Comments on: One million bilked in Chinese ant farming scheme http://boingboing.net/2008/01/12/one-million-bilked-i.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sat, 25 May 2013 09:37:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: ill lich http://boingboing.net/2008/01/12/one-million-bilked-i.html#comment-104457 ill lich Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-104457 ". . . close ties to the Chinese government" Maybe it's really just the government trying to institute a new "stupidity tax." “. . . close ties to the Chinese government”

Maybe it’s really just the government trying to institute a new “stupidity tax.”

]]> By: Antinous http://boingboing.net/2008/01/12/one-million-bilked-i.html#comment-104472 Antinous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-104472 Are the ants cookie-scented? Are the ants cookie-scented?

]]> By: Jeff http://boingboing.net/2008/01/12/one-million-bilked-i.html#comment-104476 Jeff Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-104476 The stupidity tax, by any other name is the Lotto. There's a sucker born every day. Not even education protects people from a good con, which can be illustrated nicely with the entire dot-com insanity, and now our best and brightest MBA's have gone off and morgaged the future on bad loans. Do you remember the dotcom-crazy-times? Vegas thrives on people eager to burn their money. The stupidity tax, by any other name is the Lotto. There’s a sucker born every day. Not even education protects people from a good con, which can be illustrated nicely with the entire dot-com insanity, and now our best and brightest MBA’s have gone off and morgaged the future on bad loans. Do you remember the dotcom-crazy-times? Vegas thrives on people eager to burn their money.

]]> By: Georgia Tills http://boingboing.net/2008/01/12/one-million-bilked-i.html#comment-104499 Georgia Tills Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-104499 It's so sad how many people are still uneducated and without critical thought. Chinese medicine, many medicine, does have some pretty weird stuff that works, but you gotta still know /why/. One should always be skeptical of 'cure-alls', how for example, shall something have the property to both cure one of high AND low pressure, etc. One should also be especially skeptical and cautious about cures for a problem that could have many causes, such as sexual impotency or lack of interest. The most revered doctor of Ancient China gave two patients with similar symptoms very different cures, because after observing them he note that the causes for their illnesses was different. It’s so sad how many people are still uneducated and without critical thought.

Chinese medicine, many medicine, does have some pretty weird stuff that works, but you gotta still know /why/. One should always be skeptical of ‘cure-alls’, how for example, shall something have the property to both cure one of high AND low pressure, etc.

One should also be especially skeptical and cautious about cures for a problem that could have many causes, such as sexual impotency or lack of interest. The most revered doctor of Ancient China gave two patients with similar symptoms very different cures, because after observing them he note that the causes for their illnesses was different.

]]> By: Takuan http://boingboing.net/2008/01/12/one-million-bilked-i.html#comment-104516 Takuan Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-104516 I sincerely hope those laughing at these poor people for being so easily deceived are themselves entirely comfortable with who they voted for last election. I sincerely hope those laughing at these poor people for being so easily deceived are themselves entirely comfortable with who they voted for last election.

]]> By: Santa's Knee http://boingboing.net/2008/01/12/one-million-bilked-i.html#comment-104525 Santa's Knee Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-104525 @#7: Yes, Takuan, I am entirely comfortable. And still laughing. But now not laughing entirely at them. @#7:

Yes, Takuan, I am entirely comfortable.

And still laughing.

But now not laughing entirely at them.

]]> By: starwed http://boingboing.net/2008/01/12/one-million-bilked-i.html#comment-104531 starwed Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-104531 How is it a pyramid scheme? How is it a pyramid scheme?

]]> By: Scott Sommers http://boingboing.net/2008/01/12/one-million-bilked-i.html#comment-130902 Scott Sommers Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-130902 Is this really that much different from the bizarre scams that Americans regularly fall for? http://www.crimes-of-persuasion.com/Crimes/Telemarketing/Outbound/Major/Investments/wacky.htm From the USA, "12/25/03 - Hundreds of people, including several Connecticut residents, have lost money to an Oklahoma promoter of worm farms, he said. B&B Worm Farms of Meeker, Okla., promises in ads to supply initial worms and supplies, then to buy back worms produced by contract farmers and sell them to gardening firms and nurseries. At first the company pays for the worms, but eventually the company resells the worms to new contract farmers, rather than reselling them for a profit." Is this really that much different from the bizarre scams that Americans regularly fall for?
http://www.crimes-of-persuasion.com/Crimes/Telemarketing/Outbound/Major/Investments/wacky.htm
From the USA,
“12/25/03 – Hundreds of people, including several Connecticut residents, have lost money to an Oklahoma promoter of worm farms, he said. B&B Worm Farms of Meeker, Okla., promises in ads to supply initial worms and supplies, then to buy back worms produced by contract farmers and sell them to gardening firms and nurseries. At first the company pays for the worms, but eventually the company resells the worms to new contract farmers, rather than reselling them for a profit.”

]]> By: Mindbleach http://boingboing.net/2008/01/12/one-million-bilked-i.html#comment-104539 Mindbleach Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-104539 I expected #1 to link this one: http://wondermark.com/d/355.html It sucks for all one million of these people, but seriously - 30% growth on dead ants? How obvious can a scam get? Don't these people have the internet? Oh, right. I expected #1 to link this one: http://wondermark.com/d/355.html

It sucks for all one million of these people, but seriously – 30% growth on dead ants? How obvious can a scam get? Don’t these people have the internet?

Oh, right.

]]> By: Takuan http://boingboing.net/2008/01/12/one-million-bilked-i.html#comment-104541 Takuan Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-104541 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6365123.stm actually, it looks like another kind of scam rather than pure pyramid http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6365123.stm

actually, it looks like another kind of scam rather than pure pyramid

]]> By: WarLord http://boingboing.net/2008/01/12/one-million-bilked-i.html#comment-104570 WarLord Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-104570 Greetings This tells you all you need to know about the scam: "...Instead of siding with Yilishen's victims -- mostly poor farmers, construction workers and the unemployed -- the government has blocked Internet postings and ordered reporters off the story, ant farmers say. Attorneys in the nation's capital have been discouraged from representing any of them, according to the website of the Beijing Municipal Lawyers Assn. Most of the victims say they invested with Yilishen because of its close ties with the government and endorsements by prominent officials. Company officials frequently appeared with senior government officials. The company advertised extensively on state television and received a hard-to-get marketing permit...." With the explicit and implicit endorsement of the GOV even dead ants can be sold... Or a war with Iraq or a speedboat attack by Iran!?! We just got a slightly different box of dead ants shoved up our ass by OUR Gov ;) Enjoy the journey WarLord Greetings

This tells you all you need to know about the scam:

“…Instead of siding with Yilishen’s victims — mostly poor farmers, construction workers and the unemployed — the government has blocked Internet postings and ordered reporters off the story, ant farmers say. Attorneys in the nation’s capital have been discouraged from representing any of them, according to the website of the Beijing Municipal Lawyers Assn.

Most of the victims say they invested with Yilishen because of its close ties with the government and endorsements by prominent officials. Company officials frequently appeared with senior government officials. The company advertised extensively on state television and received a hard-to-get marketing permit….”

With the explicit and implicit endorsement of the GOV even dead ants can be sold…

Or a war with Iraq or a speedboat attack by Iran!?!

We just got a slightly different box of dead ants shoved up our ass by OUR Gov ;)

Enjoy the journey

WarLord

]]> By: lamarlowe http://boingboing.net/2008/01/12/one-million-bilked-i.html#comment-104572 lamarlowe Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-104572 Only a million??!!?? I'd say that is a failure, unless of course you're an ant, ...or a communist. Now if they were to try the same scam on body crabs....the sky is the limit, or maybe the itch is the limit. Something like that. Farm yourselves people! You look like you're already raising a good crop. Only a million??!!?? I’d say that is a failure, unless of course you’re an ant, …or a communist. Now if they were to try the same scam on body crabs….the sky is the limit, or maybe the itch is the limit. Something like that. Farm yourselves people! You look like you’re already raising a good crop.

]]> By: OM http://boingboing.net/2008/01/12/one-million-bilked-i.html#comment-104861 OM Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-104861 ...How do they execute him? Why covering him with honey and burying him in an ant mound, natch! …How do they execute him? Why covering him with honey and burying him in an ant mound, natch!

]]> By: Maddy http://boingboing.net/2008/01/12/one-million-bilked-i.html#comment-104626 Maddy Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-104626 #11 -- in that link it sez the bad guy is getting THE DEATH SENTENCE. Michael Milken, Ivan Boesky and Neil Bush are making mental notes right now to not spread their special brand of financial magic in China ... #11 — in that link it sez the bad guy is getting THE DEATH SENTENCE. Michael Milken, Ivan Boesky and Neil Bush are making mental notes right now to not spread their special brand of financial magic in China …

]]> By: BigFoot48 http://boingboing.net/2008/01/12/one-million-bilked-i.html#comment-104643 BigFoot48 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-104643 My first post! I(t's not a pyramid, but rather a Ponzi scheme. A new English word for the Chinese to learn. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponzi_scheme#What_is_and_is_not_a_Ponzi_scheme My first post!

I(t’s not a pyramid, but rather a Ponzi scheme. A new English word for the Chinese to learn. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponzi_scheme#What_is_and_is_not_a_Ponzi_scheme

]]> By: Georgia Tills http://boingboing.net/2008/01/12/one-million-bilked-i.html#comment-104679 Georgia Tills Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-104679 Link to a blog entry with great commentary; Thursday, December 20, 2007 1:01 AM by will Why the Yilishen ant farming scandal was the perfect China story http://news.imagethief.com/blogs/china/archive/2007/12/20/why-the-yilishen-sex-tonic-ant-farming-scandal-is-pure-china-gold.aspx "You simply could not make it up. Ten Hollywood screenwriters locked in a closet with a kilo of blow, a brick of twenty dollar bills, your sister and a cigar-smoking chimpanzee in boxer shorts wouldn't come up with this. Even if they weren't on strike. Only China comes up with this..." Link to a blog entry with great commentary;

Thursday, December 20, 2007 1:01 AM by will
Why the Yilishen ant farming scandal was the perfect China story
http://news.imagethief.com/blogs/china/archive/2007/12/20/why-the-yilishen-sex-tonic-ant-farming-scandal-is-pure-china-gold.aspx

“You simply could not make it up. Ten Hollywood screenwriters locked in a closet with a kilo of blow, a brick of twenty dollar bills, your sister and a cigar-smoking chimpanzee in boxer shorts wouldn’t come up with this. Even if they weren’t on strike. Only China comes up with this…”

]]> By: adamnvillani http://boingboing.net/2008/01/12/one-million-bilked-i.html#comment-104680 adamnvillani Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-104680 The guy sentenced to death (Wang Zhendong) was last February, and it was a different guy. The L.A. Times article references it, saying it was a different guy in the same province. The guy in the L.A. Times article was Wang Fengyou. Of course, he might get the death penalty, too, but it's not yet been reported. The guy sentenced to death (Wang Zhendong) was last February, and it was a different guy. The L.A. Times article references it, saying it was a different guy in the same province. The guy in the L.A. Times article was Wang Fengyou. Of course, he might get the death penalty, too, but it’s not yet been reported.

]]> By: ill lich http://boingboing.net/2008/01/12/one-million-bilked-i.html#comment-104938 ill lich Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-104938 Ponzi schemes and pyramid schemes are essentially the same thing. Charles Ponzi who originally invented the scheme (or is credited with the idea) DID make some money at first, but his "business" model was flawed, and it needed constant intake of money to stay afloat. A PURE pyramid scheme would have none of the initial returns that Ponzi had, just promises-- the income from one "investor" is used to pay off another, thus building good PR to lure more "investors." Ponzi schemes and pyramid schemes are essentially the same thing. Charles Ponzi who originally invented the scheme (or is credited with the idea) DID make some money at first, but his “business” model was flawed, and it needed constant intake of money to stay afloat. A PURE pyramid scheme would have none of the initial returns that Ponzi had, just promises– the income from one “investor” is used to pay off another, thus building good PR to lure more “investors.”

]]> By: Cheqyr http://boingboing.net/2008/01/12/one-million-bilked-i.html#comment-104438 Cheqyr Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-104438 And yet all I could think of was this ... http://wondermark.com/d/102.html And yet all I could think of was this …

http://wondermark.com/d/102.html

]]> By: babygorilla http://boingboing.net/2008/01/12/one-million-bilked-i.html#comment-104445 babygorilla Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-104445 So are there ants in the boxes? I'm going to say no. If so then they need to release them into government buildings So are there ants in the boxes?

I’m going to say no.

If so then they need to release them into government buildings

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