Re: The good ship Extro 1

From: Brett Paatsch (paatschb@optusnet.com.au)
Date: Mon Jun 02 2003 - 02:58:00 MDT

  • Next message: Michael M. Butler: "Gurus vs. Guns, was RE: Guns vs. Tyranny"

    Robert Bradbury writes:
     
    > With regard to the ideas of doing something on land -- one
    > of the points of the exercise is to escape "local" laws. We
    > have several examples in the U.S. over the last 15-20 years
    > as to what happens to "cults" that try to go against "local" laws.
    > So one wants something that one can park in international
    > waters where "local" laws do not apply. That doesn't keep
    > the U.S. Navy from taking you out with a few cruise missles
    > -- but it would be the first instance of an unprovoked attack
    > on an "independent" state -- something the U.S. would have
    > to think very seriously about from a diplomatic perspective.

    Hmm I suspect (but don't know) that getting recognized as an
    independent state might not be so trivial. But if you *could*
    perhaps one obvious business to be in is a (legal) tax haven. A
    veritable floating post office of international head offices.

    Tax avoidance (lawful tax mimization) as opposed to tax
    evasion (unlawful - usually involves lying or misreporting) in
    most counties is, as I understand it, an art practiced proudly
    and openly by the wealth as it is quite legal.

    But for some reason some part of me is suspicious that such
    a venture seems very vulnerable to old fashioned attack by
    pirates etc. Or competitive corporate pirates at any rate.

    Its true that Switzerland as the worlds bank rarely gets
    attacked. But it takes a while to establish the clientele.

    The Rainbow Warrior I, on the other hand managed to irritate
    a certain European government and frogmen with explosives
    are probably not to hard to arrange if one wants to eliminate a
    competitor that does not have a defence force.

    > You mean you killed a thousand people because they were
    > doing stem cell research that you object to based on some
    > strange belief system that is 2000 years old that 3/5 of the
    > world population does not believe in???

    "Hell no it wasn't "us" it was an "act of God" and as such
    unfortunately, we suspect that when you check your insurance
    policy you'll find your not covered."
     
    > Kind of creates problems with any claims for a fair or
    > reasonable government.

    Sadly, not really "claims" are cheap. And those making the
    claims are likely to have pretty good media and spin control
    compared to the little community in question which lends itself
    to considerable deniability. When a boat with commercial
    interests and no national flag alligning it to some military there
    are likely to be *lots* of plausible potential alternative suspects.

    > If you think fair & reasonable are unimportant, see my
    > recent post regarding the implications of the competition
    > between China and India to attain supremacy in space.

    I did miss that one. Would it impact the above?

    Brett



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