I'd rather a democratically elected state than a cabal of wealthy warlords.

What about a democratically elected state that creates wealthy warlords with tax dollars and then wages war on their behalf?

Interesting that you see a difference. Who do you think the democratically elected are? "Wealthy ..."

Its telling that you don't see a difference.

And An-Caps never seem to understand why nobody takes them seriously.

I'm not an anarchist myself. But what exactly do you think we have now, in many Western countries? There is more than one way to end up with a Rumsfeld or Cheney in power.

I'm actually sympathetic to your viewpoint, but there is a very real difference between hereditary despots-for-life and imperfectly-constitutionally constrained, term-limited assholes-in-chief.

Indeed. I fear though that one is a stepping stone to the other.

It's because there are no free market forces affecting telecoms, because they're a state-maintained cartel.

It's the same with ISPs and banks, etc.

I don't know why you got the downvotes. Caste politics has been rampant in India. Fiscal management is an afterthought, if at all that. Most of the elected officials and bureaucrats are there to line their pockets. Not unlike some other countries, like Russia.

I have friends who had to pay bribes for every little thing, company registration, getting the VAT certificate, Police verification etc.

> Most of the elected officials and bureaucrats are there to line their pockets.

That's the same everywhere of course. In some countries it's just more blatant and short-sighted than in others.

> I have friends who had to pay bribes for every little thing, company registration, getting the VAT certificate, Police verification etc.

Yyep! And all those pointless bullshit requirements are in place so that plenty of pissy little parasites get to collect their bribes.

True, but they do want to win elections, don't they?

> Think it's actually 4%. Seriously huge fines

And we'd all be delighted with taxes as low as 15%!

> In other words, the government is paying through the nose

With our money, one might add.