Landing the Big One

Landing the Big One

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Wired's Pirate Game: "Cutthroat Capitalism: The Game"

Wired has put up a game in which you get to play "Somali Pirate King for Day."

Hit the link to play the game - good luck!

I have a serious dispute with the game title. The "cutthroat" part is pretty hard to argue with. My issue is that pirates simply are not "capitalists" (as per Wired) but rather are "parasites" (as per me).

For the Wired view, see the article, "Cutthroat Capitalism," on which the game is based, here.

In my view (which should be clear by now if you have ever read this blog) is that pirates are sea going kidnappers, robbers and extortionists. There is no "free market" involved. In fact, just the opposite. In a free market, I have never had my vehicles captured and the lives of my employees threatened as part of a "business deal." For the Somali pirates, however, such threats their main stock in trade. This makes for poor customer relations and discourages repeat business.

Former "pirate customers" who do come back tend to return with destroyers, frigates and sharpshooters to put a halt to future transactions and provide "sunk costs" for pirate investors.

On the other hand, the game is sort of fun.


H/T to Eric.

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