who can rule out the possibility that the government won’t set up its own black market web sites?
As of NOW, the use of black market online drug web sites should be considered extremely dangerous. This is especially the case for online dealers.
I am all for allowing all drugs of any kind to be sold without government interference, but the bust up of Silk Road shows that the internet may not be the best means to get this accomplished. Anyone suggesting otherwise is probably just encouraging some rebellious youth to make a mistake and set up online—a mistake that may result in such youth eventually spending many years in prison. Don’t be one of them.
Reprinted with permission from Economic Policy Journal.
