EP 217 AN ILLICIT ECONOMY IS THREATENING OUR FUTURE

Illicit trade has been with us since the dawn of antiquity.  We even glamorized the craft in folklore about the pirates on the high seas.  Yet, the pace and sophistication of illicit trade has broken with all historical precedents over the last thirty years, according to Louise Shelley, author of ‘Dark Commerce’.  The anonymity of the dark web and payment in cryptocurrency have fueled the acceleration of trade in tangible and intangible goods. Not only is this bad for consumers who may be unaware that products purchased on the internet are inferior or unsafe, but this commerce is actually a key factor in the now galloping sixth great extinction on earth.  It’s compelling material which you will hear nowhere else.

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