U.S. Department of Justice promotes forfeiture overseas

There’s an element of self-interest involved: when foreign states arrange to participate in the seizure of property of alleged wrongdoers even absent proof that can withstand trial, it can redound as a revenue source to U.S.-based law enforcement under various cooperation schemes. But remember the days when the U.S. sought to export the rule of law, property rights and strong constitutional protections to other lands? [Eapen Thampy, Forfeiture Reform]

3 Comments

  • This will serve to drive indivs and corps to set up shop in those countries that cooperate the least w/the US.

  • I do not take Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged as gospel: the economic collapse she described could take place just as easily under a corrupt anti-Communist regime (eg. Yel’tsin’s Russia).

    Nevertheless, this thread about internationalizing “forfeiture” lawlessness reminded me of a major episode in Atlas Shrugged, where corrupt US politicians connive with corrupt Latin American politicians to seize D’Anconia Copper. (The eponymous owner, a typical Randian superhero, saw it coming and had a counterstroke ready.)

  • But remember the days when the U.S. sought to export the rule of law, property rights and strong constitutional protections to other lands?

    Why do the right thing when the wrong thing is so much more profitable? No government ever went broke by seizing too much property.