Re: comparison of underground economies (was Commie Nonsense)

From: GBurch1@aol.com
Date: Fri Jun 23 2000 - 17:40:10 MDT


In a message dated 6/18/00 8:31:35 PM Central Daylight Time,
altamira@ecpi.com writes:

> So here's a question that occurred to me and led me to use a different
> subject heading for this message. In which country can there exist a
> healthier underground economy--Mexico or the U.S.? Will the partial
> dissolution of borders change this? As far as I can tell, there seem to be
> at least 2 underground economies in both the U.S. and Mexico. One kind is
> controlled by organizations similar to governments where a small elite
group
> controls the rest of the parties involved in the economy ("organized
> crime")and, I suspect, though I don't have first hand knowledge, that these
> underground economies have close ties to the governments alongside of which
> they operate. The other kind is a true free-market economy. I'm asking the
> question about both kinds, but in particular the latter, the free market
> underground economy.

That's a good question and one a lot of anarcho-capitalist technophiles have
talked about idly from time to time - often in the context of where to build
the Ultimate Mad Scientist Enclave. If I understand your question, I think
the answer has to be a country like Mexico where, with enough payola, one
could buy "freedom" from regulation. I've certainly seen it work in the
"street economy" of the Mexican cities I've spent time in. The problem, of
course, is that corrupt government functionaries have a nasty habit of not
staying bought. Once you start down the road of corruption and opacity,
there's really no exit . . .

       Greg Burch <GBurch1@aol.com>----<gburch@lockeliddell.com>
      Attorney ::: Vice President, Extropy Institute ::: Wilderness Guide
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        "We never stop investigating. We are never satisfied that we know
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       question. This has become the greatest survival trick of our species."
                                          -- Desmond Morris



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