Excited about the booming pirate economy? Now you can get a tiny cut of Somalian pirate booty by investing in their stock market – that’s right, these pirates are now offering stock in their plundering operations.
According to Foreign Policy’s Passport blog:
The pirates have set up an exchange in Haradheere, the main port used by the bucaneers, where shares are traded in a whopping 72 pirate outfits. The profits have so far bought countless SUVs, other luxury goodies, and even a slice of revenue for the local government programs. Says the pirate interviewed [by Reuters]: “The shares are open to all and everybody can take part, whether personally at sea or on land by providing cash, weapons or useful materials … we’ve made piracy a community activity.”
Well no wonder piracy won’t go away. Given the options (poverty, militancy, theft), who wouldn’t become a pirate? Besides, one wouldn’t want to disappoint the shareholders.
At what point does a pirate economy just become a regular old economy?
via FP Passport
