| ▲ | jltsiren 2 hours ago | |
Russia is a country with a strong centralized government capable of enforcing laws whenever it wants. In the absence of effective laws, one of the biggest threats to rich people would be their own hired thugs. If the thugs decide that they don't respect you and they would make better rich assholes, they will kill you and take your property. Historically, societies like that were often ruled by the biggest and the most charismatic thugs, who could command the respect of lesser thugs. Or warrior nobility, if you want a fancier term. Today's billionaire nerds would not be among those. | ||
| ▲ | yks 12 minutes ago | parent | next [-] | |
Russian state is a final form of the thug-centric governance. The economic oligarchs maintain their riches at the behest of thugs, but they don’t have the power nor freedom. | ||
| ▲ | TheOtherHobbes 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-] | |
If I was a semi-rich thug boss I'd hire out my thugs as security to all the nervous billionaire nerds. Including cybersecurity. Then I could make a move whenever. | ||
| ▲ | steveBK123 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-] | |
It’s no accident that the schmoozer media/real estate/car dealer/mining/energy guys in US wield more power than their wealth relative to SV VC bros would seem to merit. | ||