Darren New wrote:

>> I've always thought an advantage of living in the third world is the lack
>> of regulation (or lack of knowledge, money, personnel, time, etc.) to
>> enforce much of existing regulations. Doing certain stuff is easier, but
>> then conversely you lack protection and safeties that first world
>> citizens take for granted.
> 
> Yes, and the problem is that it's far easier to abuse than it is to do
> something good that isn't permitted under regulation. :-) Thus the reason
> we think of "third-world countries" as worse places to live in general.
 
Well put, guess this is why so much spam comes from the Middle East and also
South America.

This makes me think of the house painter paradigm.

I talked to a Dutch visitor to South Africa a few years ago, and an amazing
tale he told was that how, in many municipalities or boroughs in Holland
you cannot paint your house the color you want. You first have to get a
permit (!) or certificate from the town council that says you're allowed to
paint your house whatever color. (And then you MUST use approved painters /
companies - you CANNOT do it yourself - against the law.)

Apparently there are certain colors that are "not allowed".

I wonder if this is true? Preposterous if it is.

That's just to illustrate - here, if you want to paint your house, you go
ahead and paint the bastard. No pussyfooting around with government
officials to get permission. On the flipside nobody to answer your 911 call
if that same house is on fire, and no fire engines or firemen to help put
the fire out.

-- 
Stefan Viljoen

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