[tomdemaine]

Firstly through bribery and intimidation the mafia uses the power of the state to mean that most of it's victims have no good means of defending their property. The state is "supposed" to do it but somehow doesn't manage it. Secondly if you are worried about people being forced to pay money against their will or suffer horrible personal consequences for doing nothing more than starting a business or living in a vertain place. Would you be concerned more with a 126B$/ year business or a multiple Trillion $/year business?