Bribe…um I mean, make large ‘contributions’ to local and state politicians, get laws passed that make it legal, act surprised when people complain.
OTOH, a lot of the people who get these loans are armed, so there’s a good chance the collectors will be shot and possibly killed. Not seeing a downside to this TBH.
My father always said, “neither a borrower nor a lender be”
(FYI He wasn’t Russian)
(Another story on Russian debt collectors, from a few weeks ago. The New York Times is On it)
This happens everywhere; I’m not excusing the Russians, but loan sharks exist in most countries.
Here, lenders are required to be regulated. But how do you deal with Mike who works cash only, no advertising except word of mouth? Need cash urgently, Mike comes round in his nondescript car and hands it over. Then you will pay back ten times as much over the life of the loan except that he’ll try to make sure you never pay it back, providing him with a parasitic income till you move away or die. Don’t pay? Well, love, there’s another way you can pay this week. Fight back, mysterious arson attack.
It is almost certainly happening in your town but it rarely gets reported because the people borrowing the money are often illiterate, or part of small isolated social groups that are just big enough to know about Mike.
The police know where he lives but getting evidence is extremely difficult. It would take a team of 4 officers to provide round the clock surveillance, and Mike’s many friends will in any case ensure he evades it.
(I know the manager of the local credit union, which is how I learned this stuff.)
Breaking legs with baseball bats has long been traditional in the US debt collection industry. With white collar workers breaking one finger at a time has also been popular. In the case of larger businesses failing to pay due to cashflow problems, arson followed by collection of the insurance has long been recognised as a business tool. When it comes to financial institutions and their lending policies, the West has a lot to teach the less developed world.
Bait similar to your “well, ACTUALLY” but uninsightful comment here?
Do people still unironically use those sayings and think them wise? Saying “bootstraps” doesn’t stop an industry that very profitably preys on the lowest classes.
Well, they MAY do that kind of stuff.
If I understand Russian culture correctly, such thugs may also find themselves discretely floating face down in a local canal or very well ventilated by shotgun. And the local constable will have nothing to do with it.
Is he Mike? 
Both your assumptions are incorrect.
I came here to post this exact thing, right down to the question mark.
Someday it will be my turn to post a Yakov Smirnoff joke.
She didn’t say that it’s legal. She said that it may happen, legal or not. When something become common practice and the legal system doesn’t stop it, “legal” is irrelevant.
In the US it’s illegal for police to commit roadside robberies of people who have committed no crime. And yet it’s so common that other countries are issuing warnings to tourists about it.
It’s illegal to bribe public officials, but even before SuperPACs, companies holding $1000/plate fundraising dinners for politicians were common. SuperPACs aren’t supposed to be connected to any politician, but everyone knows who each SuperPAC is connected to.
If there’s anything inaccurate about the headline, there’s no sign of it.
If I wrote stuff like that my Russian teacher would be pretty cross. If after all this time I don’t know that мудак is masculine and takes какой, I think he would give up1. какая would go with жопа - Russian has a wide choice of asshole equivalent words and isn’t limited as to gender.
I find Google Translate from English works rather well for Italian, not too awful for French, rather dubious on German and completely unsafe for Russian unless you know roughly what the result should be - and beyond that I don’t know. Although OT, would others care to comment?
1. he’d be pretty cross about the whole phrase, actually.
Not how I read it dude.
Hey! That’s my schtick! Get your own!
Dangit! I never come up with anything original!
you sound…
#disappointed in BoingBoing
The true Regulars’ Club.
When I’ve used googtrans for Russian I always check with a native speaker.
We’re all true scotsmen here.
