Latest S2 Update on Ukraine

[F2d5thCav]

A good friend of mine was bringing WW2 aircraft out of Russia after the USSR fell. He said the mafia was easy to deal with as all it took was a payment and a hand shake and the deal was done. The government wanted a hand shake, yards of paperwork and fees, yet still more money at every step to include the loading dock.

Not all of them are wild cutthroats.  They're straightforward about what they want and get nasty only if someone tries to cross them somehow.  That said, at least sometimes with governments, one has the ability to seek relief if damages of some kind occur.  Getting that from the mafias seldom happens, and if it does, incurs unwelcome obligations.

I've stayed at a hotel which I suspected was run by a local mafia fellow.  He was a perfect gentleman and ran a very orderly hotel.  Would come over and sit with us at dinner and chat about the local region, world affairs, various cultures.  Like many things in our world, there are a lot of shades of grey out there.  Our parents taught us "good man" and "bad man" to keep things simple for a child's mind, but reality is much more nuanced.

Cheers