Can't blame those workers. Living an honest life is not safe anymore.

Überrascht mich gar nicht. CDU wie Zentrumspartei, war total vorherzusehen.

Masterpiece, as is Diamond Age from Neal Stephenson.
They do belong in a good literature collection.

The matelotage also had a testamentary function: if one of the two pirates passed away, his or her mate would in fact inherit all of his or her possessions, thus providing both members of the couple with a kind of financial security.

Source: reddit

Derived from the French matelot, meaning "sailor," matelotage was a bond between two pirates who developed a relationship of an emotional, romantic, and often sexual nature. The two shared spaces, protected each other and supported each other in times of trouble.