that we are now forced to confront.
But now that we are learning that hundreds of billions—at least—of government expenditures go to fake nonprofits and businesses, and that likely a similar amount is sent out in inflated costs attached to legitimate government contracts, it has been dawning on me and others that some significant fraction of our apparent economy amounts to storefronts that provide little to no actual goods and services.
When I lived in Haiti, there was this Arab person we called “The Shoe Lady.” She had this tiny, dumpy little shop with a few crappy plastic shoes in it. But if you needed to cash a check and exchange money, she could do it, regardless of the amount.
So I would give her a check in American dollars and she would give me the exchange in Haitian gourds. I always wondered how she always had enough money for the exchange. I guess she sold a whole lot of cheap plastic shoes out of that tiny shop… 🤔