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Comment by rosnd | Hacker News Reader

Like what?

Somehow people like money. When offered lots of it they are willing to do shady stuff starting with not checking how the money was obtained (violence, murder and theft). Bad for democracy. See Kleptopia, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/boris-johnsons-russian-cr... etc.

Dirty money was invested into property, driving up prices.

London real estate is expensive because it's highly desirable, most people buying it up are not using funds derived from criminal sources.

It can be true that a pragmatic relationship with "dirty money" has played a role in making London as desirable as it's today, but that would be a success story rather than a negative side effect as you suggest.

It's not a pragmatic relationship, it's a long term oversight that literally strengthened dictatorships and long term hurt peace for everyone

Why do you believe that this has strengthened dictatorship? The obvious conclusion is exactly the opposite, moving money out of dictatorships to the UK weakens dictatorships and strengthens the UK.

Read the book. It promotes theft, murder and oppression because that's mostly the source of that money. What use is this money otherwise? To buy Russian made cars and computers?

And if your henchmen can't get toys and flats for themselves and their kids then you may be left without any henchmen. If really no bad money was accepted in the west then dictators' houses of cards fall apart quickly.

Does having Berezovsky, Chichvarkin, and Khodorkovsky in London hurt anyone? Or should we have let Russia extradite them back and take all their money?

> Does having [...] Chichvarkin [...] in London hurt anyone?

Dirty bad evil russian money was invested into wine, driving up prices?

Well for one if you couldn't get a nice western lifestyle for yourself and kids out of your blood money then you might not have a reason to kill and steal to get it

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