That sticky issue of enforcing contracts

mircea_popescu

BrightAnarchist
Re: pirate payments list -- accounts paid: 23/459
October 25, 2012, 11:12:19 PM #605

Bah, I'm busy with moving on with my life right now. But I should give up the info:

Basically I had a long chat with his last employer, who is a great guy but flat out told me that Trendon is a total con man. He stole money from the company (The Lending Partners) in a wide variety of ways. He headed up IT there and routed orders through his "personal" account, which was just a trick for him to skim off the top of all the orders. Eventually he started charging pirated software, and then ultimately just made up reams of fake orders to steal directly from the company. He ended up stealing tens of thousands before they figured it all out. Unfortunately, before they figured it out, he had also borrowed about 13K from the company's owner (apparently he was very convincing, and sometimes did bizarre "random acts of kindness" and was "charming" when necessary), and when he finally threatened Trendon with legal action Trendon just told him that he was planning on declaring bankruptcy and that he had no assets - so they dropped the case.

The guy is a compulsive liar with a massive fantasy-based ego as well. Before they fired him, they noticed he would say all kinds of bullshit like that he went to MIT for a year (fake), he was a pool hustler (he could barely play), an amazing blackjack player (barely knew anything), as basketball superstar (could barely play) etc, etc. It got to the point where he lied so much that everyone in the office thought it was almost funny: they'd say "what'd Trendon make up this week?"

He even asked the owner for 2 million at one point, telling him he could turn it into 3 million in ~one week~ - but he wouldn't tell him any details, including who it would go to or anything! When I told him about btcst and what is going on, he said not only was he not surprised, but he said along the lines of "this was where it had to go because he just can't help himself, he has to feed his ego. He's a con man, it's who he is." He called the delays/excuses "classic Trendon" and said he pulled the exact same shit when he was asked to repay the company.

I suppose a die-hard would say my conversation is not 100% proof that btcst was a scam, but after hearing this character reference from a trustworthy source, combined with everything else that has happened, I'd say the chances of him repaying are about as likely as me jumping 10 stories high (hey, Trendon can do it! really!)

Too bad they didn't get him the first time. It would have saved a lot of people a lot of pain and loss.

That's a pretty juicy read.

dub tldr? Repost of confessions of a ppt op?

mircea_popescu Nah. Repost of mpoe-pr's story, six months later. But with moar emotion and inside angles.
Azelphur That's somewhat good to know :P

mircea_popescu Is it ?
Azelphur Indeed.
dub Is it time to hire a hit yet? The whole word is bond thing swings both ways.
Azelphur I heard BrightAnarchist is interested in suing him.

mircea_popescu Dub you know how all this "hire a hit" talk sounds ? Like two down and out meth whores sitting in their three year old miniskirts on the curb. They don't wear underwear because they can't afford underwear. And one goes to the other "time to call the helicopter yet ?"
dub Well its easy to take the high ground.

mircea_popescu No but seriously. A hit costs money. It doesn't pay 7% a month. Ergo. Wait, I mean 7% a week. Or a day. Or WHATEVERTHEFUCK.
dub Yes yes, you were right, well done. And certainly some were way to deep in that poo pond. I lost pocket change but I'd happily contribute to preventing him continuing this career of fuckwitery. Given proximity I would gleefully mete out at least some disfigurement myself.

mircea_popescu You would ?!
dub It's been a long time, to feel of skin and bone cracking under my fists, what better justice is there? I would have thought this fit with the libertarian ideal, eye for an eye oslt.

mircea_popescu Suppose you get arrested.
dub Avoidable but not the end of the world (btdt).

mircea_popescu No but I mean, suppose you get arrested. Are you going to pay for your lawyer out of pocket ?
dub Depends on circumstances, if there was hope of winning I might, otherwise take the court appointed monkey and a conviction.

mircea_popescu And all this for why ? Your time would be better spent cleanning floors.
dub Justice and the greater good?

mircea_popescu Beating up some douche ?
dub (a little pleasure)

mircea_popescu A well if it's a sexual thing...
dub Yeah why not? Dude that looks like elephant man will have a harder time with confidence tricks.

mircea_popescu Course a hit traditionally means killing him.
dub Well hit I think traditionally means 'impact'. But colloquially, whatever.

mircea_popescu But anyway : you're flat out wrong. Dude that looks like elephant man has a much easier time scamming everyone. Starting with the welfare department.
dub So you would rather what? Smugly admonish the suckers and allow this scum to continue victimising people?

mircea_popescu Just not trade with him anymore. Well, I wasn't trading with him to begin with, for the exact reasons, but as an academic point.
dub What about the next guy, or innocent old lady ?

mircea_popescu There's no innocence in ignorance. Old lady should retain the services of someone who's not innocent. For a fee.
dub Perhaps cultural expectations...

mircea_popescu But don't you think in principle it's more efficient to hire counsel before than to break bones after ?
dub Sure, if warranted. There's a cost benefit relationship.

mircea_popescu What's "if warranted" mean ?
dub At high school your buddy wants to borrow $5 for a donut from the tuckshop, do you hire lawyers first or twist his arm later? Replace twist arm with cry to mommy if need be. I don't understand how a libertarian is in favor of adding consultation tax to every transaction in life (then I don't understand libertarians much).

mircea_popescu Well for one point I'm not terribly concerned with a label, so I dunno that I am libertarian or anything. But your school example is very bad, because a. you're in close proximity and b. in most cultures kids are supposed to twist each others' arms all through kid years. Doing a little more or a little less has overall little impact. Suppose your wife cheats on you (and you care). Do you kill her or pick a better woman next time ?
dub Well I think it translates ok a) he is acting like a child b) there are people in proximity who can achieve the result

mircea_popescu Well, I could argue it's child abuse to try and find children to do stupid things. Rather than have them beat up pirate you might as well fuck them, end result's the same. And otherwise, a system which relies on being sufficiently childish seems a little... unappealing. The only way violence works in the frame you wish to use it is as a manifestation of dominance. If you could beat up pirate with impunity and regularity (such as the state does) then maybe. Otherwise, hit and run affairs... he'll just count himself wronged.
dub I must go now and drink copiously.

mircea_popescu Later.
smickles How well does beating someone up get your money back anyway?