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Kudos to Kitboga! But let's really think about it, isn't it true that most things in the world are some form of a scam? Growing up in a poor country, I've rea
by JaDogg 3y ago
Kudos to Kitboga!
But let's really think about it, isn't it true that most things in the world are some form of a scam?
Growing up in a poor country, I've realized that scams are everywhere, right from the day you start school:
1) Parents resort to scamming the school hiring board using fake addresses just to enroll their children in a good school.
2) In the early years, students learn how to cheat in exams to survive.
3) Teachers unfairly give lower marks to students (or parents) who don't buy into their side hustles like private tutoring or educational CDs.
4) Movies and music are all pirated, contributing to this cycle of deception.
5) Even radio and TV shows shamelessly copy Hollywood productions.
6) Need to get something done at a government office? Be prepared to pay bribes.
7) If you want to leave the country / immigration purposes, you have to navigate a web of bribery and money-grabbing schemes at every level.
8) Far-right racism use pseudo-science to deceive people into thinking that the majority is superior.
9) There are fake diploma and degree providers scamming people within the same country.
10) Interested in day trading? Beware of commission-driven scams and cryptocurrency schemes targeting people from your own country.
11) If you need the government to fix a road, you have to approach politicians and plead for something they promised in the first place.
12) Even small local shops dilute products, potentially selling toxic items to unsuspecting customers.
13) Need water? Attempting to approach politicians is futile. Eventually, the local community took matters into their own hands, establishing a private company to provide water. By the time standard water lines were laid, the locals had already constructed the water tank. (My father played a significant role in this endeavor - the type of person politicians dislike, haha!)
14) As elections draw near, there is a sudden decrease in the prices of goods.
15) Having trouble conceiving? Thinking of consulting the local guru? Don't worry; if your daughter bears a resemblance to the guru, it's all good.
16) A women fell victim to a cryptobro/environmentalist/spiritualist/influencer scammer. Interestingly, this scammers's father is also a con artist who specifically targets older women (he's the old school type). (It's essential to educate your children about pickup artists and red pill nonsense; unfortunately, these tactics sometimes work and are genuinely dangerous.)
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It's no surprise that people resort to scams, likely due to a lack of empathy, extreme cynicism, narcissistic personality disorder, or some combination thereof. Extracting individuals from this mindset requires significant effort.
- selimthegrim 3y agoThis is why I hate that saying "anari ka sona baara baani ka" (assuming you are from subcontinent)
- JaDogg 3y agoI am a Sri Lankan expatriate. Based on the comments I've read, it seems my thought process is correct, as most of these observations apply to any other underdeveloped nation. These are simply personal anecdotes. Unfortunately, I only understand Sinhalese and English. I used to be able to read and write Tamil since it was taught as my third language in school until 9th grade. Now, all I can do is count to 10. There are a few things that are specifically unique to Sri Lanka, such as the civil war and all the atrocities, and now the new anti-Muslim sentiment, etc. Strangely enough, I have no idea why people ever voted for the president who fled the country (or his siblings), considering they embody the worst qualities from both left-wing and right-wing politics, with government-controlled prices and populism.
- selimthegrim 3y agoThe saying is Hindi “only a clumsy/naive/novice person sells 24K gold” (without adulterating it)
- montag 3y agoSounds like you are talking about a very specific place. I object to the reduction that "most things in the world are some form of a scam." High-trust societies do exist.
- JaDogg 3y agoI agree. Extracting individuals from this mindset requires significant effort. -- this applies to me too. Furthermore, aren't most high-trust societies, such as Japan or European countries have similar stock of people. I am uncertain whether individuals like me, who look different due to skin color / have an accent, would be readily accepted into these high-trust societies.