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by triceratops 43 days ago
Didn't think I needed to spell it out but here goes. If the police can take your things away at gunpoint, a lawyer isn't going to be much use.

(Yes I'm aware of civil forfeiture. This discussion was about places outside the US).
1 comments
jrflowers 43 days ago
Where do you live that armed bandits robbing people of _land_ is an issue but municipal/police corruption is not? And also there is no legal recourse to contest having your land seized?

Obviously it can’t be Canada, where property, including land and businesses, can be seized pending forfeiture being declared by the courts.

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-services-procurement/service...

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triceratops 43 days ago
That's exactly my point.

mothballed waxed poetic about how "free" a land without government control is: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48114935

I don't see that as a paradise. No matter where you live, someone will come along and take your shit by force. At least in a functioning state with rule of law there are rules about how much they can take, and you get other services in return.

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jrflowers 42 days ago
Your point is that no matter where you are somebody with guns (police/bandits) can take your land and unrelatedly in some places there are also public services?
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triceratops 42 days ago
Let me try one last time.

Tl;dr you either pay taxes to a legitimate state (hopefully) with rule of law. Or you don't live in a (well-)functioning state and pay criminals.

"Police take your stuff" can happen in either kind of place. In only the first kind will "call a lawyer" be helpful, and only if it was done illegally.

This whole discussion is about places with weaker government and rule of law. "Call a lawyer" won't necessarily help in such places in getting your property back from corrupt police.

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jrflowers 41 days ago
> Tl;dr you either pay taxes to a legitimate state (hopefully) with rule of law. Or you don't live in a (well-)functioning state and pay criminals.

I see, your point is that people with guns can take your land but in some places when you pay taxes it gives you hope that it’s not the police that will do that and in other places paying the criminals could give you hope that they won’t take your land

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