BigRedBuster Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 This is going to get REALLY interesting when a list of names of Americans is released. The Intercept Yesterday, dozens of newspapers around the world reported on what they are calling the Panama Papers: a gargantuan leak of documents from a Panama-based law firm that specializes in creating offshore shell companies. The documents reveal billions of dollars being funneled to offshore tax havens by leading governmental and corporate officials in numerous countries (the U.S. was oddly missing from the initial reporting, though journalists vow that will change shortly). Some of these documents undoubtedly reveal criminality: either monies that were illegally obtained (and are being hidden for that reason) or assets being concealed in order to criminally evade tax debts. But the crux of this activity — placing assets offshore in order to avoid incurring tax liability — has been legalized. That’s because Western democracies, along with overt tyrannies, are typically controlled by societies’ wealthiest, and laws are enacted to serve their interests. Vox’s Matt Yglesias this morning published a very good explainer of various aspects of this leak and he makes that point clear: 3 Link to comment
NUance Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Something tells me that we won't be seeing heavy penalties for the wealthy Americans involved in this. Or any penalties. : Link to comment
Moiraine Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Something tells me that we won't be seeing heavy penalties for the wealthy Americans involved in this. Or any penalties. : Seeing as they make policy, no, nothing will happen. Link to comment
BigRedBuster Posted April 4, 2016 Author Share Posted April 4, 2016 Something tells me that we won't be seeing heavy penalties for the wealthy Americans involved in this. Or any penalties. : I'm not sure what penalty you are looking for. The article clearly says what almost all of them are doing is not illegal. What would be a good thing though is if this leak caused change in actual policy. I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for it though. Link to comment
TGHusker Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Interesting if we see the name Trump show up. Or Clinton. Wouldn't that be the cat's meow. 1 Link to comment
knapplc Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Interesting if we see the name Trump show up. Or Clinton. Wouldn't that be the cat's meow. Maybe both. And then we'd have a solid shot at Kasich, who may be the least bad choice remaining. 1 Link to comment
jimk Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 In case anyone is wondering my name isn't on that list. Link to comment
knapplc Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 In case anyone is wondering my name isn't on that list. Noted. 5 Link to comment
BigRedBuster Posted April 4, 2016 Author Share Posted April 4, 2016 Interesting if we see the name Trump show up. Or Clinton. Wouldn't that be the cat's meow. OMFG....Wouldn't that be an amazing turn of events. Clinton would be really interesting after they had people donating money to Bill's defense fund after he left office. I remember them claiming they were basically broke and just trying to make ends meet.....THEN.....if their name comes out that they had a bunch of money stashed in the islands......wow. Link to comment
TGHusker Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Interesting if we see the name Trump show up. Or Clinton. Wouldn't that be the cat's meow. Maybe both. And then we'd have a solid shot at Kasich, who may be the least bad choice remaining. You got that right. Link to comment
TGHusker Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Interesting if we see the name Trump show up. Or Clinton. Wouldn't that be the cat's meow. OMFG....Wouldn't that be an amazing turn of events. Clinton would be really interesting after they had people donating money to Bill's defense fund after he left office. I remember them claiming they were basically broke and just trying to make ends meet.....THEN.....if their name comes out that they had a bunch of money stashed in the islands......wow. Oh, the web we spin. Wouldn't that make any dull news day and big event. I'd love to see Clinton's and Trump's names on the list. Link to comment
84HuskerLaw Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 I suspect there are very few or no Americans on the list - otherwise we'd already be hearing about it. Just a guess. The Clintons did not set up off shore corporations as they have the Billary Clinton Family Tax Evasion So They Be Rich Forever Charitable Foundation with over 2 Billion dollars and this doesn't count the billion or so they have in their campaign fundiing accounts, PACs, slush funds, etc. Then of course they have a few hundred million in their 'businesses' (selling public speeches and political and other favors). Link to comment
ZRod Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 I'm not sure if their are many Americans on here. All I've seen of note so far is the head of iceland, Lionel Messi, and a bunch of middle easterners. Maybe they gave priority to those names since it was mostly Europeans doing the digging, but you'd think they'd want to rub America's face in it any chance they got. I was going to post this when it first went live yesterday, but the fact that there were no Americans kind of deterred me. There was also a rather large leak of oil company emails exposing wide scale bribery and corruption ... Which... no one seems to care about... http://www.theage.com.au/interactive/2016/the-bribe-factory/day-1/the-company-that-bribed-the-world.html A massive leak of confidential documents has for the first time exposed the true extent of corruption within the oil industry, implicating dozens of leading companies, bureaucrats and politicians in a sophisticated global web of bribery and graft. After a six-month investigation across two continents, Fairfax Media and The Huffington Post can reveal that billions of dollars of government contracts were awarded as the direct result of bribes paid on behalf of firms including British icon Rolls-Royce, US giant Halliburton, Australias Leighton Holdings and Korean heavyweights Samsung and Hyundai Link to comment
BigRedBuster Posted April 5, 2016 Author Share Posted April 5, 2016 I'm not sure if their are many Americans on here. All I've seen of note so far is the head of iceland, Lionel Messi, and a bunch of middle easterners. Maybe they gave priority to those names since it was mostly Europeans doing the digging, but you'd think they'd want to rub America's face in it any chance they got. I was going to post this when it first went live yesterday, but the fact that there were no Americans kind of deterred me. There was also a rather large leak of oil company emails exposing wide scale bribery and corruption ... Which... no one seems to care about... http://www.theage.com.au/interactive/2016/the-bribe-factory/day-1/the-company-that-bribed-the-world.html A massive leak of confidential documents has for the first time exposed the true extent of corruption within the oil industry, implicating dozens of leading companies, bureaucrats and politicians in a sophisticated global web of bribery and graft. After a six-month investigation across two continents, Fairfax Media and The Huffington Post can reveal that billions of dollars of government contracts were awarded as the direct result of bribes paid on behalf of firms including British icon Rolls-Royce, US giant Halliburton, Australias Leighton Holdings and Korean heavyweights Samsung and Hyundai From the quote in my original post. (the U.S. was oddly missing from the initial reporting, though journalists vow that will change shortly). Link to comment
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