[tomdemaine]

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This is true of black markets but not the Mafia. The Mafia is a group of people that are powerful enough to extort another group of people. Black markets created by government prohibitions fuel Mafias no doubt, but a Mafia is just a group of guys with guns and subsequently power.

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But violence itself doesn't scale. There are no nationwide networks of, for example, purse snatchers, or kidnappers, or bank robbers. It is only when prohibition creates black markets that large-scale organized "crime" can emerge.

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Isn't the government just a "large-scale organized "crime"" network. I mean it's taken 200+ years but saying "violence doesn't scale" seems awfully shortsighted.

I doubt seriously that it would take a government machine to create it, just time and money.

Cody

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It's the indoctrination mechanisms that scale here not the violence. They still have to send a guy in a blue jacket round to your house to take you away if you don't give them your money.