Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by foxyv 1218 days ago
In some ways, you could consider Uber to be a criminal organization. They were pretty much an illegal Taxi service that grew so fast that no one could stand against them for long. I wonder how many gangs are just small scale Uber operations. Providing a service that is in demand, but legally grey/black and resorting to bribery, coercion, and violent means to protect their interests.

How many new grey market criminal organizations will we call disruptive instead of criminal? What will happen when criminal organizations will be able to get rounds of investment, the same as any legal organization? With major corporations intentionally violating the law as a "cost of business" what is the line between criminal and legitimate organizations?
1 comments
alephnerd 1218 days ago
Can Uber corporate put a bullet in your head for refusal of payment, or literally kneecap you for competing?

That is the differentiator between grey market and black market.

link
foxyv 1218 days ago
Depending on which country you are in, I think that's a distinct possibility. In the USA they will probably just use legal means to SLAPP anyone they don't like. But in other countries...

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2022/jul/11/uber-hired-olig...

link
alephnerd 1218 days ago
In countries like Russia, China, India, etc you need to hire these kinds of Oligarchs and Lobbyists to operate. Otherwise bad things happen.

Look at Amazon India for example - Prime Video India basically shut down for a year due to the Tandav scandal and Amazon Delivery Trucks in Bangalore were burnt because they pissed off the Small Business/Pharmacy lobby in KA. And they were publically humiliated before all this by the Minister of Commerce in 2019.

This was a big reason Uber divested out of China and ASEAN - they started stepping on entrenched players toes and had no political cover. In the US, the worst that would happen is corporate litigation with an out of court settlment or speeches by local politicians. Not in developing countries.

Weaponized litigation like SLAAP is of course being abused, but as a business operating in the developed world, the rule of law still holds. You won't mysteriously have the IRS or FBI start auditing every single of your transcations, see your trucks or stores burned down, be held PERSONALLY liable, or even mysteriously get shot while leaving court.

link
LargoLasskhyfv 1217 days ago
Personal reliability is a good thing.

Why should people be indemnified under the fictious umbrella of the corporation as juristic person?

This is a historic aberration that needs to end.

Truth or consequences!

link