The Bright Continent

In keeping with my untoward fixation with forms of organization other than the state, a new fact: Crime is among the top 20 largest economies in the world. And of course, criminals are hip to the distributed, decentralized new century:

“Today, most criminal organizations bear no resemblance to the hierarchical organized crime family groups of the past,” Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Brian Nichols said, according to a copy of his speech.

“Instead, they consist of loose and informal networks that often converge when it is convenient and engage in a diverse array of criminal activities,” Nichols, of the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, added.

Suggestion for the flag: 419!