Re: 21st century feudalism and protection rackets

[Michael Perelman <michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ian's article sent me to the Global Trends 2015 site, which reports:

"Available data suggest that current annual revenues from illicit criminal
activities include: $100-300 billion from narcotics trafficking; $10-12
billion from toxic and other hazardous waste dumping; $9 billion from
automobile theft in the United States and Europe; $7 billion from alien
smuggling; and as much as $1 billion from theft of intellectual property
through pirating of videos, software, and other commodities."

I was struck by the relative magnitudes.  Toxic dumping is 10 to 12 times
as much as intellectual property piracy.  I wonder if the gov. pays 10 to
12 times as much attention to such matters.
--

Michael Perelman
Economics Department
California State University
Chico, CA 95929

Tel. 530-898-5321
E-Mail michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx