The Country of Privateers
The narrative describes a society where the government, through its policies, encourages its citizens to act like pirates, referred to as Privateers. There are two types of privateers: those who operate openly by exploiting legal loopholes and those who operate covertly in secrecy. Children are taught to follow laws and not about money or taxes. Only a few parents who understand the system may teach their children about privateering and taxes early on.
As the narrator grows up, they learn to follow the laws and the constitution, which privateers follow only when convenient. It becomes apparent that the extremely rich are often privateers, although this realization comes with experience. The society pushes individuals to work hard and acquire resources, but those in high places hide behind rules to commit crimes and advance their agendas.
The privateering system is realized through working hard to gather resources, only for privateers to come after these assets by showing non-compliance with rules. The government, influenced by privateers, has created rules to facilitate their operations. These privateers manipulate rules to their advantage, often unaware they belong to the same group, creating a brutal survival of the fittest environment.
As people near retirement age (around 50), they are forced to become privateers to protect their property or survive, facing a society that punishes the elderly. The desperation increases as one approaches retirement, either accumulating wealth through hard work or privateering or facing homelessness. Individuals are forced to hire privateer lawyers who further extract money, often driving them to bankruptcy.
