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Originally Posted by Jareth Valar
Several points if I may...
* Concerning the local constabulary and politics. How much does the individual(s) controlling things actually help the local economy? All of that "tourism" can have a positive impact on lower income countries. Especially id the owner has an "advertising budget" that he uses to help fund local hospitals, modern technologies, etc. I can see many offering to help in that case, and many more just willing to accept it as part of cost of comfort/modernity.
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Massive subsidies to the local economy are a given.
Exactly how depends on the local laws, but if, say, gambling and strip clubs are legal, there might be legal establishments of that nature at the resort where locals are employed and which pay high taxes.
They could even do as legal casinos in the US do and hold entirely legal and aboveboard MMA and boxing matches.
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Originally Posted by Jareth Valar
* Never underestimate the power of greed. If the rules are known to all fighters going in (no holds barred, death is definitely possible, etc) and there is a visible "big prize" like maybe a cage where the money gets added after each fight. Something that can be seen and coveted.
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Well, I imagine they are not recruited with strict attention to contract law and might even be lied to in important matters. And transported the last leg of their trip below decks so as to keep them unaware of the exact location.
However, they'd be told, probably truthfully, about a huge cash prize for victory.
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Originally Posted by Jareth Valar
* If the above is true, the local hospital might even have a section set up specifically to treat the fighters.
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johndallman suggested Maiden Island and Antigua is actually well-known for their for-profit medical schools...
Still, it might not be worth having witnesses to illegal doings too closely associated with the actual location.
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Originally Posted by Jareth Valar
LOL, I had several more...but as soon as my fingers hit the keyboard, brain flushed.
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No worries, it will come to you later.
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Originally Posted by Jareth Valar
EDIT:
Also, there is the possibility that whoever is in the middle of this (and those involved) might even have a higher GNP than the country they are in.
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Well, as soon as there is just
one major Mexican cartel boss involved, that holds true for most Caribbean island nations. On the other hand, for most of the visiting dignitaries, this would be a thrilling vacation, not a focus of their professional lives.
Still, this should be a business with significant revenue, even if the illegal part of it might only amount to a small part of the whole resort. The resort should be in the top 100 Caribbean resorts, revenue-wise, maybe even in the upper half of that list.
How much revenue would that be?
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Originally Posted by Jareth Valar
The thing with the obscenely rich is that money can buy just about everything. There is a reason Capone was only caught on tax evasion (true that was during the 20's-30's but many wore get away with things today)
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The thing about getting away with murder is that it's extremely unpredictable how someone, even someone who'll cheerfully take bribes for what he imagines are 'venial' sins, might react when they face the possibility in being implicated in murders they might reasonably suspect
will eventually come to light.
If you're careful, you'll use bribery, corruption and coercion to ensure privacy to engage in minor peccedillos your corruptees imagine they know all about and then take care that very few people ever have to see, confront or think about actual evidence of anything truly serious.