Pirates called democrats

(AFP): Pirates have been long maligned and cursed as thieves and sea dogs, but according to one economist they formed vanguard capitalist democracies, with constitutions, elections and healthcare plans.With images of gun-toting Somali pirates recently aired on television screens across the world, Peter Leeson, has set himself the unenviable task of salvaging the reputations.The economics professor at George Mason University outside the US capital, says he has found evidence that some 18th century pirates wrote down rules and principles which foreshadowed the US Constitution by decades.

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