[extropy-chat] Re: riots in france

[Jack Parkinson]

David Lubkin wrote:
>The Mayflower expedition -- which is, after all, what Jack referred
>to -- cost 7.5 man-years of wages per family. The colonists borrowed
>the funds from investors who stayed home. It took them 22 years to
>pay off this debt.

This kind of investment is comparable to that being made by Asian boat 
people seeking a better life in Europe, Australia and the US. In China's 
Fujian Province for instance (one of the better known sources for such 
immigrants), a professional with a good degree might generally earn well 
under US $200 per month, but an illicit voyage to the west will cost at 
least US $10,000 and sometimes a LOT more.

The voyage is likely to be very dangerous, the chances of being caught and 
returned are high - and the debt must be repayed for years. Traffickers in 
these human cargoes routinely murder, rob and rape their passengers, some 
boats are simply scuttled - and every year many emigres simply vanish.

The sheer grit and determination of these people matches anything the 
Mayflower crew did...

Jack Parkinson