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Comment by cheschire | Hacker News Reader

Isn't that the actual definition of extortion? That sounds like threatening something of value to the whole world for personal gain.

edit: clarity.

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No, extortion is when you threaten to hurt someone else for money. Threatening to hurt yourself for money is called, I think, livestreaming.

Funny comment, but the first part is what I'm driving at.

Does damaging a world heritage site constitute hurting someone else or does it constitute only self harm because it's within sovereign borders?

Elements of both: by their nature world heritage sites are deemed of value to everyone and demolishing it would (mildly) hurt everyone. On the other hand: on the international level there is a treaty that legally protects world heritage sites but it carries no penalties if a state neglects to do so and UNESCO does not have any means to force a sovereign state to perform or cease any action.

So unless you can somehow move the worlds' nations to enact sanctions or invade, each state is free to mine what they want.

Well, I don't know. When Europe razes her cities and returns her farms to the Earth, then maybe she may judge. Until then, if Brazil asks, you pay. Or don't. It's just business.

I want to mine something. You don't want to mine it. Therefore, pay me and I won't.

Sounds like business deal to me. If I am going to not earn money from a resource that is mine because of you, then you need to pay me back for that amount of money I was going to earn.

All the first world countries already despoiled and continue to despoil the resources of the world at an alarming rate. They owe a debt, and this is asking them to pay that debt to those who haven't done so.

Nope. This is capitalism. If you want something to happen - pay for it...

I don't know if demanding money to not tear up your own property is really at the heart of capitalism.

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