Pirate ships were very democratic places. All rules needed to be agreed to unanimously. Captains could be deposed for any reason, and this turned them from tyrants into something closer to servants. The only time a captain had total authority was in the midst of battle, when quick decision-making was a matter of life and death. Pirates ended up forming a “company” you might be very happy to work for. Since the boss could be fired at any time, he was quite focused on taking good care of his employees. Captains’ wages weren’t significantly larger than anyone else’s. As Leeson explains, “The
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