El Alto: Where Leftism Meets Laissez Faire
Anarchy in the Andes
"Government rules are keeping businesses from hiring," says finance professor
Slammed by taxes, they find it attractive to just duck the IRS
Which is only a fraction of what other countries have
Just how much is going on off the books?
High-tech black marketeers are surprisingly cool
Bigger than drugs, thanks to distrust in safety of Chinese products
Economic growth out of reach of the tax man and regulators
More than 60 percent of all cigarettes sold in New York are smuggled
Which is not the biggest share in Europe, surprisingly
The battle between smugglers and the state forged the U.S.
Beyond reach of regulators and tax collectors
Black markets are logical, politicians are not
Official income shrank and debt isn't rising, but that money comes from somewhere
Uncle Sam has worked up an appetite
Lots of self-employed people and a rising tax burden
Though it's still double the size of its U.S. counterpart
Taxes created an entrepreneurial opportunity
Markets (sometimes extremely unpleasant markets) for everything
Workers and entrepreneurs ignore useless state rules and taxes
Gambling accounts for a big chunk, in the overtaxed and overregulated country
With the central bank as the only legal buyer, sellers look elsewhere
Why would anybody want to escape intrusive regulations and high taxes?
Use of smaller denominations has actually declined
Gas cans, also in short supply, going much higher
People working off-the-books jobs don't starve or protest
Next step, between the cushions, under the sofa ...
Rumors police on the Canadian side are being investigated for smuggling cheese across the border
Black market vehicles are a better deal for drivers
When times get tough, people have more reason to hide from the bureaucrats
Pakistan's shadow operators thrive off of NATO transport
A murder investigation led to the discovery of an illegal cockfighting operation and hundreds of malnourished roosters