Stranded sailor allowed to leave abandoned ship after four years

Post by erdos4d » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 8:44 PM UTC

monocasa wrote: post #93

hcurtiss wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same. I help put deals together with some experience in SE Asia. The ability to enforce contract and property rights in the US, with ready access to the courts and relatively clear rules, sets the US apart in terms of business efficiency and predictability. In my assessment, it's a large part of what's made the US so prosperous. In contrast, dealing with corrupt officials in smaller countries in SE Asia is just wild.

Not once, but multiple times I've had police simply steal cash from me in the states. Not civil forfeiture, but the cash in a wallet disappears on it's way to where it's held temporarily, no crimes involved. And from rich areas like Boulder, CO. I have not seen the lack of low level corruption in the states compared to other countries. Like in other countries they simply confine their corruption to those powerless to…

Post by FredPret » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 8:45 PM UTC

user3939382 wrote: post #104

FredPret wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You’re right. The US has predictable rules and outcomes and very civilization-friendly laws. It also has the power to enforce law & order within its own borders. By contrast, especially in Central Africa, the borders on the map are largely aspirational on the part of the governments. Even the word “Democratic” in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a bad joke. The dominant local power in most of that landmass is…

> The dominant local power in most of that landmass is more likely to be a warlord/crime boss than the government. I would argue this is a false statement. There are pockets of instability there, especially near Goma and Virunga or very rural areas. The last few years especially have been unstable. But if you look at the country as a whole (which is the size of all Western Europe) over the last 15 years, the size of…

Post by NullPrefix » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 8:46 PM UTC

quasarj wrote: post #97

biot wrote: post #65

> "And I can't find a single person on this planet - and I've tried - to replace him." I’ll do it for $10M/year, paid in advance of course due to the company’s financial situation. Oh, he probably means for whatever meager wages they were paying this guy. Yeah, no wonder.

You think he's getting paid?!

Post by DubiousPusher » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 8:46 PM UTC

FredPret wrote: post #96

avidphantasm wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right the US has rule of law for businesses. What about poor people? Not so much. See: civil asset forfeiture, being jailed for petty fines you can’t afford to pay, insane fees used by low-tax jurisdictions to fund their courts.

It’s certainly not perfect, I agree with your specific points. But it’s not even at all comparable with the third world. It’s vastly better to a degree that left me totally mindfucked for years after I moved to the first world.

Post by DubiousPusher » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 8:49 PM UTC

FredPret wrote: post #113

user3939382 wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The dominant local power in most of that landmass is more likely to be a warlord/crime boss than the government. I would argue this is a false statement. There are pockets of instability there, especially near Goma and Virunga or very rural areas. The last few years especially have been unstable. But if you look at the country as a whole (which is the size of all Western Europe) over the last 15 years, the size of…

We can argue about definiton of words like legitimate, control, and “very small”. But a better test is this: would you go for a drive there with your family? Would you invest billions in a multi-decade mining project there - if you had to depend on the government’s version of law & order only?