Pictures of Nauru? Google image search for 'nauru mining'
came up with some good ones, like those on this page:

http://www.users.on.net/rpearson/c21rh3.htm

The images are actually quite large and just shrunk down in
the HTML. View them individually to see them better.

Wow, Nauru has been on my list of curious-little-countries for a few years now. It at one point sounded like a nice remote haven to visit.

But now its a teeny little anarchy in the SoPac. Actually, aside from death and rioting and arson, thats kind of neat -- like the Iraqis running their own detention center because the workers all ran away. Odd to think that even today, there can be a place far enough away from the rest of society that it can fall into complete anarchy, and no one else notice for a few weeks.

I'm on a strange morbidity kick here, but if any Fox/CBS execs are watching, I would rather watch a tiny island fall into anarchy than watch a dozen or so trendies gossip and catfight and vote each other off of one.

While we're at it, if anyone can find pix, I hear the devastated phosphate mines are very spooky and alien looking. Here's some: http://www.royall.co.uk/rik/page5.htm and some more stark shots at http://www.pacific-picture.com/english/nauru.htm , but I know I've seen some good, deliberately eerie shots of the mines somewhere.

Oh... And I click on the Webzen link for airline logos, click Show 5 Random Logos, and what comes up in the second slot but Air Nauru.

Casinos are run by corporations. Soulless sums it up. But the craps table, that emerald isle, that little lifeboat of hopeful souls is run by the dice. And everyone there is equal, Thurston Howell to Ralph Kramden. It's what we all dream life could...sorry...choking up...

Modern gambling is run soulless, implacable, pitiless "gaming" corporations. I'd almost prefer termites.

I love Cryptonomicon.

"And having extensive corruption/organized crime in a society is like having termites in your house: things may not look too bad for a while, but suddenly, *crunch*, your bathtub's in the basement."

Although I will get flamed to a crisp by the libertarians here, I sorta feel the same way about organized gambling--it brings in the termites. Someone develop that idea for me please.

The royal 'we', Mark? Too bad the discuss link is gone, a good
article, I wonder what discussion it provoked.

Here's an item about Nauru we posted in December 2001: http://boingboing.net/2001_12_01_archive.html#8171064

m5 reminds me, contrariwise, of Cryptonomicon. I remember the Good Guys in that book put great faith in the idea that a data haven would be a greater force for good despite their anticipation that the early adopters would largely be organized crime.

It's quite common, maybe even inevitable, for economies based on single commodities to go cablooie. And having extensive corruption/organized crime in a society is like having termites in your house: things may not look too bad for a while, but suddenly, *crunch*, your bathtub's in the basement.

Nauru is a sad case. The Australians took over the island in
the early 20th century (not sure from whom -- was it independent
or under some other colonial master?) then arranged for
ecologically devasting mining of the island's phosphate, then
when that looked like it was running out they gave the island
independence. Oh, but Australia and NZ still controlled the
mining company. This article hardly touches on the reasons
for Nauru's present situation.

As Americans, we should pay close attention to this situation. In fact, we should study the model and try and emulate it here. Burning the presidential palace, eh? Hmmmm....

That is scary. I used to live in the Marshall Islands, and know some people originally from Nauru. The Phosphate biz sounds a little like the New Economy, except that the wreckage is more severe.

There were stories about phosphate-money rich residents who would buy new cars and drive them until they quit and abandon them. Sounds sorta Urban Legendish, but who knows.

Well, as Bruce Sterling says, much of "the developing world" is no longer developing at all: we're seeing steep slides into chaos, corruption, banditry and ruin all over the place. And those are the success stories.

Meanwhile, the latest estimate on the cost of war and occupation in Iraq has topped $200 billion over the next five years.